Browning Mobbed by American Girls.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 32, 8 February 1890, Page 4 (Supplement)

Browning Mobbed by American Girls.

A good story comes to me from the other side about Robert Browning.

One day lasb summer the famous poet was strolling through Hyde Park and was just turning into Picadilly, when a bevy of American girls who were in one of Cook's parties espied him. They knew him from his picture, from his peculiar dress, from his hair and from his mariner. Tho old man was walking aiong, leisurely sniffing the ear'y morning air and smiling contentedly at himself and a pretty parlour maid who was dusting in a window of one of the big mansions overlooking the park. He is particularly fond of feminine admiration, but he was not prepared for tho united attack that was in store for him. An elderly chaperone in tbo party was tho first to espy the poet, and at once gave the note of discovery. • There's Browning !' she said.

There was a temporary panic, and 39 women caught their breath and sprang forward a foot or two.

' Where?' they ejaculated. * There !' said the old damsel, pointing to the poet in his black velvet jacket, walking leisurely ahead of them. * How do you know ?' was the reply. * Know, of course I know ; haven't I seen his pictures often enough ? Don't you suppose I know Browning when I see him ?'

' Are you certain ?' said the thirty-nine shrill maiden voices in unison.

'Yes,' was -the calm reply, 'you can't fool me on Browning ; I know him,' and she started after him ou a run. The others followed. They swooped down on the old man like the locusts of Egypt. He stood still and threw up his hands in horror ; he retreated to a stoop, looked down on the forty pretty maidens and asked almost breathlessly what bhey wanted. •Is this Mr Browning, the poet ?' asked one of the girls. The poet nodded an assent. ' Then you are just the man we want to Bee,' the forty women chimed in choru3. ' Really, ladies,' said the poet, ' you overwhelm me- I have not the honour of your acquaintance. I—l—' He could proceed no further, but retreated a step or two farther up the stoop as the forty women moved forward like one man. Ib was no use. The grey - haired poet continued unbil he backed up against bhe fronb door and the women followed him remorselessly.

'You may think our conduct strange,' said ono of them, ' but we have read so much about you and read so much of your works thab we really are anxious to see you and know you.' 'Yes,' said another, ' and we want your autograph, every one of us.'

Instanbly forty autograph albums were pulled out and shoved under the old man's jaasa. t Forby bande were stretched out to

grasp his. There was no getting away from them. He was backed up against bhe door and bhe women were obdurate. He shook each hand as ib was presented to him until the wholo number had retired satisfied; then, after one girl had handed him a stylographic pen, he proceeded bo write his name in his cramped hand in each autograph album. This took some timo and attracted some attention, but there was no getting away from ib. When his name was placed on bhe lasb book he ran down bhe steps a3 nimbly as a boy and off across bhe park like a freightened deer. Thab night forty tired heads rested softly on forty autograph albums under forty pillows in a London hotel. If the rest of their European trip had boon a failure they wero satisfied: they ha.l seen Browning; they had taken him by the hand ; thoy had his autograph ; they wero indeed happy American girls !—' J_.Y. Commercial Advertiser.'