The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-07-07
Evanyellae.

An interviewer from the Philadelphia
Press recently visited Mr.. Longfellow at
Cambridge. He says among other
things
Expressing a preference for his EVAN
geline," ventured to say: IL see you
located the final scenes OF that beautiful
story in Philadelphia"
Eyes, sir. The poem is ono OF my ia
vorites also-as much, perhaps, on &C..
count of the manner in which I got the
ground work as for anything else"
"What is the story, please?"
81 will tell you. Hawthorne came to
dine with me one day, and brought with
him friend from Salem. While at din
ner Mr.. Hawthorne's friend said to me:
L have been trying to get Hawthorne
to write story about the Punishment OF
the Arcadians from Arcadia, founded
upon the life of the young Arcadian girl
who was then separated from her lover,
spent the balance of her life in searching
for him, and when both were old found
him dying in a hospital. Yes, said
Hawthorne, but there is nothing in that
for a story I caught the thought at
once that It would make striking pic
ture in verse, and said, Hawthorne, give
it to me for poem and promise me that
YOU will not write about it until I have
written the poem"
Hawthorne readily assented to my re-
quest, and it was agreed that should
use his friends story for verse whenever
had the time and inclination to write
it. In 1925 started for Europe, and,
when in New York, concluded l would
visit Philadelphia, and so went over. 1t
was in the spring about this time, and
the country was as beautiful as 1t is to-
day. 1 spent week in the Quaker City,
stopping at the old Mansion House, on
Third street, near Walnut. 1t was one
of the best hotels ever stopped at. and,
at that time, perhaps the best in the
country. 1t had been the private
residence of the wealthy Binghams,
and was kept by a man named Head:
The table was excellent, and the bed
chambers were splendidly furnished,
and were great, large airy rooms, as
large as this"-turning around and sur
veying the ample library room in which
we were seated. SIT has given way now
to the demands of business, l believe,
for when I was there last l could hardly
recognize the place where it stood. Dur
ing this visit spent much time Ill look
ing about. and Philadelphia is one of
the places which made lasting impress.
sion upon me and left its mark upon
my later work. Even the streets OF
Philadelphia make rhyme.
| Chestnut. Walnut spruce. and Pine,
| Market, Arch Race and Vine. :.
81 got the climax Of 'Evangeline' from
Philadelphia, you know, and it was
singular how l happened to do So. l
was passing down Spruce street one day
toward my hotel after walk. when my
attention was attracted to large build
ing, with beautiful trees about it, inside
of high inclosure. walked along I'M
~ 30 ti,o ero"t gate, ana then
stepped inside and looked carefully over
the place. The charming picture of
lawn, flower beds, and shade which it
presented made an impression which has
never left me, and twenty-four years
after, when came to write 'Evangeline,
l located the final scene, the meeting be-
tween Evangeline and Gabriel and the
death Mt this poor-house, and the burial
in an old Catholic graveyard not far
away, which l found by chance in an
other of my walks. 1t is purely a fancy
sketch, and the name of Evangeline was
coined to complete the story. The Incl
dent Mr.. Hawthorne's friends gave me,
and my visit to the poorhouse in Phil
adelphia gave me the groundwork of the
poem"
1.-The claim is that the Quaker aims
house on Walnut street, near Third, is
the one referred to in 'Evangeline."
''No; that is not so. l remember that
place distinctly. 1t is the old poor-house
referred to, which stood on the square,
between Spruce and Pine, and Tenth and
Eleventh streets"
Mr.. Longfellow then took from an ad-
joining room picture OF the old Quaker
alms-house, and explained that the spot
which attracted his attention and marked
Philadelphia for the final act @" Evange-
line, was not this old institution, AS had
been so often claimed.
Robinson CrusOc's laud.