was true to life. It is not, as many people have wilfully or stupidly
construed it, a bit of poetical advice to womankind to "barter the joys
of Paradise" for "just one kiss." It is simply an illustration of a
moment of turbulent anguish and vehement despair, such moments of
unreasoning and overwhelming sorrow as the most moral people may
experience during a lifetime.

In "Communism" I endeavored to use a new simile in illustrating that
somewhat hackneyed theme of the supremacy of Love over Reason; and
simply to carry out my idea I represented the violent uprising of the
Communist emotions against King Reason.

"Conversion" was suggested to me by the remark of a gentleman friend. In
speaking to me of the woman he loved, he said: "I have always been a
skeptic regarding the existence of heaven, but I am so much happier in
my love for this woman than I ever supposed it possible for me to be on
earth that I begin to believe that the tales of heavenly raptures may be
true."

I embodied his idea in the poem which has brought, with a few others, so
much censure and criticism upon this volume, although it contains nearly
seventy-five other selections quite irreproachable in character, however
faulty they may be in construction.

It is impossible to pursue a successful literary career and follow the
advice of all one's "best friends." I have received severe censure from
my orthodox friends for writing liberal verses. My liberal friends
condemn my devout and religious poems as "aiding superstition." My early
temperance verses were pronounced "fanatical trash" by others.