LAWSON IN “AUSSIE.”

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4481, 18 October 1922, Page 4

LAWSON IN “AUSSIE.”

. HIS FAMIIY HISTOBY. The October issue of “Aussie” is of particular historic value because it contains one of the last manuscripts written by Australia’s most famous author, Henry Lawson. This is the second installment of “The Casual Australian," —he w.ho is casually at sea. The third and final installment was not completed when Lawson died. Henry had sat down on the night of his death to finish it, but when he was in the middle of a sentenec his strength gave out, and three little dots on the paper show the jolting of his hand when the pencil dropped from the last word he ever wrote. Fortunately Lawson had told the editor of "Aussie” what he intended to write. The unfinished work will, therefore, be completed and will appear in next issue of “Aussie." Just as important from an historic point of view is an article dealing with the family history of Henry Lawson, written by his sister, Gertrude Lawson. This is the real history of Lawson, back tp his grandfather and concluding with his death. A few days before fie died Henry said to his sister, “Don’t develop ppetry; it will break your heart before you are tlhjpugh. If you have the gift, you have to debase yourself to live. How Lawson lived and. suffered for his gift the article reveals as truly as may be. The editor of “Aussie,” Mr Phillip L, Harris, knew Henry Lawson for fifteen years, and since returning from tlhe war was intimately associated with him. In this issue of "Aussie" he writes of t,h|e real Henry Lawson, and his article, with the other fcwoAplaces before the Australasian public the man as he was.

The issue is one of the best to date, containing the brightest mattei' l written by cheerful penmen in a.ll parts of Australia.