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A Century Ago Robert Browning Opened His Eyes on World He Was to Enrich 0 R. O BLIlT DaOWNING ? Next Tuesday, To Be Specific, Is ihe Anniversary Which Now Arousea the Never Wholly Dormant Interest in \ English Poet Who Voiced a Militant Optimism ' !l? P, A. Ilutrhlaon, Th. I>. The ><-.r'. at the 'prirc iv'a .' tho tnorn. >l?.rnirnt'? ?t ae?an. rn< hillsidoa <1o? i>< .1 The :ark's on the ivlup: Tha anall'a on thr thorn: Crwla in Hla heaven All'a rlajht wlth ilif n ? 1 THE year 1M2 was at tho aprlng sevon days into tho month of May? when was born at Cambarwell, a suburb of London, tho autor ?f theae Unee, Ko'oert Brownlng. a poel Ihe unfalllng nnd Inspiring optimism cf whoae wiitlnga la one of tbe greatest of tho llterary logades beoueathed to us by tiie last century. Just aa interest in Dkkens has been re newed and qulckened by tbe recant eele bratlon of his centennry. so this week wlll see an awakening of Interesl ln Brownlng. Those who are familiai wlth his poatry wlll turn to lt anow. afl one geta out the family album on featlvala and Mrtbdaya; and thoae who never heard of Brownlng or have known of hlm only as tho author of Ihe fasoinating "Flad Plper of Hamelln" Wlll ask who he was and why ? ? a 18 notable. Prowmng way of amlneaUy raepectable but somewhat humble parentage-humble ln Kngllsh eyoa, hi loa>t. v. hioh Bpy out sharply for class distinctlon. for his father was a bank c'.erk. and his mother. though a woman of educatlon and refinement, was not of gentle birth. Deaplta hla aodal in slgnineanee, however (or perbapa becauaa r.f it>. the father had thai paaaton for fam ily perpetulty whleh seerns to ba Bln lnstlnct In the human >a.o. As ?oon as practlcablc he had tho infant (the boy was his flrst chlld* <hristcned afier him?olf. Robert. in order that the namo hc had In turn recelved from his father should he continued. It ls curlous how we gamble on the gcneratlons In this way, tagging clilkl after chlld in a Wholly monotonous and totally unlmaginailve fashion. in tho hopo that at last there will ba a famous one who will shed lustre on the entire line: ROBERT BROWNINGS FATHER. But Brownlng senior was no ordinary bank clerk, whoae thoughts dwelt only with pounds, shlllings and peace. ln the company of these he was forced. lodeed, to exlat. but they wera not his life; hi: real life wae among his books and the few prlntB he had been able to collect. Besidos belng a voracious reader. and a mothodkal one. for he kept innumerable notebooks. he had. we are quaintly toM, a talenl for veralfylng." The mother had ' a talent for mualo and drawlng." But this multlplicity of "talents," of which the boy Robert ln* herited rather ladlacrlaalBataly, araa an embarrasament of rlehaa that almost proved fatal. For year. the lad could not make up hla mind "whetber to becoane poet. palnter, sculptor or musician" Ca?? tain it waa. however, thai he would not lollow in the paths trodden by his fnthor. althcugh his pradaa career ^till waltad for aome decislvc. some deciding. event. At last, when Brownlng was twenty. Fate beckonecT? Fato, not as one gencrally dreams, ln the guise of a lovely mald.n, but ln the faded hablllments of a maiden aunt! From Infancy (lf we are