Vol. X.
No. 9.
BOSTON.
September, 1898.
CHARLES L. HOLSTEIN. THE portrait which is the frontispiece shun the lawyer who was a poet; and per of this number of the GREEN Bag haps no struggling attorney should even let distinctly exhibits the features of one who it be whispered that he wrote verse. Merely has the look of both a lawyer and a poet referring to the lines of lawyer Holstein — both of which Charles L. Holstein, a entitled, " I never hear the drums beat that leader of the Indiana bar, is admitted by its I do not think of him," which found guest members to be. Themis and Erato — the room in nearly every newspaper of the land, let me recur to him exclusively as an muse of lyrical verse;' or Themis and Cal liope—the muse of epic poetry, are not Indiana lawyer and orator; yet quoting, so often in partnership as have been Themis before taking leave of him as poet this one and Polyhymnia, the muse of rhetoric and exquisite verse of his : — eloquence. But the instances of Sir William "Only the blind are safe : they cannot see The peril of thine eyes; nor feel their sway. Jones, and of Sergeant Talfourd in England; Such eyes in Egypt once smote Antony and in our own country of Joseph Story, of When the great soldier gave a world away." the Butler, who was attorney-general under President Jackson, and of his son, William Charles L. Holstein was born fifty-four Allen Butler, and of Irving Browne — whose years ago in Indiana, and the locality of his recently published lyrics entitled " The House birthplace, has about it a presidential aroma, of the Heart," are still winning praise from for it was at the town of Madison, in Jeffer critics who had previously esteemed his son County. His father was a German editorship of a law journal, — can be cited emigre, of family and education, who, in his as proofs of an excellent partnership of adopted country, won commercial spurs; the two kinds above referred to. From the and his mother, although native and to the Holstein eyes Erato looks, while Themis i manner born, was of immediate French an shines from beneath his forehead. More cestry. From her the son inherited the over, Polyhymnia, unseen, lingers on tongue tenderness impressed upon his verse; and and lips. from the father, business habits, industry, Indiana lawyers have greatly illustrated and worldly tact that gave him prestige jurisprudence; and the Indiana bar gave to among clients. At only fourteen years of age after undergoing at school what Irish the vice-presidency, an able lawyer in Hen pedagogues and good Father Prout have dricks, who was once Holstein's senior part termed "humanities," young Holstein en ner. Indiana has other poets than Holstein, as witness, James Whitcomb Riley whose tered Hanover College, near the parental song-bursts yearly delight the Union, and residence, in order to acquire what a lazy Will Thompson who wrote the verse of bones might call the inhumanities, meaning "High Tide at Gettysburg," and Joaquin the classics, mathematics, logic, philosophy Miller (a native of Indiana). Yet the and history as taught in the average univer popular prejudice of clients would be apt to sity; but like James Monroe, who quitted 365
