The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1866-10-11
About Bryant.

/
Whata curious glamor hangs around
the old days when this our century
and It's great men were both young
II is just fifty years ngo-just half q
century-.since William Cullen Bryant
published, in the North American
Review, "Thanatopsis," that poem
which Kit North said would alone
have been sufficient 20 establish the
authors claim to the honors of gen.
ius. IL was composed four years
prior to the date of its publication
when the poet was scarcely nineteen
years old
Up to 1926 Bryant resided in
Great Darlington, Mass, chiefly oc-
cupied with his profession, the law.
His removal to New York, which
took place at that time was brought
aboutby means of Henry d. sedgwick,
who procured for him the position Of
editor Of the New York Review
This was the commencement of his
long career Of journalism. .r
Cooper, the novelist, just then ris-
ing into popularity, was living in
New York at that time. ..'. .,.....
Come to dine with me-" said he.
one day, to Bryant. 81 live at No.
3l5, Greenwich street"
"Put that down for me" answered
Bryant, cor | shall forget the place ["
Cant you remember three fur
five p asked Cooper, bluntly.
Bryant did remember "thrce -four
FIVE" forever afterwards, for ho
formed with Cooper an intimate
friendship, .u. r.
The poet IIalleck wns also ono of
our authors first and warmest friends.
While the New York Review was
under Bryants editorsbip Willis
wrote poems for it, Bancroft, the his
torian, wrote metrica translation, and
Richard H. Dana contributed to il
his FIRST published poem, "Thc dying
Raven"
How strange il seems to think of
those merry young fellows to gray
boards, now those of them who have
not passed from this sphere to the
one whore their youth blossoms again
into Immortality. ~ 'n'
One sees Bryant, in these latter
lays, at the best advantage in his
,wn home, at Cedarmere. Watching
his habits there one guesses at the
secret Of his long and useful life
lie rises at six in the morning, and
exercises with dumb bells for an hour.
Tie cougratula,cs himself on his
slender build, aud says, laughingly,--
Glow much better it would be to
carry heavy load for half an hour,
aud then be relieved of the burden,
than carry it with one forever, at
every step"
lie is simple to abstcmiousness in
his dict While his breakfast is
amply supplied with variety for his
family and guests, he contents him
self with a dish of boiled homiuy and
milk. lie uses neither tea nor coffee,
though they are always offered to
others. Ho writes chiefly in the
morning, and dcvotcs the afternoons
to out.of-doors exercise, and the
evening to social enjoyment; for he
is fortunately rich enough to be free
from the necessity of excessive labor.
The dwelling at Ccdarmerc was
erected in 1856, by one Richard Kirk,
a thrifty Quaker; but Bryant has
modcrnized and adapted it to his
own taste, so that il possesses more
individuality than most American
homes. His attachment to it is very
strong and he interests himself in
all the concerns of his neighbors,
with hearty friondliness, May his
kindly face, and his flowing silvery
beard and hair, lingor long under
those beloved trees which rise above
Cedarmerc.