to belleve the biographerB) Brownlng had mado rhymes, and at the tender ago of twelve he had ac ciimulated a formidaole amount of poc.tr y. A. the year. wore on and the boy's ver.es j.a.aed from frlend to friend, varlous per? eona urged them on the publlsher.. These wary men wera wllllng to read, and, hav lng read, to compliment. but (not unlike publlabere to-day) they were dlsinclined to Inveat. Then lt was that the maiden aunt. with more of faith than Jndgment, offered to flnance a small vohune, and Pate'a dte waa caat. But lf the volume waB a WOdBBj one, we auapect the good lady dld not llnd tha tltla aulta ao modeat; la fact, wa huh pevt that ahe may have been not a little ahocked at readlng the words: "Paullne, a Confeaalon!" One ha. dlfflculty, however, ln diaantangllng from the strlngs of asorda any very materlal I'aullna, and as to wliai la belng "c?nfe?Bf4,? he 1. (iiille ln iho dark A more slnrere expro.slori of fal.e eeerJment and a more fal.e expreeaioii of trua aentlment would >?'? h.rd to rlud oui gide thla hook. Thua huoibly began the lit.r*n .ar?er af ona of tha two most n'tahl* of \ l> torlan aaeta la tha year ltti, Ave yeara aitu Tcn nyaon had siiii mme saodaatlr for he had merged hla ktentity with that of a brother under tbe 11r 1.- "Poaana by Two Brothers"? Sfr ;.p, (| foith int'J the llght. TtlOSe tw< youthful aciibblera and imttatora <>f their bettera aoon bacama ardent friends. aach ng the other'a work extravagantlr and predlctlng for him a briiiiant future. The year followlna "Paullne" Tennyaon publlahed some really merltorloua DOetrV, and ahortly aftor that Brownlng put forth some dramatic compositlona whlch attract* o<l conalderable attentl* n. Bu< h great poeta as Landor and Wordaworth took notlce af the young men, and no leaa an actor than Maeready hlmaelf aaked Brownlng for a play. Nevartbeleaa, ha would have bren rasli, Indeed, who had predlcted that one of these embryo barda would later be poet laureate of England anrl that both would lie at last wlthin the hallowed walls of \\v?t mir.ster Abbey. Bul ao it ?h? to be. Ten? nyaon BUCCeeded W'onisworth In the lau reateahlp, an<l the two aleep Blde b\- side in the "Poeta* f'orner," their ?ravea ?ai<heii over by the marMe eyei <>f a bust of Longfellow, placed there by hla Engltah admlrera, as a writer of Btage playa however, Brownlng dirl nol prove an adept The playa were too learned in aubject, too book Ish in expraaslon He gave tha actora too mii'h to say and too little to do. ThOM on tho stage s?'t tannled up ln their "line-"; ?? b In the < halra went to aleep. Then they ? ; bi home lo aleep, and the a< tora be came recali Itrant. Pinally Brownlng and Maeready became estranged, a fortunata thlng for ihe T'oet. for he turned to what he could do better?lyrlc, eapecially dra matlcally lyrlc, veraa. *But If Brownlng found the enthusiasm or hls theatlical friends on the wane, that of his roadcra was on tha Increaae, and amonir thise latter was nni: destlned to have the most momentou* lntluence upon his life, a young woman, a few yeara than hlmaelf, whoaa fame as a arrlter ol vereea waa herdly less than I is own. This woman was Ellxabeth Barr.tt, an Invatld, whoaa irer_y liie aeetned ta thoae about her to hang by the merest thread. An Intimate friend wrote of hei: "I have never sf?n a huinan tramo which aaamad so ljcarh- a Uanspaient vell for a celea tial aad immortal spirit. She ls a soul of fire lacloaed in a shell of pearl." Brownlng, tn.