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

ave been one of the greatest works of fiction by an American. Early in his career he was the victim of that craze that covets the signa

ortunities of this last class of admirers became so numerous that during the winter of 1894 he wrote and had printed what he called his "Auto-Analysis." "I give these facts, confessions, and observations," wrote he, "for the information of those who, for one reason or another, are applying constantly to me for biographical data concerning myself." Such was its author's humor, that behind almost every fact in this "Auto-Analys

TO-AN

Martin and Frances (Reed) Field, both natives of Windham County, Vt. Upon the death of my mothe

ss, now of Columbia College, being then a professor in that institution. But in 1870 I went to Columbia, Mo., and entered the State University there, and completed my junior year with my brother. In 1872 I visited Europe, spending six months and my patrimony in France, Italy, Ireland,

onths, that time being divided between England, Germany, Holland, and Belgiu

riter on the St. Louis Journal and St. Louis Times-Journal; 1880-81, managing editor of the Kansas City Times; 1881-83, m

rs later I began suddenly to write verse very frequently; meanwhile (1883-89) I had labored diligently at writing short stories and tales. Mo

ve been, chronolog

, very scarce.) ("The Model Primer," illustrated by

ern Verse," Chicago, 1889. (Large paper, privately printed, and limited.) "A Little B

Western Verse," Scrib

rofitable Tales," Scri

nd Drum," Scribner

f Verse," Scribne

of Horace), McClurg, Chicago, 1893. (In colla

"First Editions of American

Other Tales," Stone & K

am fond of the quaint and curious in every line. I am very fond o

is the carnation,

ymn is "Bound

horne's "Scarlet Letter," "Don Q

deeply interested in folk-lore and fairy-tales.

astronomical telescope and

wman's "Lead, Kindly Light," Luther's "Hymn," Schiller's "The Diver," Horace's "Fons Bandusiae," and Burns's "Cotter's Saturday Night." I dislike Dante and Byr

enry Irving; actress,

"politics,

the privilege of vot

services in literature, art, science,

le, a penal offence; I should abolish all dog laws and dog catcher

ise, and play all g

to read

hools; I hate wars, armies,

music (

a great th

iety of doctors

ite colo

to become interested in them, for the reason that if I were to cult

gantly fond

nk no wine or spirits of any

ds, and I abom

spare build, weigh 160 pounds,

ve well-dressed

xion pale, my face is shave

oung, and fair, and sweet my wife is

against feminine beauty. I recall with pride that in twenty-two years of

early

love all

children, and I think I discover that I lov

shall do my best literary w

numeration of his publications is amazingly inaccurate for a bibliomaniac's reply to the inquiries of his own guild. Francis Wilson's sumptuous edition of "Echoes from the Sabine Farm" preceded that of McClurg, Chicago, 1893, by mo

f one who set such store on "special large paper limited editions," they would be inexplicable-if that writer had not been Eugene Field. With him the

1889 runs contrary to the record in Denver and Chicago from 1881 to 1888, inclusive. The intentional waggery of misinformation masquerading as truth begins where Field leaves

s of darkness

onest trifles

est con

ions which, about that time, were being propounded in the newspapers and on the leaves of sentiment autograph albums. Hence the forms of Field's replies. For instance, to "What is your favorite flower?" he answere

ery much more accurate statement. His love for the fairy-tales of Andersen and Grimm survived from the knee of his little Mormon nurse to the last tale he wrote; but his belief in ghosts, witches, and fairies was all in his literary mind's eye. He took the same delight in employing them in his works as he did flim-flams, flub-dubs, and catamarans. They were a part of his stock in trade, just as wooden animals were of Caleb Plummer

not. This was a springe to catch the "wimmen folks, God bless them." He seldom took the trouble to vote himself, and ridiculed the idea

ous. He was not opposed to it because he regarded it as inaffective as a punishment or a deterrent of crime, but simply be

its enjoyment to an intellectual pursuit. He loved the music that appealed to the heart, the mind, the emotions through the ear. But for years he scoffed at and ridiculed the attempt to convey by the "harmony of s

manuscript of "A Noon Tide Hymn," are three suggestions for the "request programmes" with which Theodore Thomas used to vary his concerts in the old Exposition

tion to D

g Song M

rgho

y Hongrois

piel Lo

movemen

enade

e of W

Syl

ia Introd.

