Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1875-02-17
rhe story of John whittier.

SoNe forty years ago, there lived in the
quiet town Of East Haperhill, Massachu-
sets, much respected Quaker family by
the name of Whittier. They were hard
working, thrifty farmers, and their home
was known to all the poor in that section /;
no one was ever turned away from their
| door unpiticd, unclothci, or unfed.
Even the Indians had respected Grand
father Whittier in the stormy times OF the
Indian war. Among Mr.. Whittier chill
dren was boy named John, who had 4
very feeling heart and quick mind. He
was hard-working farmer lad, who
knew more OF the axe, the sickle and hoe
than the playthings of childhood. Indeed,
New England children had but glimpse
at the sunniness Of youth in those hard
times; no long daisied walks, stretching
far into life, they could call their own.
His carly education consisted OF few
weeks schooling fora number of winters
in the district school. A queer sort OF a
school it was,-kept in a private house.
John loved the master, and spoke Il kind
word for him when he became 4 man.
In the library there is beautiful poem
called "SuOw-Round, "a very rood
poem for good people to read. Now the
boy lived in just such home As is dcscYib-
w Ri hiAshh Hbtill, anu Ills DOluOOu WAS
passed among just such scenes as are pic
tured there. You may like to read Il
some day, 50 We need not Try 10 tell what
has been told 10 well.
He was poet in bOyhoOd. He did not
know 1t. There ac many poets who do
not.
lie used 10 express hi, feelings in
rhyme how could the boy help itr lie
one day wrote one OF these poems on
some coarse paper, and sent il privately
to paper called the Free Press, publish
ed in the neighboring town OF Newbury-
port
The editor OF the paper, who's; name
was Garrison-Wnliam Lloyd Garrison,
you may have heard the name before
found the poem tucked under the door OF
his Office by the poa,mau. and noticin"
that il was written in blue ink, was tempt
ed to throw il into his waste-basket. But
Dir. Garrison had good, kind heart, and
liked TO give every one a chance in the
world, lie read the poem, saw there was
true genius IN it, and 50 he published
it.
Happy was the Quaker farmer boy
when he saw his verses in print. lie felt
that God had something in store IN life
for him-that he was called in some way
TO be good aud useful TO others. He wrote
other poems, and sent them 10 MIR. Garri-
son.
They were full OF beautics-thcse poems.
Mr.. Garrison one day asked the pOstman
from what quarter they came.
- am accustomed to deliver a package
Of papers 10 a farmer-boy In East Haycr-
hi. | guess they come from him."
Mr.. Garrison thought he must rilr over
to East HaYcThiu and see.
30 he went one day, and found A slru-
der, swcet-faced faTmer-bOy working with
his plain, practical father on the farm.
The boy mOdestly Acknowledged that he
had written the poems at which his ia
Their did not seem over well pleased.
You must send that boy TO school,
Friend Whittier" said Mr.. Garrison.
Friend Whittier was not 20 sure but
the good counsel OF the Newburyport ed
tor, in the end, was decisive. The boy
was sent to the academy.
John is an old man now, almost sixty
years Of age. lie lives al Amcsbury, near
the beautiful Me1imac, that hc loved in
youth. Almost every boy and girl In the
land can repeat some Of the poems he has
written.
lie has no vile and children, Yet hi,
home i cheerful and social, and Is open
to the stranger, like his fathers and
grandiathcr's Of old,