-t only an enthualaatlc read. or of bar poatry, decMed that he would devote hl8 life to sheltt ring and proteoUng the "ahell of pcarl ' in ordei thal the "soul of lip?" mlgfat etiduie as long as possible to enkindle mankind. To this end he pro poaed marriage, I ut Miss Barrett'a father cenaldared aueh a nnlea preposterous, and us the young woman belbvcd that rhe ahould aubmlt to bar paraat'a win, her lover Miovc for a tmie to content hlmself wlth b poetle friandahlp. vw caa fanoy to what critlfiurn from those of less raretied rnooda than tiis own, peraona who mlghi Indeed plty the frail woman, but not ap praciata bar, BfawalaaTa baaatifal mtle poem, "My Star." was an answer: aii tii?t i aaee Of a c> rtaln atar la. It can throw (I.lke the annled ?;an Now a rlart of red, Now a dart of blue; Till my frlcndi have ual'l Th. v would faln see. loo. ._. My star that can dartle the red in>1 the hlue. Then lt atops llke a blrd; llka a nower hanga furled, t ? . They muat solace th'rnaalvca wlth the Saturn above lt: What malter to me If thelr star ia a world . Mlne haa opctied !ta aaej| to me; therefore I love It. OPPOSITION 70 HIS MARRIAGE. Miss Barretfs father atlll held ort, how ever, ;,t d it seemed as if a Platonio attaoh ment would be the beglnnlng and the end for these two, when the advlee of a phy sicjan that the ittvalld be moved to Italy gave a deoidlng turn to affalra. For some unknowa raaaoa not a paanatary one?the father obrtliMatali refuse>i eithar to go to Italy wlth hls dmagbtat Ol to allow her to go under otaer cara. Convlneed that Mlss Barratt'a nf'- araa at stske. Brownlng ptessed hls BUJt, and nnally won her eon serit to a eecret marriage. The two were wedded on Reptentber 12. 1?48. For s week tb" hushand and Wlfe dld imt ie? earh Other; then thev again met serreth, and atarted for rarla unter the mn\ov of frienda Thata taaj remslned faf some UDfctli of tlme, Mra. Crownmg gradually DaOWNINOV IDtA OF THL Pito PtPtn OF HAMtLIN PNaTaaaev ~ J**"**<lllh GriAVf OF LUZADtTH r> a o v n \ ki g \TALV J^ Elizabeti BflOWNING FliOM A PAINTINO IN Trlt National PortTrtAiT GALLta^ London Ro&tftT DaOWNING AV A Young Man J>?7Ti on 2rjgsa\rjn&- J>y J C ATlMYTACt ? gaining in Htrength uritil .ho was able ta Journey by easy atage. to Italy At llrst they aatllad ?l Bl.a, but eventuallv took BP their abode. in Florenoe, ociupving a part Of an old palace, Casa Guidi. One of Mrs. Hrowning's ix-si known poaana baara the title "Casa Ouldl Wlndow." aad wlthin Ihe walls of Ihe while palace, Of on Its terrace., much of the best poetry of this gl'tod palr was composnd. Kxoepl for .hort Journey. Into Franco. and oo.hpIoii ally Into Kngland. tho Hrowning. Ilv.d ln Italy untll Mrs. rirowning s death, in 1881. Mr. Barrett aavar forgave ihe aaorel wed? dlng of his daughter. though lt brought lo her haatth and happlneaa, and to hlm some fame Although the llfe af the ilrow 'ilngr is .ssoclatod wlth Floren<-*. j^t it ws* not in Flor?n^e, hut In FMsa th.t Mrs. Brownlng permlttrd har '"ifbard 'o knnw of the ""i iBfen<e af