In Kansas City, where Field went from St. Louis to assume at thirty years of age the managing editorship of the Times of that town, the family lived in a rented house which was made the rendezvous for all the light-hearted members of the newspaper and theatrical professions. Perhaps I cannot give a more faithful picture of Field's life through all this period than is contained in the following unpublished lines, to the original manuscript of which I supplied the title, "The Good Knight and His Lady." Perhaps I should explain that it was written at a time when Field was infatuated with the stories and style of the early English narratives of knights and ladies: _THE GOOD KNIGHT AND HIS LADY Soothly there was no lady faire In all the province could compare With Lady Julia Field, The noble knight's most beauteous wife For whom at any time his life He would righte gladly yield. 'Twas at a tourney in St. Joe The good knight met her first, I trow, And was enamoured, straight; And in less time than you could say A pater noster he did pray Her to become his mate. And from the time she won his heart, She sweetly played her wifely part-- Contented with her lot! And tho' the little knightly horde Came faster than they could afford The good wife grumbled not. But when arrived a prattling son, She simply said, "God's will be done-- This babe shall give us joy!" And when a little girl appeared, The good wife quoth: "'Tis well--I feared 'Twould be another boy!" She leased her castle by the year-- Her tables groaned with sumptuous cheer, As epicures all say; She paid her bills on Tuesdays, when On Monday nights that best of men-- Her husband--drew his pay. And often, when the good knight craved A dime wherewith he might get shaved, She doled him out the same; For these and other generous deeds The good and honest knight must needs Have loved the kindly dame. At all events, he never strayed From those hymeneal vows he made When their two loves combined; A matron more discreet than she Or husband more devote than he It would be hard to find. July 4th, 1885._