BARRIE'S LOVE POEM

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18629, 26 July 1930, Page 14

BARRIE'S LOVE POEM

A STUDENT MEMORY. Sir James Barrie on being made recently a Freeman of his native Kirriemuir, immortalised as “Thrums,” gave his audience a tantalising glimpse of himself in a rew role. Sir James referred to an occurrence many years ago, when an Edinburgh University student might have been seen outside Kirriemuir post office undecided whether to post a letter or not. “At last he dropped it in and disappeared,” said Sir James. “I was that student and that letter contained the only love poem that I ever wrote. It was addressed to a lady in Kirriemuir. I was shy and did not sign it and I have no reason to believe she ever had the least knowledge from whom it came. I never spoke to her, but I can remember the first two lines. It began: Is Venus dead? Methinks she must have left to you her face. She had a name of the kind that Wordsworth loved. Her name was—.” Here Sir James broke off and continued, “Now, is not this sad? Just as I was going to tell you the name, I find we must proceed to the next item on your programme.”