thuae. inatrhl**. peaeaa of her. that go ui.der the UUa "Sonneta froin the I Portugueee." a* Ita story gnoa, Mrs. j litowniiig came to her huabaud one morii i lag aud aMppea a paeaat of Baanaaeript | into his bands. begglug hlm not to read ' untll she hail lefl Ihe room. As she was alwaya modeat ta tba patn\ <>f ahrtnalng when her own work was eaneaiaad, Brown* I inK knew from her raajBOBl lhat it was h | inaiiiisr rlpt of Bonie new poein "i poems ' "I per own and wgs In no whll fouled b' tbe tltle, whlch sought to Imply lhat the | BOMteta wera Only tranwlntloiis from a foi etgn languagf' As he read, mettihr al tJtel beauty ol tba reraa and rnMHlon at ihej n ratatloa of tha dapth of the lova his arlfe bore him strugglerl wlthln IiIni Al last, j hawever, th.' artiat be.ame ihe raaatar, and, ruahlng t.> hla aifa, ta lald iier ibal j Mich tranacendent peatrj BaaaM not, rauat not, ba kept from the worM. But |t nss' onl) aftei i>?;11. pereaaaion, and then rn luctaatly, that Mra Rrcwning BaJBantatM that othti ajraa than hla ahould aee tbe] poetic recorda Of her love* for that i* what tho aanaata were, the tendereet of recorda, oiyslallizatloiis of raoada too aubtle even for lovo lettera. Hut ahe Kavr gray al laat, io the eteraal aaHehaMiai of our lltaratura, although sho wouid canaeni at iir.t only to ihe prtntlng of .1 fear coataa for prlvate urcuiatioii. a aiagte copy ?f ii,ih prlvate issue eoM recently f..r aeveral luadraa dot lars. Rul iho value of mm iiri wnliig's son nets can never be eatfanated lu dollara and cents; any auch eatlmate is purely ti.il tioua. depeadeal uaoa ihe propaatioa of moaeyed rollectora lo iho aupplj of booka The iinlque value of theao noiinot. Haa In their feariesa and pergecl ax| rweelon or n high-mlndod |?\e. ,in:ilv/o| wlthuiil ollher niorbldneHs or h>sieiig jn (M,.)r ravelatlaa of fha inil'l llfr ,,r |,?, lnvHlid, H'io f"It tha) aha muat pul aatdi tha graal |oj that had rotne to hajr, many of ihem ?htiW h. pathatk ln the eMienie were lt nol fot tbe I appy endmg aith marriage For in?tanee l this: Thou han thv eantag lo sewe, pata.* feaer. Most gracloua ?ln*'r of higli pcama and ? anat 'hou thnk md near Te i?i tki miiai 'iror here aeawajra ln fuld- Ot goMrp mn?l< at m? gOor? ? ? Mi ri *?-< hlrpe agamat rtr. manooiln Htllh, call 'io ?< !i.i UB in f'iriher pr Bt (?f deeeiailen! ihere'a ? rolci \.rhin Taal ?e#pa, rn thou mml al-is;. s'on*. Bloe in tha next aonnet to this we see n hy { Mlaa Barrett aavcr ehowed thcge poeBRB to her lover. however much of her lava ahe mlghi i.n wllllng to hlat at. and tl en ii reveal in her lettera: th? p*?ms :.,. : .r -.er- heart bare, and rang wlih I., ? i ? .gnanl e crj ? i ,;., fron r< I feel hat I ihall atand lt, nvef idoa N'<,\' naora \iei-,. >ii ..ii tl ?? threel ..' rl ol mj *? r Ol in.iiv ilua command Th- .- of f haad n? ii '?? f< re, \\ itl oul ihe BMiae ?>? thal ? hlih I '? , leil lan I i I teavea lh) he ? Wlth pulaes I u ? bi it uhl M hai l e>, And whal I iei is lha wlne || u?t I ' i a' ie ' I IUI i,i' .. . , - ? , ? name ?>( thlne, x n tcan of two. She had douated even whether lf would he posstble for an) one to lova her, for ihe a i in ? late aonn t of ihe rarl alaa! I havi ":??'