THE MISSING POET.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 618, 22 September 1909, Page 7

THE MISSING POET.

SEA/ : ! .:Assoi;iation-Cpp'yright.) '^'•V'^'v-^v^^ who -.has :■ been vhjissing; ifrbmtiis~ .hoine-.-af' Knzaiice',;Cornwall;;since.March,', has.';been ■reboysred ;sp> i ,flff;Mousehole,; a- ;sea-: side'.village;'twp'-miles■frora" ijenzahpe. '> v :';!v '!;LqNGED^OR : ;A:WpRi.p>>F'His -OWNi-'A' >Tp-.Mouse hole; was a;'favpufjto wait/of the :uccea.sed;.'P.oeti f ,'an'd.: it , -was Surmised ■■ that-.:he-had, fallen , into the;;sea. ,;Ho'"was a; man of lonely .- tastes..;-'; The" •■following-' , ; are soinewliaf ■gloomy .verses'from Mr , .; Davidson's-last published. work,v"The''.Tpstament:of ; John David- ■ son": : ;..;■;,::;;.;,:,.;,■;:;■; ...•;■ ."rlly .feet /ar«i 'heavy, -now,- , but' on I; go, -i-; ■ .' ;-■'■•My 'head-:erect, beneath,the .tragic-years;' •'"'' The;way.is .steep, but,! would'have 'it so,; - :viAnd dusty,,but I;Jay the dust with tears!' Though'; c n"one.'can'se'e'n\o'weep, : v'alone I climb Ihe,TUgged,:path that lends:ma;ou't-of. j ■■■^' l -:Ont .of,itimo; : iand.butyof. all, ■ ';\ '■ ■•.'■': ': '•] ;.'.; :;"Singing 'yet-Jn: .'sun. , ' and : rain,'' ''.'■■.■] 1..;* 'Heel '■ and ■toe, 'from; dawn'; to ■ dnsy ■ ■ ■>: v■ ■ v' ! "'.Ebund;the''world- and jhonle again, v ■ -. ;■ ; wbrld a-spinning ■;,■ ;._i.felt.it sheeringiblindly.;round-;.the suri', ; , : . - 1 1 felt -the■time had come to find ,a grave—;. : :■ ■'sl'iknew, it in'niy.lieart-Tiny :days were'done! I.took.my,staff in-hand— road ''~ ! And,.wandered,'out ;tp' r seek .iny. lasf,,'abode!!'■'.,■::; .'!•:. Hearts-of gold :and; ; heerts\ofViea'd, ;'■';' ;.: M Sing itfyet;in'san ; ;and. rain. I'--..;,-' . ■~ : .;H«l:andvtoe,;;from .dawn tp^dusk, ; ;';' ,,: '. >■;■. •',;.-.,';.Bound;.the;,wo,rld;jnnd, home again '." :..'. ■■■' '■.'■ ;'A- slid .little piece -of.; autobiography is' to- be found injthp;- .epilojme/ ■ to ; 'one:;o£-,Mr/ David-' son s.latest books, "The Triumph of -Mammon," which:;was-published on April 11,.-'l9o"r-his-;finietli\birthday.;;:.-:-;.-s:.;:' ';■■ -v',"f-',.. ■';' ;; : ;; '.;;: which' isi. more/precious, i , : ,have; been-wasted; in- the endeavour,to oorn a Jivelihobd.': In-a-world of-my-own making. I: should have been, writing' onlywhat should be ~.;■■. 'For half a century-I; have.snrvived in a world entirely unfitted, for; me; : and .having; known' both /the heaven and the hell thereof, and being without ' Jtff e 1" ? - «nv"army, and i'havy. to ■ compel ■ £?*.'nations.l;. 'began; defimtely. in.-;my testaments, and tragedies,.: to -.destroy •■■ this ■''•unfit'worldvand ma)£o;;itrpver',.ag4iß in my own ■image.-. : in-'.my own'image , because that cannot be transcen'led y. all men, croising-sVeepers •or Ministers' of; S(ateV endeavour', to.their utmost toi make-,the - .-world to, thoir-order; and those w "o .identify.:their,. minds, and .imaginations witlv,,the ; universe .have -unusual power and authority. ~-■ ■ '■ T -o.'.; :; ' ;;'";■.,■'■.■,'■-.,,, .■.■■', ■.•■ ;-Mr.; John Davidson 'was born, in Eenfrewshira, on .-April: 11, i 1857,, and began life :asa clerk.in.a Glasgow-thrend. firm. : He was onpointed ..-a', tcaflhsr' at; Crieff; and came tdLondon- m.,1890.-, Ho. engaged.in 'journalism until his .poems began to attract.attention. . As a poet and/.a; lover- of .nature- (writes'a' London ;papcr).he made.his;mark,'not as"a dramatist nor. in the-more ambitious philosophy which marks '(The Theatoorat.'f. „• Miy Davidson once described, that: work :as '"the-most profound nnd original of English, books/' but his fame is morel kelr to be, bound-up, in'"Fleet Street , Eclogues.";;ln; 1906, he.was granted a> Civil List pension ,of ,£lol).'■..r ..':',,. '\ . .