Page:Stewart Edward White--The Rose Dawn.djvu/154

142 here, Gordy, this a pretty good sort of young fellow. He ain't got any tenor voice nor such physical disabilities. He was our last month's Benefactor, and we like him. But he's been to dinner with the Pet Poets, and he thinks they are great people. You've simply got to uncork a little professional jealousy." "I'm glad to meet you, Mr. Boyd," said Carlson sincerely. "Are you by any chance a writer or an artist?"

"The best thing he draws is his health, and the best thing he writes is a check," interposed Frank. "But he can ride a horse a little, and he's got a popgun he says will shoot—a sixteen gauge Scott, Gordy, think of that! sixteen! I want to go out and see if a peashooter that size will kill a quail! And he's got nice healthy instincts; and he was being took care of good until lately. We taught him to buy a drink or two and I understand Pearl is giving him a little attention," continued this astonishing person calmly, "so you see his education is in good experienced hands. No, he don't do none 'of these tricks. He's just cast for the 'hyacinthine boy'—that's it, ain't it, son?"

Kenneth, overwhelmed by all this crash of preconceptions, could only stammer something incoherent.

"Now, Gordy," pursued Moore, "just answer me a few questions honestly, to save this kid's immortal soul. What kind of a poet is Oliver Iredell?" "Punk!"

"Why?"

Carlson turned fully to Kenneth and addressed him solely, in the gentlest and kindliest tones:

"You see, he is not a poet at all. He is a skillful versifier with a good classical education. Have you seen his work? "

"I heard him read a sonnet the other evening."

"Exactly. It was probably an excellent school-room example of a sonnet, and it probably began 'As one who—' He takes any moral commonplace—like be good and you'll be happy—, he transposes them to ancient Greece, clothes them in classic imagery, and embodies them in a standard verse form. A poem that is truly a poem must have either originality of thought, inspiration of sentiment, or sheer beauty of form. A great poem has all of them."