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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1905)
UPWJWPWP, ,wu "gw v'".?TT NOVEMBER 10, 1905. u tne Commoner. 5 Who Feez Great Truths And Tell Them" Some one has written that "pcrte are all who jovo who feel great truths and tell them." That being true, it may fairly he sa. that Will M. Maupin, who for so many years had given enter tainment to Commoner readers, is a poet. The Commoner receives so many letters commending Mr. Maupin's work that it had been thought proper to give to the readers of this publication a brief sketch of his life and characteristics. Mr. Maupin was born in Missouri, August 31, 1863. He obtained his primary education, in the public schools of Illinois and Missouri, and grad uated from a country print shop. In 1881 he became en apprentice in the office of the Holt County Sentinel, Oregon, Mo., and since then has been connected with some branch of the art prn servative. In conjunction with his creditors he has owned and, invariably according to his own sweet will, has edited several cc-ntry newspapers and some of these if not, indeed, ajl of them he has, because of his editorial independence, made what may, in truth, be called a most "glorious failure." His talents were early recognized by editors of daily newspapers, and he was soon called to that field where he made a creditable record. For many years he wrote paragraphs and verse for the Omaha Daily World-Herr.ld, and the read ers of that newspaper havu a delightful recol lection of the great services Mr. Maupin rendered in that important field. In 1901 Mr. Maupin asso ciated himsf with The Commoner, and the char acter of his work for tliis publication is well un derstood. Perhaps those Commoner readers who have been entertained by Mr. Maupin's uniformly ex cellent work will be interested in knowing that he has a wife and three children two little girls and one big boy. A son and caughter died in infancy, and perhaps those who have been touched by some of his splendid verses will be intArntPfi in lcamlne that his noems relating to children have been inspired Dy the emotions growing out of his acquaintance with his own lit tle ones. Not every one who can make a rhyme Is en titled to rank as a poet. "Give me a theme," the little poet cried, "And I wiir do my part." "'Tis not a theme you need," the world replied; "You need a heart." Mr. Maupin has the "heart." His writings do not necessarily show it, because some of the most heartless men have been able to write some of the most touching verse. On one occasion I read a beautiful poem de scriptive of the deep affection tne writer felt for his wife, and it need not be said that later I was amazed to learn that one of the breakfast table diversions of that so-called poet v .3 to hurl tea cups at the subject of his muse. That "flowers should not be reserved for tne bier but should be bestowed at the time when they will do the most good" Is, a fule to be adhered to for the benefit of society as well as for the gratification of the one to whom the tribute is paid. All too often society learns of the fine char acteristics of a man when It is too late for society to avail itself of the opportunities for profit; and perhaps those who have been pleased with Mr. Maupin's writings in the past will read his writ ings in the future with increased interest In the light of some of the things that are here said. Commoner readers need not be told of Mr. Maupin's versatility. His stern arraignment of "The Frenzied Financiers" of the day as shown, for instance, in his poem of September 9, entitled "Valiant Defenders of the National Honcr," or in his poem of October 6, "Put It Back," indicates the intensely practical side of his character. Among all the contributions with respect to the conclusion of the- peace treaty at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, none was more complete than Mr. Maupin's poem of -September 8, entitled "Peace." His "Fables ia Rhyme and Prose" are now famous wherever -The Commoner circulates. "My Moth er's Song," and "The Foundations of Faith," writ ten years agD must have toucned the heart of every one v.'.o had the fine privilege of reading those excellent verses. But it is in his poems of childhood that Mr. Maupin is at his best. One of the sweetest poems is entitled "Whip Behind," and In .nese verses is emphasized the fact that the meanest man on earth is the one who, when a little lad hitches his sled to a wagon "always whips behind." And those who participate in the innocent pleasures of the children will have no difficulty In Joining with Mr. Maupin In the fine tribute: "God bless the man who's kind enough & To smilo and look ahead; "Who never growls because a boy Hooks on a little sled. --; w . May health be his, and length or years; "My". And may he fortune find; " - 4 - For nothing is too good for him Who never whips behind." One poem entitled "Hello Pop!" and another entitled "The Baby's Shoes" will make an ap peal to every parent who has loved and lost. But there are many of Mr. Maupin's associates who happen to know the circumstancer under which these two beautiful poems were written. Years ago, as now, the writer was Mr. Maupin's office associate, and has no difficulty In