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Paul Hamilton Hayne Collection, Accession 6495-c, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library
Deposit [ 17 Dec 1963 ] 3 Nov 1964
Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
[Begins, "I stand today as on a mountain light . . ."]
[On second page of group of poems entitled "Quatrains."] (in purple slipcase, "MS Poems and Letters of Paul H. Hayne ")
[On first page of a group of poems entitled "Quatrains."] (in purple slipcase, "MS Poems and Letters of Paul H. Hayne ")
[On first page of a group of poems entitled "Quatrains."] (in purple slipcase, "MS Poems and Letters of Paul H. Hayne , " Barrett Room)
[Two copies.] (one copy in purple slipcase, "MS Poems and Letters of Paul H. Hayne , " Barrett Room)
[Published as " On the Decline of Faith . "]
[Includes " Sonnet , " a poem; thanks him for hospitality received in Philadelphia ; says he arrived safely in Charleston where all of Mitchell's friends are well; says he has delivered letter to Bruns who tearfully remembered his old Philadelphia haunts and had to be consoled by glasses of Schnapps; finds Charleston dull, disgusting, and dismal; says most banks are in terrible shape, even editors are affected by the situation; talks about poetry, his and Mitchell's; says that Mitchell's tribute will appear in November in Russell's Magazine ; invites him to Charleston where Bruns, Dr. [Samuel Henry] Dickinson , and he would give him an enjoyable time; mentions Mitchell's mother and father, Dr. John Kearsley Mitchell . ]
[Says he is pleased to know the identity of their valued contributor "Publicata"; discusses business matters as well as essays and poems by Crouch; asks for another copy of Crouch's poem, " Give me a Drink of Water, Rebel , " as the greater part of it was accidentally destroyed.]
[Makes various statements about the lack of cleanliness of "American Citizens of African descent" after emancipation; claims that they have given up washing themselves first chance they got and during slavery, "these creatures" were forced to wash now and then; speculates on the interesting time entomologists would have with Negroes' hair, etc.; asks to be sent the article "Southern Country Life" from Appleton's Journal regarding the Negroes' robbing southern country homes which he experienced in his own household for years; implores him not to publish two of his poems in Globe Quarterly Review since he has already given them to Atlantic Monthly and Appleton's Journal ; remarks on his own work; praises correspondent's essays on William Wordsworth ; mentions [Margaret Junkin] Preston 's review.]
[Discusses business; acknowledges receipt of a check for 10 dollars and explains, at great length, the mystery of a lost check for 15 dollars.]
[Expresses thanks to Sargent for being the first man to greet him during his visit to Boston . ]
[Commiserates in reply to her note; says he is a rheumatic fever sufferer himself; wishes she had come further South to see him and his family; says she would have gotten into "another world"; describes his reduced circumstances, household inconveniences, but also the glory of cultivated and wild flowers; dreams of one more trip to Florida . ]
[Talks about his and Hill's poems; praises Hill's work, especially a poem appeared in Leslie's Sunday Magazine ; marvels how he has time to write poetry since he works in an insurance office; comments on exchanged photos; says Hill's photo reminds him of Captain Paul Seabrook , a friend, who was killed in battle.]
[Sends 4 of his unpublished sonnets to be judged; says he is isolated from the literary community and gets little critical advice in Georgia ; speaks technically and at length about sonnets; mentions the terrible heat, not experienced in decades, in the South; sends him a poem by Annie Chambers Ketchum . ]
[Sends a poem on approval; offers it for $5; asks if Baldwin has seen his poem " The South to the North " which was published in the New York Sun . ]
[Promises to do all he can, as editor of several Southern papers, to circulate, and help to prosper, Baldwin's Monthly in the South; hopes to be able to sell some of his own prose pieces on Southern life to the publication.]
[Says he will let him have the poems for $6, less than he usually gets; accepts this price, as he is poor; offers short prose articles, maybe an article on Percy Bysshe Shelley , which should interest all intelligent readers.]
[Says he has just returned from a trip North; regrets not to have brought his wife to her office, as they were besieged by visitors; says he will always remember her and her husband's kindness and courtesy; talks about mail that seems to have gotten lost or misdirected by his son and the loss of his business memorandum book, which makes him unsure if she has paid him for 2 pieces, etc.]
