Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-11-13

all legitimate aspirations. When more than this
is done by any paper nothing less than INJURY can
result to him and the injury is in no degree mti-
gated by the fact that it is committed at the m
stance of friendly and generous motive. Mr..
Rice is u valuable man to Minnesota as Its repre-,
sentative in the Senate 1t should be the desire OF
all MinneSotians to sustain his efficiency by giving
him cheerful support, and by enlarging his repu-
tdtiOn to ats utmost BEARABLE LIMITS; and not Dy
forcing his aspirations beyond the range o. ms PoS
ers and his merits to make him subject OF rsdt-
cuke and thus impair his influence in his present
honorable and responsible position.
LOngfellOW's New Poem.
THE COURTsHIP OF MILES sTANDIsH, and other
Poems, by HENRY w. LONaFELLow-Boston; TIcXNoR
FIELDS, 1888.
The excitement attending the submersion
of the Atlantic Cable having subsidized with
the temporary failure of that stupendous OPP
Grafton, the weary night watches of the world
having ceased, on account of the sudden dis
appearance of the Comet, without even so
much as friendly wag of its most unnatural
of caudals, after blazing through the terrified
stars for reasonable number of the calm,
autumn nights, the last long-ooked-for event
has been born beneath the old elms of New
England, and held up for the inspection and
criticism of a world in the murky streets OF
the "Modern Athens"
Long years ago, "Voices Of the Night
"Foctsteps of Angels" " The Psalm of Life"
"Skeleton in Armor," Evangeline," and
"Spanish Student" became as familiar to us
as household words We loved the simple ap-
peal to ones own heart of hearts and the
beautiful imagery of Longfeow's pleasant
verses, and now the musical voice has spoken
again, the notes will ripple their tide of mel
ody through the length and breadth of the
land.
1t is pleasant place-the birth place of tho
thoughts of our poet LAUREATE; tor though
the cask of spicy sherry is wanting, is he not
par excellence a LAuREATE?) One of our
sunny memories is of stopping one day along
the dusty road to Mount Auburn and stroll
ing about the grounds of the poet, plucking a
leaf from his fragrant garden, and stealing
ravenous gaze at the old house, cleaning un-
der the great, signing elm branches-Heaven
forbid that we should criticise LoNGFELLow /;
we deem it.profanity to speak dsparagingly of
him, and therefore abhor PoE's witty criticism
of the hexameter verse of Evangeline."
We like this English hexameter verse. 1t
is musical in spite of Poe, who says one will
get the lock; jaw, twisting his mouth into the
necessary shape to emit the dactyls and spon-
dees.
The subject of "Miles Standish," is Pu-
ritanical in the extreme, and none but LONG
FELLOW could say beautiful things about those
stern old people. The naked tale is as follows;
Young man and old Puritan Captain-old
Captain reading CESAR S. Commentariessswith
vigor-suddenly remembers he is alone in the
world, and lonely-suddenly orders young
man to go to certain PRISCILLA and make
proposals of marriage-from him-young
man is Mortified, being in love with her, him
self-goes on his message-suitis declined and
he discovers she loves him-goes back to Cap
tain tells him everything, even how the girl
revealed her love for him. Captain is en-
ragged and consequences would have been Sc
rious, had not an Indian war suddenly broken
out, and Captain is compelled to leave. Lovers
left disconsolate-yOungm man afraid to marry
the girl for fear of displeasing the Captain
goes to see her frequently. After sometime
they hear the Captain has been shot-instant-
ly get married - after ceremony-Captain
stalks in, to their horror-both expect a
storm, but he advances and the whole crowd
are reconcied very happily.
We will not quote the whole poem through.
There is a pretty little picture of young
lady of those fine old times, presenting a
strange contrast to the appearance and occu-
patton of modern young lady:
"Then, as he opened the door, he beheld the form
of the maiden
Seated beside her wheel, and the carded wool like
snow drift
Piled at her knee, her white hands feeding the
ravenOuS spindle,
While with her foot on the treade she guided the
wheel in its motion"
"She, the Puritan girl in the solitude of the for
Making the humble house and the modest apparel
of homespun,
Beautiful with her beauty and rich with the wealth
of her being!'
This is very particularly the last
line.
After the wedding ceremony, Alden joyous
and happy,
brought out his snow-white steer, obeyng IL
hand of its master,
Led by cord that was tied to iron ring in its
nostrils,
Covered with crimson cloth, and cushion placed
for saddle"
On this palfrey he helps Priscilla, and the
Poem closes thus beautifully
Coward the bridal procession now moved to their
new habtation,
Happy husband and wife and friends, conversng
together.
Pleasantly murmured the brooks as they crossed
the ford in the forest,
Pleased with the image that passed like dream
of love through its bosom,
Tremulous, floating in air, Ger the depths of the
azure abysses.,
"Like picture it seemed of the primitive, pastor
al ages
Fresh with the youth of the world, and recalling
Rebecca and Isaac,
Old and yet new, and simple and beautiful al
ways
Glove immortal and young in the endless success
sion of lovers.
So through the Plymouth woods passed onward the
bridal procession"
The poem abounds will. .beautiful pictures,
and the only fault we find with it, is--it is
not long enough. The old Captain is pretty
tough material to work any poetry from-and
he rather mars the beauty of the whole-but
of course he has to be brought in-such a
blunt rough, impudent, boasting, pedantic,
brave, noble old fellow as he was-and we
can excuse all his faults when he abandons
the prize and congratulates Eden and Pris-
ella. None but brave and noble man would
have met them with an open heart, as he did
in the little Puritan Church at Plymouth.
| The hook is tastefully oot I'D in that sub