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THE SOUTHERN WORLD, APRIL 1,1884. 218 Biographical. MEN OF THE HOUR. Cbarles XV. Hnbner. We present on this page the face of Mr Charles W. Hubner, a scholar, poet, nthor and journalist, whose modest worth is beginning to be appreciated, at home and abroad. In person, he is of medium height and average weight, and has a pleasant German face which always beams forth a genial smile when he is in conversation. He was born in Baltimore, Md., of German parents, on the 16th January, 1835. His mother, a most excellent and pious woman, was of a studious and gifted na tore, and early trained her little son to love good books, especially the German classics. Through her influence he com mitted to memory, before he was ten years old, hymns by Gellert, Luther and other devotional writers, as well as a number of the choicest poems and bal lads of Schiller, Goethe, Koerner, Jean Paul and other writers of equal note. During his eighteenth year young Hubner accompanied his mother to Ger many, where two years were very profit ably employed in studying the language and music of that favored country. Three years earlier he had contributed his first English compositions to the literary jour nals of Boston, and while in Germany ne translated several of Addison’s essays from the Spectator into German. Yet all this early and thorough literary culture did not prevent him' from coming back to America and engaging in mercantile pur suits, in Missouri and Iowa, for nearly three years. His physical powers, over taxed by study, needed just this change of location and occupation. Mr. Hubner, in 1858, made a tour through England, Switzerland and Ger many, which occupied a year, and on his return he taught school in Middle Ten nessee, where the late war found him a Professor of Music at the Fayetteville Female Academy. His patriotic im pulses carried him into the Confederate army, and he served throughout the struggle, contributing from time to time to some of the leading journals and mag azines of the South. After the surrender, in 1865, Mr. Hub ner married, at Memphis, Tenn., Miss Ida A. South worth, a relative of Mrs. E D. N. Southworth, the distinguished novelist. This excellent wife and de voted mother, after a companionship of over ten years, during which she made her husband’s home-the dearest spot of earth to him, died in this city in 1876, leaving several bright and beautiful children to mourn her early death. His editorial career commenced in 1866, as associate editor of the Selma (Ala.) Times. In 1867, he was associate editor of the Jacksonville (111.) Journal His health failing, he went to Europe, where he spent a year in South Germany nnd France, and returned to America In 1870 he located in Atlanta. Since his residence in Atlanta has been editorially connected with the Georgia Musical Eclectic, Constitution, New Era, Herald True Georqian, Whig, Commonwealtn the Grange, and the Christian Index, He is now associate editor of the Atlanta Evening Journal, one of the best evening Papers in the country. His intellectual gifts are fully conse crated to noble aims and philanthropic purposes. He prefers to be pains-taking, reliable and chaste in his style of com position, studiously avoiding the sensa- tonal. Studious, ambitious and faith- l ’*“ 8 w °rk is well done, and will abide e °f time, the fell destroyer of so ^uch that is questionable in the literary °rk of the present day. Mr. Hubner p, , a heart tenderly in sympathy with ^mstianity and all the noble philan- “ttpy that goes fostering of the good, the true and the beautiful in human nature. His musical culture and poetical gifts have had no little to do with moulding Ins prose compositions and giving to them a peculiar charm. He has written many beautiful and popular songs and lyrics, some fifteen of which have been set to appropriate music by various com posers, and published. Although severely taxed by his jour nalistic labors, he has found time to per form valuable literary work during leisure hours at home. His “ Souvenirs of Luther ” appeared in 1872. In 1876, his first volume of poems, “ Wild Flowers ” was published. A pamphlet edition of his popular Lyri- al Drama “Cinderella or the Glass great amiability of character and culture, vanced, this much is plain enough. Of- who is loved by all who know her. ten, too, the opinions themselves seem Among the tributes paid to Air. Hub- incontrovertible.” ner we have space only for a few of the Joel Chandler Harris: “ He has ac- man y : quired a European reputation. The best Paul H. Ilayne: “We realize the of hiB poems are popular in