The Washington herald., 1912-09-22
INTIMATE EVENINGS WITH
THE THREE CANDIDATES
One Who Has Seen Taft, Roosevelt and Wilson in
Twilight SeIfRevelatons Makes Study
of Their characteristics

were-'Tintern Abbey The Ode to q
Grecian Urn,' and the rest. favor pass
ing gradually toward songs OF heroism
like Matthew Arnold's Let the Long
Contention Cease Arthur Cloughs Say
Not the Struggle Naught Availeth.' and
Edmund Silrs Opportunity That. by
the way. Mr.. Wilson confessed one of
his prime favorites: so let it be set down
here for that reason and to point the
contrast that will appear in a moment.
Sill's verses run:
This behold or dreamed it in a dream:
There srEead a cloud of dust along the plain.
And underneath the cloud. or in ii. ragged
4 furious battle. and yelled. and swords
Shocked upon swords and shields rrincs's
banner
warered. then staggered backward heurned by foes.
A craven hung along the battles edge
And thought: Had sword Of keener steel
The blue blade that the Kings bear-but this
Blunt thing he SarTed and flung IT from his
hand,
And louerins crcpt away and Ieft the seh.
Then came the Kings son--vundsd. sore b<s,ead
And weaponIess-sDd the broken sword.
Hit buried in the dry and trodden sand.
And and snstched il. and with battle shout
Lifted afresh. he heved the enemy down.
And saved 8 great cause thst heroic day.
CoIonePs Favorite.
Now Theodore Roosevelt reads poetry
TO be called Opportunity John ]. In
gals wrote II. and during Mr.. Roose-
velt's Presidential term a copy Of II hung
over the mantel of the executive office.
Here II is:
Master Of human destinics am l.
Fame. love. and fortune ny footsteps wait
Cities and fields walk: penetrate
Deserts and seats remote and passing by
Hnrel. the mart. and Talscr. late
knock unbidden oncs at every gate.
If sleeping wake-t fessting. dse before
turn away. II Is the hour Of fate.
And they who follow me reach every state
Mortals desire and conquer every foe
Sare death but those who doubt or hesitate,
Condenned to failure. penury, and woe.
Seek in vain and useleSSly implore.
l answer not. and ! return more.
Il submit that the difference in the
moral as well as in the artistic eleva-
ton OF these two ideas of Opportunity
is significant of the contrasting nature
OF the men to whom they respectively
appeal.
But Mr.. Wilson did not read his real
favorite until the evening was gone and
bedtime had come. Then. his daughters
conspIring. a volume OF Wordsworth was
produced. and we listened to The Char
acter of the Happy Warrior Being we'll
past the years Of sentiment. I yet admit
that I have seldom been so moved as
was at the noble words as they were
read that night.
That the reader felt any emotion would
have been imperceptihle to a stranger.
so controlled was his voice and his look
II was the recital. by a great soul, Of
words we'll approved OF the great souls
OF the generations since they first wers
written-a description of the character
of the true knight. II was impossible not
to feel that it was a description, in some
particulars peculiarly apt and intimate,
of the character Of the reader-a revela-
ton of himself truer than any he could
otherwise possibly ever have given
"The Happy Warrior"
but here is a little OF It:
Who is the happy varrior' Who Is he
That every man in arms should wish to be-
Whose powers she'd round him in the common strife
Or mild concerns Of ordinary life
A constant influence. peculiar grace;
But who IL he be called upon to face
Some awful moment 70 which heaven has Joined
Grsat issues, good OF bad for human kind
Is harTg q lover. and attired
With sudden brightness. like q inspired
He who thus endowed as with a sense
And faculty for storm and turbulence
Is yet a soul whose master-hiAs leans
To homefelt pleasures and to gentle scenes
Sweet imasesl which. whereso'er he BE-
Are at his heart.
II think it not at all fanciful conceit
to believe that have seen two Presi-
dents and one President who Is to be in
twilight self-revelations; one. OF his rul-
ing passion for contests of physical
strength; the second. OF his extreme de-
votion TO peaceful paths: the third. OF
natural gentleness averse from strife
and yet OF a soul capable OF rising exul-
tant to the storm"