AN AUCKLAND POETESS.

Observer, Volume 3, Issue 71, 21 January 1882, Page 302

AN AUCKLAND POETESS.

OTTR poetical editor was seated in the sanctum alone the other evening, absorbed in deep study — that ia, his legs -were spread over the table, a lively cigar was in his mouth, and in his hand was a yellow- covered French novel — when a timid knock came to the door. In response to his invitation to " come in," a young lady stepped forward with timid, nervous action. Thoiigh evidently perturbed, she was a noble-looking ■being — " A daughter of the gods, divinely tall, And most divinely fair ;" . so that our editor, who is a bachelor, felt a momentary twitching about his heart-strings ; but swiftly summoning his philosophy to his aid, lie composed himself, and requested to know the errand of his fair visitant. " Oh, sir, I've brought in a poem, which I think would be so siiitable for the Observer." " Ah, a poem !" said he, and a gleam of stern relentlessness shot into his eye. " Yes," she went on, fumblingly producing a paper from a reticule which she carried. "It's from the Grerman, you know !" " What Gt-ernian ?" asked the editor with keen interest. "Or perhaps there's only one Grerman poet when you call him the Grerman. " Oh, his name is Hauptmann, and he's just a common weaver ; but he writes such sublime sentiments! I shall read you this : — "He lives but half who lives alone." That's the title, you know. It begins : — • As once in Eden Adam stood Alone in all the earth, Though all around was fair and good, A longing wish had birth ; " It is not good to be alone — There might be two instead of one !" " "What do you think o£ it ?" enquired the bashful poetess as she finished the first stanza. " I think Adam deserved all his trouble if he ever indulged in such a foolish wish. It's rather unscriptural, too ; for the Bible says nothing about Adam feeling lonesome. But perhaps ' the Gferman ' knows better. Gi-o on, please." " Grod heard his wish, and sent a wife To cheer his lone abode, And Love, the sweetener of Life, In either bosom glowed. There must be two where there is one — He lives but half who lives alone." " Isn't that a noble and true sentiment ?" asked the lady triumphantly ; " the last two lines, I mean ! But, of course, present company is always excepted," she added, with a sweet apologetic blush. |{ Yes ; very true about — ' there must be two where there is one !' I can never get stuck down here comfortably to do some hard work but some fool is sure to come in and disturb me ! Present company excepted, of course 1" he added, with a sardonic grin. " Let's here some more of it." The poetess, with a slight tremor in her rich voice, read as follows : — " The maiden in her bosom hides Full many a fond desire ; But one sweet wish through all abides, A pure and constant fire : — It is not good to be alone, There might be two instead of one 1" " That's true sentiment, now 1" cried the poetical editor. " Don't know that it's noble, but it's true— " " Present company ex " began the fair one. " Oil, bother exceptions !" cried, the critic ; " they're only tiseful as proving the rule ; and that Grernian evidently knows the sex. What's the next verse ?" The young lady read as follows : — " The country squire, so bluff and kind, With house and fair estate, Looks round, if haply he can find A fresh and buxom mate ; There must be two where there is one — He lives but half who lives alone." " Pretty true to human nature, too, isn't it ?" the fair poetess ventured to remark. "Well, yes; country squires often do such things; and if they are representative human beings, that Grerman has just painted human nature to the life. But read on, and I daresay you'll find that this buxom mate of his will be wanting a riding horse and habit, and carnage, and lap-dog, &c:, on the principal of multiplication set down in the poem !" "Oh dear, no !" replied the authoress, " there's no more about her. That's left to the imagination." " And very safely so. What comes next, then ?" " Another loves a changeful life, And roams the world so wide ; But with him goes his faithful wife In loving, trustful pride ; There must be two where there is one — He lives but half who lives alone." That was what the lady read, and when she was done, she murmured — "How touchingly true to the tender instincts of a woman's heart !" " Yes," quoth the editor, " that woman knew human nature, and woiild not run the risk of her husband flirting with barmaids when out of her sight. Oh, yes ; she'd go with him, I have no doubt." " Shall I read the next verse ?" asked the lady timidly ! " its rather sweet and tender, I think." " Pour it forth," he answered, getting ready Ms pocket-handkerchief. Then the lady read - in a voice of touching pathos : — : " How lovingly the first-born boy So fondled by his mother ; The joking father asks in joy — When shall he have a brother ? There must be two where there is one — He lives but half who lives alone !" j "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the poetical editor. " Now you see the result of the reckless arithmetic of that Gl-erman. Of course, if its true that there must be two where there is one, its ■mst as true, or more so (according to geometrical progression) that there must be four where there are two j and very soon your country squire and

his buxom mate will have twenty-two healthy boys and girls, splendid hands at tearing their clothes, consuming, provendei', and generally making inroads on the poor squires income ! No, Miss ; I'm afraid the poem won't do —that is, the poetry ia excellent, the sentiments are beautiful, the ideas enobling, the human nature Al ; but the arithmetic is radically defective, quite opposed to any sane multiplication in the world 1" " But you'll hear the last verse, won't you ?" This, with a tremor in the voice, and a dewy look in those melting blue eyes of hers, which nearly found a vulnerable inlet to the heart of our poetical editor. "And perhaps you'll also try to give it a corner in the Observer ?" " Certainly, Miss ; read the concluding stanza." " Then fill your cups, and drink with me To every wedded pair, Who lovingly and trustingly Life's joys and sorrows share ; But bid each bachelor begone — He lives but half who lives alone !" " Gfood-bye," said the editor, rising and taking the proffered MSS. from the lady's hand, and not trusting himself to continue the conversation. " I shall insert the poem — somewhere — find a corner for it, as you say. Grood-bye !" " Oh, thank you, sir ; good evening !" and with a gleam of gratitude in those glorious orbs of hers, the beautiful vision was gone ; and our bachelor editor began to collect his faculties, and to try and discover how far lie had committed himself. In the first reaction from the melting mood in which the lady left him he was nearly inserting the poem — in the waste-basket ; but the memory of those appealing eyes was too much for him, and overcame any scruples which lingered in his breast regarding the probable evil consequences of promulgating such erroneous arithmetic. So the poem is inserted, but with his solemn protest, as given during its reading in the sanctum, against what he believes to be its pernicious teachings.