. so l .? i i ' n- l ? ? and tlieu pleada' rel.i i thou? ? >i' n ?'"ii- hea: t ? Ide Mid fold \> Ithiti ? is of th) <\i>\ a. There are thoae who have felt that the feellng behind theae aonneta a-aa ao aacred, tl.gpreaaiona ao Intlmat*. tMat to lel tbe publlr read Ihem arae to vulgarlae them and rheapen th< n, Ilui no one who has had ot caali n to attempl to d< al at ail wlth llterarj crltlclam a* h aarioua .md rbaatenlng aubjecl can agree to that vtew. H" lo^ii end pure i- Ihe i?'<-n\ ,.f tli-ae ronneta ti.it one'* in od la Rtimbted before Ihem, aii<l In thelr alnrerlt) they provlde a tourhatone b) whlch ??< ran dlacard poetry that i- apurioua and m< r< tricloua POPUI.ARITY IN eMVIEOlCA. i h< nfteen ycan apeni by the Brewalnga in Ital) were yeara when Amerlca knaa more aboul the p<? i and hut poetr) than dld hls own iingiamt. Thla was a aource ol chagrln t'> Mra. Brownlng, who men tloned ii whcnever she wrote lo Kngllah frlenda not that she rcgretted thal Amer? lca knew him more her regrai waa thal Bngland Know him less. And stlll. tha ? \ planatton la not dlfftcult, Brownlna'a long expatriatton had made him un-BngHah in his manner of life, ii^ Interaata und his hablts of thought, He waa therefore, a puaale to his former country men; thej i'ld nol like ft (hat ho was not Bngtleh, and his origtnalltj of caproaaloh the) mlBtaok for a ".,??? Xhe irue Biiton is akeptlcal of origlnaltt] To tha Amerlcan, howcrer, from a rountry where all tiiings ara naw and atrange, the orlgtaallty of Brownlng glvea just that geot iu the parautl af hls thought thnl 'be Anierliin loves. The dlf ferenco between Trniiv?nn and Brownlng ls that Tennysou lulls you Wlth the perfeot axBaaaataa af tha axBjeatea, the aaaal, roa, even tha obvioaa; Brownlng la b Baaaaaatoa of surpriHes; Taanyaoa'a paatry is iike a beautlfully k>'pt country ot lawns and parks; Mrow nlng's Is rugged. a land of nioaataliiB aad vallaye, deep, siim lakaa aud headlong torronts. it is iw-i-iniHi- of Ibaaa Burpiiaaa la Brown iiiK's poetry, ai d tlie tiw paths thet may reall.v bg batd to fatlPW, that he has got rattar a had name far hlsaaalf as g "diaV cuii noet." aad ror anj poar, harailaaa inoilal to montlon tne name or Hrowning Ut |o ha\e lilmself set down at ihicc ua a lltarary snob if those who sre wrltlag or taiking af Brownlng ln connacttan with the centaaar) would trj to halp paraona t" aaa how really almple nmi aaay la undaratanil i is poetr) is it wouid ha iba Baaana <>t Introductng hundrede, iicihaps ihouaaada, 10 new pleaBurea Of feellng and thought. I d i not infon,| lo appenrl an Introdiietlon ta trownlng, at rfaa 18 "iitllne hlm |g ptiraaf lashi ut, ^ui | c^nnot rle-i?t from a word or ttvo that trltht BBrVa lo throw ? heam of Ught. Li '-?uiig. aa i aald at tha uutset, is , 'Not Only Did He Give to Markind of His Own Genius, but to Him Was Due the Making Public of the Charm ing Sonnets of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. averywhare an o|.timist-nay. more, he 1? a milltent ojttmist. In liis enthuslasm aad oiiight h? Inatata thai avary aaa ahall ahara his optimism. And It is ccntsglous. or. bet tar, so vLorous, so vitai is the poat*a par? BOaalSty tbat ha llt-rally tompels us to ? har? iils \leas. MnaM without numbor BBB !??? r- in.l la l ls pages giving ever now and n-v, oxprossion to the thought ln the song 0,'ioted rtlre.id": AIl's rl?ht wlth th? world' For lnataa< < \ AV I ;t a m.