March.

is that it be good music. Mr. Thomas in those days scarcely ever ma

cause he could not get the dialogue to suit him; moreover, he realized that he had but a limited grasp of the dramatic action and situations nec

BUCC

, the Be

is daughte

the buccane

his sister

ruvian lieut

, Begum

idens, ballet,

tion-three

in garden adjoining Fernando

rd the ship "Perdi

ST

tain in the Chilian army, and Paquita having fallen desperately in love with a handsome young stranger whom she has, upon several occasions, met upon the sea-shore. This stranger is Christopher, who, for his participation in a petty revolt, has been declared an outlaw, and has

OND

ow they shall advise Paquita of the truth, they overhear a conversation between Christopher and Paquita. Paquita declares that if Christopher really loves her, he will come and woo her as an honorable man should. Chris

RD

rlos and Mercedes have secretly stolen from the ship and been married by the village priest. They appear while Paquita and Christopher are conversing. (Quartette.) Fernando hears the commotion. (Quintette.) Christopher is discovered and apprehended. The buccan

the first act, a fault which the veriest neophyte in the art of libretto writing knows is fatal. But the mos

O

m of

razy Q

s One Cont

on the Bil

o Not Wake

ood Ol

've Come Acro

R

Does Not Se

U

ve Was

Sea, O

ve, Through a

God's

LE C

e Forest

E C

the

Band of Ga

D CH

Happy Nup

A

tle Doves

panish

e Delig

Such Wo

weet t

y Must Be

, Swee

RTE

Old L

rent's

NTE

at Were

mber of the Morning News staff. But the reason for his failure to carry out his operatic venture is obvious in the argument itself. It is intrinsically deficient in the elements of surprise, novel situations, and dramatic ac

of any kind; I do not smoke tobacco." Field was, by the common verdict of those who had the pleasure of meeting him at any dinner company, the best diner-out they ever knew. He had a keen enjoyment of the pleasures of

t of cooking, in one of which (Hazlitt's "Old C

with nony

y whom I s

ive to you,

oke and lo

.

have seen him sniff the bouquet of some rare wine or liquor with the quivering nostril of a connoisseur, but-and this w

of tobacco in his cheek when a good cigar was not between his teeth. He consumed not only all the cigars that fell to his share in a profession where cigars are the invariable concomitants of every chance meeting, every social gathering, and every public function, but also those that in the usual round of our life fell to me. And I was not his only

n, you Must

o-it i

ll Quickly m

u get your

r the wording or authorship of the famous lines att

t. Louis Republican mangles an old,

ot use tob

Rober

not use t

nasty

tion of a grand old classic. The quatra

er chew t

a filt

put it in

tle Robe

or of the poem of which the

e to give up the use of tobacco, and to the photograph of Field at work, to indicate that his "I do not smoke tobacco"

nd that is in reference to his attitude toward children. Knowing full well that his inquiring admirers e

love all

children, and I think I discover that I lov

"Wynken," and his score of other poems, all proving his mastery over the strings that vibrate with the rocking of the cradle, at once pronounced this the most delicious hit of their author's humor. They knew that su

iven to fortune, and they were the children of her to whom he had vowed eternal faith "when their two lives were young." But Field's fondness for other people's children was like that of an entomologist for bugs-for purposes of study, dissection, and classification. He delighted to see the varying shades of emotion chase each other across their little tell-tale faces. This man, who could not have set his foot on a worm, who shrank from the sight of pain inflicted on any dumb animal, took almost as much delight in making a child cry, that he might study its little face in dismay or fright, as in making it laugh, t

ing yarns to keep themselves from under the maternal slipper. The other day the two boys started out, ostensibly for school, but as they did not come home to dinner and were not seen by their

d the mother, "wh

ke, getting warm,"

by the

e, so we went down there to get warm. And," he continued, in a

xclaimed

's comin' wi

triumphantly holding up a dried herring

reached home, the young men got a warming

r motherhood. The child is the theme, but it is almost always for the mother he sings. Even here, however, he could not always resist

nd lively, t

f my friend,

rds me

r son i

absurd litt

habits of study, eating, and drinking, that he supposed the whole farrago would be thrown into the waste-paper basket. For thirty years he lived in the serene belief that such had been its fate. But one day he was unpleasantly reminded of his mistake. The old manuscript had been resurrected "from the worm-hole of forgotten years," and he was published widecast as a glutton, not

rs, and bric-a-brac indescribable." The result is a most remarkable jumble of misinformation and fiction, with which Field plied Garland to the top of his bent. What Garland thought were bottom facts were really sky-scraping fiction. As if this were not enough, Garland made Field talk in an approach to an illiterate dialect, such as he never employed and cordially detested. Garland represented Field as discussing social and econ

of the Garland dialogue as the true presentment of the man, when the real man i