Sir, - In your interesting sketch of G. Essex Evans in to-day's issue you omit all reference to his residence in Gympie, in the latter eighties. He was then land agent there, and I came in frequent contact with him -- we both boarded at May Villa, kept by Mrs. Rowe. We became intimate, and I remember perusing the manuscript of his poem, "The Repentance of Magdelen Despair," at his request. It was published in the Queenslander. I noticed some erasures in the first sheet. He suffered from acute deafness at that time, and it was my custom to pour into his ears some liquid from a bottle. He was always genial, but quiet. He was full of pluck, as on one occasion he gave an obnoxious boarder a richly deserved thrashing. He introduced some collie dogs, which were kept in the back yard. He was, I think, a dog fancier. I found him rather sensitive. On one occasion he asked me to scan some poetry he had composed, but as I was writing a letter to catch the evening mail I asked him to wait a few minutes. He didn't return, however. He made many friends in Gympie, and his early death was much regretted. He was a great poet, and, as a man, strictly just and fair in his judgments.
- I am. sir. &c
E. W. SMITH.
Sandgate, October 14.
First published in The Brisbane Courier, 18 October 1927
Note: the "sketch" referred to in the first sentence of this letter can be read here.
[Thanks to the National Library of Australia's newspaper digitisation project for this piece.]