[Sends requested autograph and a poem, " The Pines Mystery . "]
[Sends requested autograph with pleasure.]
[Includes news clippings of " On the Death of President Garfield " and " The Centennial Ode , " both by Hayne; responds to the correspondent's request for Hayne's autograph, which he will include in his grandfather, Chief Justice Lane's, autograph volume; obliges proudly; recommends William Henry Sparks ' Memory of Fifty Years ; correspondent mentions Connecticut Governor Oliver Wolcott and Wolcott's opinion on Jefferson and Washington.]
[Responds to autograph-seeker who admires Hayne's poems.]
[Discusses a letter, "containing a rather elaborate and important commentary of mine. . . " which he sent to Collins and has been lost in the mail; says that 2 of Collins' "most spirited pieces" were also lost with the letter; comments on the work of [Edgar] Fawcett 's bitterness about the treatment of his Sixes and Sevens by the critics; doubts the editorial capacity of [Thomas Bailey] Aldrich who has taken over The Atlantic Monthly . ]
[Recalls that the correspondent was associated with the editorship of Appleton's Journal years ago; responds to correspondent's request for Hayne to put the correspondent's play into blank verse for opera by saying that he will make no commitment as he has not seen the manuscript and does not even know its name; says that the task seems possible to him; wonders if he would have to collaborate with Dudley Buck ; wonders if the play has been a success on stage; says his friend, Mr. Stephens seems to think the play if equal to The Lady of Lions . ]
[Says he is highly pleased and grateful to the correspondent for publishing his poem " The Pole of Death " in The Eastern Argus ; appreciates the criticism published, especially the defense of on line in the poem; speaks with warmth of another citizen of Portland , his beloved friend, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow , who passed away just 3 months ago.]
[Praises him lavishly regarding his character, humor, and wholesomeness; says Collier reminds him of Leigh Hunt who is his favorite among the poets and essayists of the century; passes judgement on [James Berry] Benzel , who has a "morbid view of feeling" but a heart of gold; comments on Collier's Longfellow poem; praises his other poetic efforts; speaks of Lothrop's edition of his works and the gratitude of he owes his younger brethren of the "guild", Collier included.]
[Congratulates them on the success of their publication, especially the Swinburne number; talks about his correspondence with Swinburne; mentions an engraving by Kaulbach; says he is impressed by the figure of Titan; encloses another "Sonnet," as they already have several of his; hopes they can use it and give him a fair honorarium; mentions one of his works which has won high praise.] (in purple slipcase, "MS Poems and Letters of Paul H. Hayne ")
[Says he has been very ill; inquires if his sonnets " King Huimbert " and " The Renegade " ever reached them; says he had also "begged" them to continue sending their paper to him.]
[Discusses money matters; says he is incredulous that " Sonnets " should fetch only $5; inquires about another set of verses he has sent; expresses gladness about Dr. Ward's safety; praises poem by Eric Mackay to Swinburne.] (in purple slipcase, "MS Poems and Letters of Paul H. Hayne ")
[Calls him a person with heart and character, a gentleman, a Christian, and an "Editorial Machine"; inquires after the London address of Eric Mackay , a genuine poet; wonders if his piece " The Children of the [Wood] " is in Bowen's possession; reports that the " Gordon lyric is attracting attention and praise; reflects on the relationship of poets, they ought to be brothers or, at least, courteous rivals; requests an article by [Robert Williams] Buchanan on George Eliot which appeared in Bowen's paper.]
[Hopes that Eric Mackay , "a man of genius," will become known in America once his work is published in Bowen's paper; discusses Hayne's poetry in progress.] (in purple slipcase, "MS Poems and Letters of Paul H. Hayne , " Barrett Room)
[Mentions Dr. [William Hayes] Ward 's return from the Orient; discusses verse-form, his published poem " May "; encloses " June " for possible publication.]
[Inquires after Bowen's wishes as to the form of the "In Memoriam" for Victor Hugo he is writing; calls Hugo the greatest Frenchman "perhaps" since Francois Rabelais . ]
[Thanks him for friendly notice in the Independent about " Robins in the Wind "; discusses financial matters, the Victor Hugo verses.] (in purple slipcase, "MS Poems and Letters of Paul H. Hayne ")
[Receipt to Baldwin for $10.]