The rest of his brief life was a brave and pathetic struggle against disease and poverty. He lectured on literature to private classes, wrote a book on Florida for 40 a railroad company, made versions .of the King Arthur legends for young people, played the flute in the orchestra, and devoted all the time he could to poetry. This work was disturbed by many trips in search of new strength and health. 45 The friendship of the poet, Bayard Taylor, led to the choosing of Lanier to write the cantata to be sung at the opening of the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia in 1876. This brought him into more general notice than he had yet received. In the last two years of his life he 50 had an appointment as lecturer on English literature in Johns Hopkins University. Two very valuable though fragmentary books were the outcome of his literary studies. One was called The Science of English Verse and the other The English Novel. Lanier died in September, 1881. 55 His poetry has never been popular, but it appeals to a constantly increasing audience. As can be seen from "The Song of the Chattahoochee," it is full of musical power, while at the same time containing ideas of stirring worth. Other important poems are "The Symphony," 60 "Corn," "The Marshes of Glynn," and "Sunrise." Some shorter poems, perhaps better known, are "The Mocking Bird,” “Tampa Robins," and "The Stirrup Cup." Lanier had high ideals of life and literature, and that he had faith in the world's final recognition of these qualities 65 appears in this passage from a letter: "Let my name perish the poetry is good poetry and the music is good music, and beauty dieth not, and the heart that needs it will find it." THE ALLEGORY OF OLD AGE OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES Old Age, this is Mr. Professor; Mr. Professor, this is Old Age. Old Age.—Mr. Professor, I hope to see you well. I have known you for some time, though I think you did not know me. Shall we walk down the street together? Professor (drawing back a little). We can talk more quietly, perhaps, in my study. Will you tell me how it is you seem to be acquainted with everybody you are introduced to, though he evidently considers you an entire stranger? Old Age.—I make it a rule never to force myself upon a person's recognition until I have known him at least five years. Professor. Do you mean to say that you have known me so long as that? Old Age.--I do. I left my card on you longer ago than that, but I am afraid you never read it; yet I see you have it with you. Professor.-Where? 5 10 15 Old Age. There, between your eyebrows,—three 20 straight lines running up and down; all the probate courts know that token,-"Old Age, his mark." Put your forefinger on the inner end of one eyebrow, and your middle finger on the inner end of the other eyebrow; now separate the fingers, and you will smooth 25 out my sign-manual; that's the way you used to look before I left my card on you. 80 35 Professor.-What message do people generally send back when you first call on them? Old Age.-Not at home. Then I leave a card and go. Next year I call; get the same answer; leave another card. So for five or six,-sometimes ten years or more. At last, if they don't let me in, I break in through the front door or the windows. We talked together in this way some time. Then Old Age said again,-Come, let us walk down the street together,—and offered me a cane, an eyeglass, a tippet, and a pair of overshoes.-No, much obliged to you, said I. I don't want those things, and I had 40 a little rather talk with you here, privately, in my study. So I dressed myself up in a jaunty way and walked out alone;―got a fall, caught a cold, was laid up with a lumbago, and had time to think over this whole matter. From "The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table." GLOSSARY. Probate courts; token; sign-manual; tippet; jaunty; lumbago. STUDY. An allegory, like a fable or a parable, is the picturing of some truth about life in the form of a story. What did the invitation to "walk down the street together" mean? Why did the professor draw back? Comment on Old Age's second speech. Explain the leaving of the card. Explain the last speech of Old Age. Do you think people are ever quite ready to admit that they are growing old? How does the concluding paragraph suggest the answer? Why did Old Age offer the cane and other articles to the professor? THE OWL CRITIC JAMES T. FIELDS "Who stuffed that white owl?" No one spoke in the shop: The barber was busy, and he couldn't stop; The customers, waiting their turns, were all reading The "Daily," the "Herald," the "Post," little heeding The young man who blurted out such a blunt question; Not one raised his head, or even made a suggestion; And the barber kept on shaving. "Don't you see, Mr. Brown," How flattened the head is, how jammed down the neck is In short, the whole owl, what an ignorant wreck 'tis! I make no apology; I've learned owl-eology. I've passed days and nights in a hundred collections, And cannot be blinded to any deflections Arising from unskillful fingers that fail To stuff a bird right, from his beak to his tail. Mr. Brown! Mr. Brown! Do take that bird down, Or you'll soon be the laughing-stock all over town!" 10 15 20 |