England, manly, straightforward, unaffected spirit The essays are hardly less poetical than of these poems, crowned by a noble the verses. The deep religious faith of Christian faith. A delicate yet full- Mr. Hubner is attested on every page, fibred fancy (combined with feeling now | His thoughts are pure, his sentiments ennobling, and his verse musical. His little book is one to be taken into the home and heart of the reader. It is pe culiarly a volume for the fireside. Mr. Hubner’s spirited and stirring transla tion of the German National Sdng, “The Watch on the Rhine,” is by far the best to be found in our language.” Gov. A. H. Stephens, December 23, 1882: “ I sincerely thank you for copy of Poems and Essays.” All my leisure time was devoted to hearing it read, un til I had gone through with the volume. I was deeply interested in the whole of the book, and most of the poems I have had re-read to me at ieaat three times. This shows you my appreciation for its merits. The tribute you render to the memory of Bernard Mnllon is one of the most beautiful and touching encomiums of the kind I ever read.” John G. Whhtier: “ I have been most impressed and pleased with “The Tide of Time,” “Willie,” “ Necropolis,” and “Deaf, Dumb and Blind”—these are excellent. I have read the Essays with great satisfaction. They are wise in thought, and admirable in diction. * * 1 heartily thank thee for sending me the volume which is so creditable to the writer’s head and heart. I am very truly thy friend.” From Hon. Henry W. Hilliard, author of “ De Vane,” and ex-minister to Bra zil: “ My Dear Mr. IIubnkr—I beg you to accept my thanks for the volume of vour “ Poems and Essays,” and for a CHARLES W. HUBNER, THE POET. virile and strong, now as delicate and pure as the fancy itself), seems to me to distinguish the best of them; and throughout your work I cannot but re ness. You write with genuine sublety; by which I mean, primarily, suggestive ness. The couplet— ‘ And swift on Twilight's noiseless loom Night weaves her rone's resplendent gloom,' cognize and respect a rare conscientious- oop y Q f the Opera—” Prince and Fairy.” Without attempting anythiug like an | extended criticism, I must be allowed to say that you have afforded me a rare gratification in giving mo the privilege | of reading poems of so much beauty, freshness, grace and purity. “ I read your poem on Beethoven with glowing interest. 1 have seen no tribute to the great master so appreciative and beautiful. The lines are in harmony with his immortal strains. I sincerely thauk you for the lines on Bernard Mai- Ion; they are as fine as they are just. He could not have desired nobler words for his epitaph than those which you have inscribed to his memory. “The * Prince and Fairy ’ is an opera | of wonderful beauty. It is constructed with great skill. I do not find a single fault in it. It is as pure and fragrant as a boquet of flowers, gathered in the Gar den of Eden. It is absolutely charming I and alter reading it one feels refreshed, as if some heavenly visitants had enter tained him for an hour.” Slipper ” appeared in 1869. The next yearhe brought out “ Modem Commun- work, iMUedin 1883, entitled Prince end F»iiy, or the Mepc " onder Stone,” *n opera . i uut 8068 outof H, and his poems, ’ . 1R77 waa married to ^Ijrtce.aad ,„ ngs , and journalietk Mr. Hnoner to Uh7 w. n Ub «*i*u tend to the promotion ami I Ml.. Mary Frank Wtotney, ». THE LAST KISS. (See page 202.) is nobly expressed. I think that Poe would have liked these lines. The phrase • resplendent gloom’ reminds me of Co’e- ridge in his high, observant moods. The essays are not unfrequently dis tinguished by a' true and sound body of thought,’ and whether on. agrees or dis agrees with the opinion or argument ad- We call attention to the beautiful and grand poem on page 202, en itled “The Last Kiss,’’ from the pen of our gifted brother journalist, Charles W. Hubner. It is destined to add new laurels to the brow of one of the world’s tiuest poets and purest writers. We give on this page a fine portrait of this popular au thor, and in addition, an illustration of the poem. The distinguished artist, Mr. Leo Bock, who designed and exe cuted the cut, has entered into the spirit of the poem and caught its inspiration, presenting in the scene the sublimest passages in this sublime poem: « for **e, b**w calmly, heart to heart, Hand eloaely claaped In hand, Amid the rlot'a maddening din The wile and hoaband stand! One brief embrace of loving arms, One long, fond farewell kiss, And wife and hoaband, heart to heart, Sink In the dread abyss!” -»■—• * • The Georgia Pacific Railroad is boom ing.