remembering a little one, long since fallen asleep, who had the habit of poking his little head in the door and exclaiming "Hello, Pop!" And ror one with that recollection it is not at all difficult to understand WILL M. MAUPIN the lines of the simple verse descriptive of the cheery greeting, while the little one lived, nor of the hope expressed in the concluding lines: "When, after Death's cold, chilly hands Have loosed the last of earthly bands, And caused Life's weary load to drop; I'll feel it is supremest joy To meet at heaven's gate my boy And hear his welcome, 'Hello, Pop'!" I remember well the occasion when "The Baby's Shoes" was written. Mr. Maupin and my self were then employed on the Omaha World Herald. The members of the family were visit ing at North Bend, Neb., and he was suddenly summoned there to the death ned of the baby who had so often greeted him "Hello, Pop!" The baby was stricken with diphtheria and died, and on the next evening's mail we received from Mr. Maupin the following verses: THE BABY'S SHOES Lay them away, stained by a mother's tears; Precious keepsakes through the coming years. The baby's shoes, the tips now slightly worn, Their spring heels frayed by r-nning o'er the floor . . t. , Lay them away, with hqartstrin wrenched and torn, For baby's feet will wear them never more. But through the gloom of all the coming years The baby's shoes will ope the foui . of tears. Lay them away, and sacred memory Will cluster 'round them till his face we hog Until In robes of angel's purest white, With harp swopt by his little fingers blest, His smile shall banish all tho gloom of night And call us to tho Father's endless rost. Thoso little shoos! Through all tho coming years They'll speak of him, and fill our eyes with tears. Lay them away! No more will baby's feet Run to the gate with patt'ring music swoct. Upon the shoros of brighter, ondloss day Ho stands. lie smiles and wavos his hand, " And after we have quit life's woary way We'll greet our baby In that hotter land. And so wo'Il keop thoBe shoos through all tho years, And they shall banish all our doubts and fears. Perhaps a dozen nowspapor men wore gath ered In the reporters' room when these versos were given to one of them to road. Every ono of these men had seen much of life. Tho man to whom the verses had first boon handed read, perhaps, two or three lines, and then passing it to a neighbor hurriedly left tho room. The other started to read, but he In turn passod It to another, and departed; and so o. e after tho other, in tho parlance of tho street, "roll down" In the effort to read these simple verses. Of course the familiarity with the circumstances under which they had been written had much to do with the fact that no ono was able to read tho poem throughout. The last man to wnom It was hand ed sent it to tho printer while all tho other mem bers of the group of "hardened" newspaper men. hurriedly made their exit. When you know the circumstances under which this touching bit of verse was written, can you blame thom? "The Road to Smilovlllo" Is ono of Mr. Mau pin's optimistic poems, with which, doubtless, many Commoner readers are entirely familiar; and "Dood Mornin' " Is another ono doscrlptivo of the cheer, daily greeting familiar to every happy parent. "The Beautiful Kingdom" Ib ono of his sweetest poems. This, as will bo remem bered, had reference to tho "Kingdom of Never Grow Old," whore "hearts that are light as the clear skies above," where "children aro ruling with scepters In hand, for youtn is tho monarch of one happy band," where "tho la igl tor of little ones, borne u the air, is surceas. for sorrow and cure for all care," where "the gates aro unlocked by a sweet baby kiss, and love sits enthroned In tho city of bliss, in tho kingdom of Never-Grow- Old." "Tho Look-Out Man" is one or tho prettiest poems ever written appropriate to the Christmas time. It contains a warning to tho children some such warning as even we grown folks often need. According to this tale Nov listen, little children, an I'll tell a story true, An'-better you remoraber, 'cause it means a lot to you. An' If you heed th' lesson, then vrr.en Chrls'raas time Is here You'll get a lot of pleasure, an' a lot o' Chris'mas cheer. "The Look-Out man is walkin' when the stars begin to peep To see if little children are in bed and fast asleep, And all who act up naughty and don't mind their ma's and pa's Tho Look-Out man is watchln' and he'll tell old Santa Claus. "The Look-Out man is peepin' through the winders every night, And countln' up the children who are always actin' right An' goin' off to bed at onct when told 'tis tlmo to go An' never poutin', not a bit, or takin' clothes off slow. "He puts 'em in his good book, but the bad ones in tl.e bad, And when he writes a bad one he jus' looks, Oh, awful sad, 'Cause he knows they won't get nothin'. Better mind your ma's and pa's; The Took-Out man is watchln' and he'll tell old Santa Claus." If "poetry is something to make us wiser and better by continually revealing those types of beauty and truth which God has set In all men's souls," then Will M. Maupin r rendered service to the world In tho manv beautiful lines he ha written. RICHARD L. METCALFE. u 9 ;5Asft-.4tJf .,:, -..,... ..A,..,.,;...- s ,&.!