Evening star., 1926-04-27
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

interested in knowing that Sidney
Lanier. as long ago as 1878, wrote
book on that great State for q rail-
road company! It was pubiished py
Lippincott's.
What he was doing was earning q
living and some leisure for original
writing. Creative work cannot come
either in literature. which Is the
Towering Of the mind, or In the' gar
den, the Towering Of the earth. un'
less there Is some protection.
Finally, in 1879, he became lecturer
on English literature at the johns
Hopkins University, but he had only
few years to live. They were
busy years. however, for he worked
with desperation. His lectures were
put into book form as "The Science
Of English Verse" and 1.-THE English
Novel and Its Development. ne
wrote a series Of boys books, The
Boys Froissart," 1.-THE Boys King
Arthur" "The Boys Mabinogion" and
'.~ho rove Percy" The two last
were published after his death.
u.,...eu.y all this work hasten-
ed his end. The disease from which
he suffered Is now treated by absolute
rest in the proper air. Lanier nrinly
believed. however, that he had some.
thing to say, and he said 1t. one OF
his last poems was written when ne
had O fever Of 104 degrees. he died
in North Carolina in the Autumn
Of 1881. when he was not yet ~
years old.
Eminent critics have combined to
declare that in all probability he
would have given the world far
greater poems. had he lived, than any
he composed, as splendid as many OF
his works are. He was a poet with
a theory. He worked not only on In
spiration, but also according TO some
rules of his own construction, or
theories. rather, as such cannot al
ways be called rules.
Ianier knew, more or less, what lie
was doing, which Is always u help TO
a. man, whether he Is composing
poems or running locomotive. his
theory was that English verse mas
musical quantity for its true OASIS.
Although many believe that ne was
mistaken in this belief, his book ls
held by them ac most suggestive anu
inspiring.
The "discouragement Of being
wholly unacauainted with literary
neople and literary ways OF whlch
Lanier SO feelingly spoke In MS letter.
is perhaps the greatest faced by one
aspiring to such lne.
Perhaps many reading here know
this discouragement. we nave met
Cove rnment clerks who loved the
stage with their whole heart. but were
forced to spend the best part or their
days in routine Federal business.
Others we have met who played on
the side" in small musical orgam'
cations.
EVERYWHERE ono will find these
misplacements. one must earn
living In this workaday wcrld. anc
perhaps more often than not We md
ourselves fairly engaged In this neces-
sary task before we really realize just
what we are doing!
Lanier's life, and particularly his
memorable letter, ought to encourage
all those who somehow feel that life
has not turned out Just exactly as 1t
ought for them.
Sidney Lanier will prove an en-.
couragement, and inspiration. In that
for 20 years he held steadfastly to his
ideals, music and poetry. and finally
wrested living out Of both OF them.
His career shows that II one Is
steadfast enough in his ideals. he
stands every chance of realizing them
at last. It Is the end that counts.
and not the beginning.
It Is the day.by.day going along
that wins---in the long run--but each
one Of us, like Merlin, must follow
the gleam."