Despite continued ill-health, which now and again necessitated visits of months' duration to Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia, Lanier did a vast amount of work.He was engaged as first flute for the Peabody Symphony Concerts, a position that he filled with rare distinction for six years.As to his literary work, this began with the publication of his novel, `Tiger-lilies', in 1867, and in the same year, of occasional poems in `The Round Table' of New York.
`Corn', published in `Lippincott's Magazine' (Philadelphia)for February, 1875, is the first of his poems that attracted general notice, and the one that gained him the friendship of Bayard Taylor.
To Taylor he owed his selection to write the `Centennial Cantata', which gave him still greater notoriety, though, to be sure, some of it was not very grateful to him.In 1876 the Lippincotts published his `Florida', and in 1877 his first volume of `Poems', which contained ninety-four pages and consisted chiefly of pieces2previously published in the magazines.Soon after settling in Baltimore, Lanier made a careful study of Old and Middle English, the fruits of which he partially embodied in courses of lectures given to his private class and to the public, the latter at the Peabody Institute, in 1879.
During these years, too, he had been steadily turning out poems of high order.
On his birthday, February 3, in 1879, he received notice of his appointment as Lecturer on English Literature at the Johns Hopkins University of Baltimore for the ensuing scholastic year, with a fixed salary, the first since his marriage.In the summer of 1879 he wrote his `Science of English Verse', which constituted the basis of his first course of lectures at the Johns Hopkins University.Notwithstanding serious illness, this same winter, 1879-80, he lectured at three private schools and kept up his musical engagement at the Peabody Concerts.
The next winter, 1880-81, he came near dying, but still kept writing (`Sunrise' was written with a fever temperature of 104 Degrees)and went through his twelve lectures at the Hopkins, afterwards embodied in `The English Novel'.How trying this must have been to him can be gathered from the following words of Mr.Ward:
"A few of the earlier lectures he penned himself; the rest he was obliged to dictate to his wife.With the utmost care of himself, going in a closed carriage and sitting during his lecture, his strength was so exhausted that the struggle for breath in the carriage on his return seemed each time to threaten the end.
Those who heard him listened in a sort of fascinated terror, as in doubt whether the hoarded breath would suffice to the end of the hour."3After this a trip was made to New York to arrange for issuing some books for boys, and four were issued, two posthumously: `Boy's Froissart' (1878), `Boy's King Arthur' (1880), `Boy's Mabinogion' (1881), and `Boy's Percy' (1882).Another work, an account of North Carolina similar to that of Florida, was contracted for and was definitely planned, but, owing to aggravating infirmities, could not be completed.
1 Ward's `Memorial', p.xx.f.
2 They are named in the `Bibliography'.
3 Ward's `Memorial', p.xxviii.
For the end was near at hand.Desperate illness had made it necessary to seek relief near Asheville, N.C., where he was joined by Mrs.Lanier and by his father and step-mother.Growing no better, he was moved to Lynn, Polk County, N.C.Of the rest we shall hear in the words of his wife: "We are left alone (it is August 29, 1881)with one another.On the last night of the summer comes a change.
His love and immortal will hold off the destroyer of our summer yet one more week, until the forenoon of September 7th, and then falls the frost, and that unfaltering will renders its supreme submission to the will of God." Unusually checkered his life had been, and yet for Lanier as for Timrod poetry (and music) had "turned life's tasteless waters into wine, and flushed them through and through with purple tints."The body was taken to Mr.Lanier's home in Baltimore, thence to the Church of St.Michael and All Angels, where services were conducted by the rector, the Rev.Dr.William Kirkus.It was then buried in Greenmount Cemetery, in the lot of Mr.and Mrs.Lawrence Turnbull, two of the dearest friends that Mr.and Mrs.Lanier had in Baltimore.
Ward's `Memorial', p.xxx.
Timrod's `A Vision of Poesy', stanza xliv.
Mr.Lanier left a family consisting of his wife and four sons.
Mrs.Lanier, who lives at Tryon, N.C., was the inspiration not only of those glorious tributes, `Laus Mariae' and `My Springs', but also of the poet's whole life.The eldest son, Mr.Charles Day Lanier, was born at Macon, Ga., September 12, 1868, and was graduated A.B.
at the Johns Hopkins University in 1888.At one time he was Assistant Editor of `The Cosmopolitan Magazine', a position that he gave up only to become Business Manager of `The Review of Reviews', with which he has been connected from its beginning.
He is the author of several graceful sketches in the magazines.
The second son, Sidney, is passionately fond of music, and would have devoted himself thereto but for life-long ill-health.
