Excerpt from The Glenaloon and Other Poems

Able use he made Of unusual gifts, accomplishments, and Opportunities! How creditable, both in quantity and quality, was the literary and artistic work achieved by him in addition to the honest and satisfactory discharge Of his duties as a Government Official, as a private citi zen, as neighbor, friend, husband, and father! As a journalist he fortunately was never exposed to being hampered and humiliated by any expectation (impossi ble in his case) that he might become either a mere mouthpiece of some stupid and pompous political boss, or a mere amanuensis Of some rich ignoramus, who fan cies that a supply Of brains can be bought cheap for cash, and that a newspaper, like a paper-mill, or rum mill, or any mill, is to be run solely to make money or to further other selfish interests. Although a frequent and. Copious writer for magazines as well as newspapers, Mr. Durivage wholly escaped the wretchedness depicted with such forcible truth by Talfourd as the lot Of those self-fancied poets and panting essayists who live on from volume to volume, or from magazine to magazine, who tremble with nervous delight at a favorable mention, are cast down 'by a sly alliteration or satirical play on their names, and die Of an elaborate eulogy in aromatic pain. They live in the lying breath Of contemporary report, and bask out a sort Of occasional holiday in the glimmer Of public favor. They are always in a feverish struggle, yet they make no progress. There is no dra matic coherence, no unity of action in the tragi-comedy Of their lives. They have hits and brilliant passages, perhaps, which may come on review before them in.

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