El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-07-14
Pennies Poet Dies Famous
GoIdsmith's Poverty Prevented Him
From Marrying the Girl
He Loved.
By Madison C. Peters

( LIVER GOLDSMITH. one Of the
most pleasing writer's Of the
18th century, was born in Ire
land, where his father was poor
curate. His Irish blood accounts per
haps for the delicate humors OF which
the Vicar Of Wakefield" and She
Stops to Conquer are such good eX-
amples Even in these days OF perfect
technique in the drama Of the latter
does not seem as antiquated as some
famous works Of 100 years later
Goldsmith was the laughing stock
OF his schoolmasters. he was grad
I uated Wooden Spoon" a college name
Tor Ounce. He much preferred 70 while
away the hours at public houses and
gaming tables. He attended three col
leges, Trinity at Dublin, where ne
CHANGED BY a stroke Of luck 10 get his
b. A. degree; then later al the uni
Versities Of Edinburgh and Leydeni
ne left the latter institution IN ms zfth
Year, he had no degree ana knew very
little about medicine, the study OF
which he had been pursuing MOI ming
daunted at his failures, ne SET out
upon the high road OF life VITA nought
but his clothes and his flute. By
writing little ballads for street muSl-
cans he earned cents Day he
rambled through France, flanders
switzerland and Italy, gaining ms ,Iood
and an occasional lodging for the night
with his flute He returned to Eng
land in 1855, experiencing all sorts OF
hardships.
Lives in BeSEars' Quarters.
At % he was penniless in London
ana lived in the beggars' quarters IN
axe lane. he set up as a doctor IN
the suburbs Of London. He wore
second hand coat Of rusty velvet, with
a patch on the left breast, which he
covered with his three cornered hat
curing his visits, and the story is told
OF MS contest OF courtesy with a pa
uent who persisted in relieving him
OF his hat, which only made him press
II more devotedly to his heart. he
had often 10 pawn his clothes 10 keep
him from starving. His landlady once
had him arrested for rent
He finally embarked upon the ca
reer to which so many turn as last
resort to literature. and what a strug-
gle that was at first
LaureIs Are Belated
Dr. Johnson came to his relief, took
from his desk the manuscript, The
Vicar of Wakefield" and sold it for
$500. After The Deserted Village"
was first written he spent two years
revising it For his History Of the
Earth and Animated Nature" he re-
cetved $4,000; and she Stops to Con-
quer" had a large sale, but he was
continually in debt, mainly because he
was imposed on BY others. The world
came late with its laufels to the weak,
gentle, loving author Of The Vicar OF
Wakefield but it came and gave him
a monument in the Poets Corner in
Westminster Abbey.
From the bitterest experiences he
penned these lines on the uses Of OBJ
stacles;
aromatic plants bestow
No spicy fragrance while they grow
But crushed or trodden C the ground,
Diffuse their balmy sweets around"
Tzn1dzr-f~h
prepossessing; he was short, stoop-
shOuldered and so pitted by smallpox
that the boys made fun Of him. He
was not good talker, and did not
take at all in society; but the people
who knew him loved him, counting
aOmOng his friends Johnson, Burke.
Reynolds and the Horneck family.
Mary HOrneck was the woman he loved,
but whether he ever asked her to
marry him is not known. When Gold
smith met Mrs Horneck and her
charming daughters, he took an imme-
date fancy to the whole family. He
was diffident and III at ease when in
the presence OF women OF. his own
class, but these charming women knew
Just how to draw the shy hammered
man out Of his shell and their friend
ship was one Of lifelong standing.
Always careless in his dress, Gold
smith now secured a most expensive
tailor, and took pains to purchase such
little EanlLlGS as SILVER buckles SlAktA
hose and neck ruffles Of rare lace, all
OF which seemed to indicate purturbed
Of the heart.
In 1880 the Hornecks decided to
make a tour Of the continent and Gold
smith was asked TO accompany them;
he accepted the invitation with the
greatest alacrity, and after long con-
ference with his tailor, his haberdasher
and his Wigmaker, he departed on
second tour. which was vastly differ
ent from his first trip abroad. The
delightful companiOnship Of the beau
iful Jessamy Bride, as Mary Horneck !
was called, gave Goldsmith the greatest /
possible happiness, and II was with !
real sorrow that he returned to Eng
land, where Mary was forced to divide I
her attentions among several His at /
-entiOns to her were the cause OF much I
5antering among his friends. which I
,aused him the utmost modification, /
Tor he was extremely sensitive The /
Iessamy Bride was probably the one I
woman that Goldsmith ever really 1
luite attentive to his cousin, Jane Con- ,
-arine. though the attachment was 4
,robably only cousinly affection
Dies Single and Penniless.
Poor Goldsmith died in 1874, very I
much in debt, though he made a great /
.ouId not take care OF It His poverty 4
.lone kept him single. His health had
been failing for some time, yet his
leath was unexpected and caused grief
.mong many. The day Of the funeral J.
Nary Horneck came to take a last look
It him: the coffin lid had been put on,
tut Mary begged them to remove 1t so
hat she might look upon him once
more Left alone with him she fell on
Ter knees beside the coffin and burst
INTO passionate sobs, and taking a pair
# scissors from her bodice she cut a
ock Of his hair which she cherished al J
ways.
Mis- Horneck afterwards married Gen.
Swyn, and lived well into the last
CENTURY. dying at IS. Nothing gave
Ter such great delight as stories re-
ating to her youth-When the great !
Ill., Enlas--.sth ". ka- --ar-- EaaE !