St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-03-31

the death of Longfellow, America has
lost much, and he will be sincerely
mourned. The following, from the
London Times, shows how he was ap-
preciated abroad: "The news of
Longfellow's death will be read with
deep regret wherever the English lam
guage is spoken. The death of no lit
erary Englishman could excite more
genuine sorrow than that of the much
loved author of 'Evangeline.' He will
be no more sincerely lamented in
America than in this country"
Mr.. Longfellow was born at Port
land, Me-, Feb. 9th, 1907. The old
mansion where he was born is still
pointed out. His father was Hon.
Stephen LOngfellOw, a leading lawyer
of Maine. On his mothers side Hen
~ was a descendant of John Alden.
He was named for his mothers broth
er, Lieut.. Henry Wadsworth, who lost
his life in the harbor of TripOi, on
the night of Sept. 4, 1904, in Il gallant
endeavor to destroy the enemy's tiotil-
In by a fireship. LOngfellow was fit
ted at the age of fourteen TO enter Bow
dom College, where he was graduated
in 1928, in a class which comprised
,,,,,ncr 80 ,,an,barS Nathaniel Haw-
thorne, Franklin Pierce and several
others who won distinction i'll various
walks of life He had intended to de-
vote himself to the study of the law,
but his natural bent toward literature
had been so stimulated by the tiatter-
ing reception of some pieces of poetry
he published during his college course
that he dropped all thoughts of Black
stone and Coke. He was given the
professorship of modern languages
and literature in BOwdOin College
when only nineteen years of age. Ear
| w in 1926 he sailed to Europe, remain
ing abroad till 1899, and studying sue
cessively i'll France, Spain, Italy and
| Germany. During IA second journey
in Europe Mr.. Longtellow's first wife
died at Rotterdam in 1875. He was
married again in lSl3.
To few men, probably, so suscepti-
BILE ofenioyment, did life, OF the whole,
pass so smoothly and pleasantly rs to
Mr.. Longfellow. All his labors were
congenial, he had good health, compe-
tence, troops of friends and the fore
taste of universal fame. His home,
the historic headquarters of General
! Washington, was all that Il man of
taste or "A warm hearted parent and
husband could desire. But tn this par
adise came one terrible afliictiOn. In
July, 1851, Mrs. LOngtellOw, while
seated at the library table amusing
two of her children, accidentally touch
ed piece of lighted paper to her dress,
which was Immediately i'll flames.
Mr.. Longfellow sprang to her rescue,
but she was so badly burned that she
died the next day. She was Il woman
of rare loveliness of face and character.
She was the mother of the five chill
dren who survive Mr.. Longtellow,
Ernest. Charles, Alice, Edith and An
ME. Ernest is IA well-known artist !;
Edith is the wife of Richard II. Dana.
Mr.. LOngfellow had been suffering
from Il nervous trouble for some few
wears, but his death was caused ut last
bv an inflammation of the bowels.
The funeral services were held at
Cambridge on Sunday, at the poets
late residence. These were of pri-
vate nature. Soon after these ceremo-
MES were completed, however, me-
mortal service was held at the chapel
of Harvard University, at which heart
felt tribute was paid to the illustri-
Gus dead by Prof c. c. Everett.
OF the poets works we have 10 need
to speak individually. Their name is
legion, and they reveal the power of
his mind and the purity of his thought.
The purpose by which his life was
guided, to make the most of every OPP
portunity, was revealed in his "nOritu-
ri SdIutdmuS," poem read at the fifth
eth anniversary of his class at Bowdoin
college in 1875, when he said
For age is opportunity no less
Than youth itself though in another dress,
And as the evening twilight fades away
The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.