Eugene Field, a Study in Heredity and Contradictions - Volume 2

ndispensable factor in my brother's life. It was strong in his youth: it grew to be an imperative necessity in later life. In the theory that it is sometimes good to

a relationship which gave point to the touching appeal which served as introduction to the dearly cherished manuscript copy, in two volumes, of nearly one hundre

aske is sma

h what y onc

from yr. bou

kyndly heer

. Slosson m

was his so

ot ever in

have hym pa

r weeke is

eese hym fro

lorne impov

elous panges

chekes y st

y quenchles

griffes and

have hym pa

e and purple inks: "Ye habbit maketh mone over hys sore griffe and mightylie bes

ate at mine. The nature of this pact is related in the following verse, to which Field prefixed this note: "While this poem is printed in all the 'Reliques of Ye Good Knights' Poetrie,' and while the incident it narrates is thoroughly characteristic of that Knightly Sage, the

NIGHT TO S

was warm

ld was wet

moon r

e autu

lowery pra

my arm, o

ed the lon

said, "L

gloom a

easant to-n

th: "Old Fi

er we t

ir when we

walk wi

you're to e

ed your hand

d: "Well,

ht was

dn't

ever rain

nge came on

fickle me

ce, tha

warm an

or it's rain

awn your wa

oned your pou

lows th

feel i

t at your

has already been made, who often joined us in our after-theatre symposiums, but

the unending source of enjoyment they were to bo

reat and sum

ne midnight

le warri

d Field: "In

long this ni

e, varlet, br

t growe

ke Thompson

y faith, I

, this ri

re wondrous

s that acc

-night shall

my honor

dark forb

y pulled hi

e to go

sweet favo

more with th

he through t

mpson pau

ed to meet his domestic expenses and left little to abate the importunity of the claims that followed him remorselessly. He lived very simply in a flat on the North Side-first on Chicago Avenue, something over a mile fro

more nearly commensurate, as we "opined," with our respective needs and worth. The third member of the trio, who personally sympathized with our aspirations and acknowledged their justice, occupied an executive position, where he was expected to exercise the most rigorous economy. Moreover, he had a Scotsman's stern and brutal sense

rain to wheedle Collins Shackelford, the cashier, into breaking into his envelope for five or ten dollars in advance. These appeals came in every form that Field's fecundity could invent. When all other methods failed the presence of "Pinny" or "Melvin" in the office would afford a m

lford, in prose and verse, but none of them equals in the shrewd, seductive style, of which Field was m

T TO SH

ord, the week

ustom is, I

ther who has

elf to lend t

hekelsford, t

ealth, for th

mil'st a soft

rown was but a

rt would melt

e pleading I w

t if I've a no

ch thee, O th

tes, but, bol

pe and strike

er 3d,

ything on Field's salary of its binding force. Having once learned the key that would unlock the cashier's box, he never let a week go by without turning it to some profitable a

f early English ballads and the chronicles of knights and tourneys, Field always referred to himself as "the good but impecunious Kn

his friendship and of which he never wearied. It came in shape of an office postal card addressed in extenso, "For Mr. Alexander Slason Thompson, Fredericton, New Brunswick"-the employment of th

October 6

MES

tarving! Come and brin

NE F

F.

as soon conscious that a large part of the community was consumed

ntial campaigns of 1876 and 1884. For ten days I roved all over the state, making my headquarters at the Hotel North, Augusta, where I was bombarded with postal cards from Field. They were all couched in ambiguous terms and were well calculated to impress the inquisitive hotel clerk with the impecunios

October 1

r rescue several times, but is beginning to weaken, and the outlook is

hung

.

F.

, unpublished correspondence between Mr. Blaine and Mr. Fischer, of the Mulligan letters notoriety. My assignment as staff correspondent called for visits to New York, Albany

the children's festival, and his books bear all the testimony that is needed, from the first poem he acknowledged, "Christmas Treasures," to the last word he wrote, that it filled his heart wi

yone within the circle of our immediate friends. I parted from him at the midnight car, which he took for the North Side. Going to the

ame a knock, and I was told that there was a message for me. Opening the door, my eyes were greeted with a huge home-knit stocking tacked to it with a two-pronged fork and

gentle trav

e work of S

sock that's

ngs near our

went to be

out in ro

his sock u

or Santa C

me, Santa Cla

o fill this

went and lo

lost in dre

rrived at h

well his wo

wealth of f

unto the sl

fig, and o

jack of ca

me candy,

s in a wres

monkey o

ke that's ha

wealth of

he soul of

thing, but l

s sock upo

wakes and c

se toys and

old Santa

stairs with a

in toiling up six flights of stairs after he knew I was asleep, to see that everything was arranged so as to attract the attention of the passing traveller. The success of his game was fully reported to him by his fri