-.n'' r<-a<-h ahmild ei^*?1 hla gr*Jl>. All Bre t^av* v. lllal. rr h?r''1. OT BraaaMd of rood aha.i eilat. 'Tla not what man Deea BrhleB fxsl'* aha, B?t .h.t man Would ?'"' lt is no woader that m tho prefrnce af <:(h exubcranl itrength aad eonfldaaca ihrlnklng InvalM found hereett into a nea r alm of life and ' And tt aheuld alwaya he borne in mlnal that Browalas*a metbod, both at th - t nnd of o\preas|on. waa thai af th" diamnt |c rather lhan thai -f ihe lyrlc poet; that li ;.i ?a . he aaw alth his mental eya nat ona slde ??' ? ? but many atdee. t*ct*? [arquentl; he aeeka to expreea, vary often, nor ..no mood, bul aeveral mooda, tlally. it la his qulcfe tranattlua from ona roirit of ?lea to another taad perhapa aa ic | again) thai io often puaalaa Occaatonaliy, ,. rhai a, Brownlag araa atlfulP, r*t*ar? I both In thoughl and expreaelew, bul Ioccaalonall) it aaa hla awn was of neeng hutnoroua, perhapa, ani perhapa it graw na I hlm as time a/enl bj and ha aaw pereotia readlng int<> hla atmateai llnea rooaalext. tlea wbi.li .1.1 r.ot ovl?t Ona Can l.ineV him laughtng quletl) to iiimseif aa a r.'i'ii d these randont ausatea B H 11 l read*, aill begln a/lth tha Bhorter aad aimpler pcem , luch aa 'Tha boat I*aader" and ? \ Toecata of Oalappt'a," aad l.i through tha profound but dlrad ? ruck as ??Kvoivn il. po "RabW Ben i:;.,.,. ? and saui. ii ? "Hl have Mttle dtfe flculty. After the death of hla alfe Brownlng re icnied t.- England arlth m< aon. Tho i? iMainlni ytan of Ihe poet'a life arefl llhc of poetry. his longeet aork. "The W"* gnd th. Book." bul for two brllllanl ea? \. ? matter of r.ot. however, Brownlng had r- ached hla hlgheal k?vel durli na'ian yeara, ar.i excepl for uccaatoaal aplt>ndld outl irat. thla Uiter poetry hi ''' r, rlor lo whal bnd gone before. "Tbe Rtng and the Book." bul tor two brlUlahl ??? t-eptkma, the booka called "FatnplUa ' and "Gluaeppe (?apcnaacehl.M would b* ararth i ttie more than i aaual readlng. Bal l two hool,- ahoa rare laatghl <?"> ??nM,n naturo, and In eapreeatOo thai atuhi to al ?,.,.. ;,i...i.r beaut) lhan anythhea eaaa af I ii.wnlns's. PROFOUND LOVE OF HUMANITY. M is his profound kMTe Ol whatexer 18 human thai makea Urowalaa great Thoi aha raaaa Inta paraoaal ceatacl ??? lul" Bpoka af his iiiagnallaaa ?oaae "n''/'v,'"i aald thai he had aa '"alecgfte haa***! Ha was tamous as a eaweeeaaataaaaaltet, an-' during his hurt yaara In Bagland araa w conatanl aaaaaad at dtnaar aarttea Brownlng di.d ln Venice, al tha ba. hia aon. in Decaaaber, laaa The Venetlaaa trcctad ?? raaaaortal ta lha Bngllahman aha i.a.i epaal so auay yeara m thalr caaatrr: bul lha tma krvef af Brawalag Rada {U* b.st n?. moriai or tha poet la tha Leat reraee that be arrata-tha "aajdaafaa*1 io the votume called w^'iH'i.h.": A, tha midalght, la tha *h.' "' ,,,?",? llate, , \m,h? ;ou mi >eui ri.oioa rrae, u-?i ||, , pasa ie when bl deata, raaaa u Inl iio.-iaone.' ? I.,,,, i..' ilea arli.>? ? aa leaae] reu. N?. .11 noo'ida? in tb8 BUBUi Bf m.B ? ,.-(? tlm rireei th* iiaaeea ?ith < rheeri hi,i him forward. hreaai ana b.ck a? rawei ..uld he. _tf|va pnn ih.o .!" i r ' :-p..d. t$n\ ttx* aver, th?re aa h.r.i ft.ht ea.