The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-10-23

Like his father and grandfather. the
[young King has had an education in
English, and favors the introduction
| of European inventions and discover
les
At Burlington, in Berkshire, Eng
land, celebration will be held to-
day to mark the ninetieth anniversary
of the birth there of Thomas Hughes,
Judge, humanitarian, pioneer coop
orator and humanitarian, but chiefly
| famous as the creator of tsTom
Brown Most of the characters in
Tom Browns School Days and
Tom Brown at Oxford were drawn
| from life. The Rev Augustus Or4e-
bar, the original Tom Brown, died a
year ago. John George Holway, who
was one of the seconds in the great
fight between Tom BroWn-Augustu
Orlebar-and Slogger WiIIiams-who
IN real life became the Very Rev.
Chancellor Buckley Owen Jones
died at Worthing in his ninetieth
year last December. Tom Hughes,
the future author, was the hacker of
Sloggers Williams in this battle.
Hughes died in 1895. One of Thomas
Hughes daughters, Mrs. Carter, wife
of Senator Carter, was lost with her
husband in the Titanic disaster. An
other daughter, Miss May Hughes, has
ment work in the Whitechapel district
of London.
DR.. Robert Bridges, who was re-
Gently chosen poet laureate of Eng
land in succession to the late Alfred
to-day. The venerable bard and for
rner physician was born Oct. %, 1874
At Oxford he was distinguished for
scholarship as well as for his prowess
as cricketer and oarsman. After
leaving college he spent several years
in travelling over Europe and Asia.
Upon returning to London he decided
upon a medical career, and studied
the healing art at st. Bartholomew
in London. He continued to prac-
tice his profession until 1892, when he
retired to his country estate, and de-
voted himself to literature.
Lacking the popularity of kip
ling or a William Watson, Dr. Bridges
is yet great poet, although his works
appeal more to an Intellectual aristoc-
racy than to the masses. He has
many. devoted admirers on this side
Of the Atlantic, but to the great ma
jority he was practically unknown I'M
til his choice as laureate. His
verse is scholarly. thoughtful and
nearly. perfect in technique. but sadly
lacking in good red GORE It wins
the admiration of the cultured, as a
finished example of the art of poetry,
but it doesn't ssget OYER to the mas
ses, His works contain no trumpet
notes, no clarion call, and carry no
message to his age. Style he has, but
no emotional force, no power to exa1t,
to interpret the modern spirit. He has
been called "England's one classical
poet" and the description is doubtless
accurate
Z Morally the new laureate is Plri-
tan of Purftans His asoeticism goes
rebuked Shakespeare for the frank
ness of his language, and condemned
Keats for his treatment of the fair
sex The passionate appeal of Swim
burne. Is abhorrent to the cold and
pure Intellect of the poet laureate
Dr.+Bridges has never had any taste
for publicity or notoriety. He lives
quietly at Bears Hill, near oxford,
and depends for his social life upon a
small band of Oxford professors.
Since his elevation to the position once
held by Tennyson, he has been even
more determined in his attitude of
aloofness to the world, and has refus-
ed most of the invitations showe@ed
upon him by curious hostesses.
Even the titles Of the laureate's
poems are marked by an o1d-fashion-
cd gravity and stateIiness, such as
'.Elegy; On a Lady, Whom Grief for
the Death Of her Bethrothed killed
The following stanza is taken from
this work:
Let the priests go before. arraysd in
white,
And let the dark-stoied nninstrels
follow slow,
Next they hear her. honor'd on this
night,
And then the maidena, in a double
row,
Each singing sift and low,
And each on high torch upstaying;
Unto her lover lead her forth with |
light,
With music, and with singing, and
with praying.
Tt has been well said that DIR.
Bridges lives in another age. He full |
ly realizes his own aIoofness from his
age, and of his works has written:
How, with fancy SO unkind to nairth, |
A sense SO hard, a style so worn |
and bare,
Look We for any welcome anywhere |
From any shelf or heart-home on the |
earth?
j