1892 DEATH OF TENNYSON 271 



which came back to his mind in the Abbey. The 

 lines were published in the Nineteenth Century for 

 November 1892. He declared that he deserved no 

 credit for the verses ; they merely came to him in 

 the train. 



His own comparison of them with the sheaf of 

 professed poets' odes which also appeared in the same 

 magazine, comes in a letter to his wife, to whom he 

 sent the poem as soon as it appeared in print. 



I know you want to see the poem, so I have cut it 

 and the rest out of the Nineteenth just arrived, and sent 

 it 



If I were to pass judgment upon it in comparison with 

 the others, I should say, that as to style it is hammered, 

 and as to feeling human. 



They are castings of much prettier jjattern and of 

 mainly poetico- classical educated -class sentiment. I do 

 not think there is a line of mine one of my old working- 

 class audience would have boggled over. 1 would give a 

 penny for John Burns' thoughts about it. {N.B. — 

 Highly impartial and valuable criticism.) 



He also wrote to Professor Romanes, who had 

 been moved by this new departure to send him a 

 volume of his own poems : — 



HoDESLEA, Nov. 3, 1892. 

 My dear Eomanes — I must send you a line to thank 

 you very much for your volume of poems. A swift glance 

 shows me much that has my strong sympathy — notably 

 " Pater loquitur," which I shall read to my wife as soon 

 as T get her back. Against all troubles (and I have had 

 my share) I weigh a wife-comrade " treu und fest " in all 



