Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-29
THE DEAD POET.
Memories OF LongfelIOW - What His
Brother Poets. Whittier and
Holmes, Say Of Him-He has
Left His Footprints in the Sands of Time.
and VIII Always be ReVered
as the Poet of the People.


Mr. Whittier was seen this morning, and
he expressed IN a few subdued words his
keen sense Of personal sorrow, and no doubt
reflected on the chances OF being called soon
himself. The news, he said, was a sad and
sudden shock to him, although ne could not
say that it was wholly UneX pected, as on
Saturday last he had visited LCDgfellOw's
home and was unable to see him. His first
introduction to Mr.. Longfellow was in 1915,
at the residence of the late james I. Fields,
with whom Mr.. Whittier was then making
his first arrangements Tor the publication OF
his works. Mr.. Whittier has never been as
intimate with the deceased as he wished, but
in all his relations with him, as with other
American authors, there has been perfect
freedom from all jealousy, professional and
otherwise. His death was . great less to
Boston and 20 the world, as 10 man was
more beloved. His ways were always
cheerful with all. He never lost pa
thence, even with interviewers. He con-
sidered him the foremost OF American
poets, and only second to Tennyson. His
| culture, travel and experience, written into
his works, showed him the man and the
scholar. One week ago he net DIR. Holmes
in Boston, and conversed with him in regard
TO the inevitable separation that must come
sooner or later, and none could tell which
one would be first called. Longfellow had
once visited him at his residence in Ames-
| bury, IN company with his lifelong friend,
the late Charles Sumner, and all his meet
! ings had been unusually pleasant. Mr..
| Whittier alluded more than once to the en-
| tire absence of jealousy among Boston's au-
thors, and expressed his regrets that he
| could not say more in regard TO the de-
| ceased.
THE OLD CLOCK on THE STAIRS"
called Saturday at the residence Of
Mr.. Thomas q. Appleton, the poets brother
iu-law. and found out that the old clock on
| the stairs, celebrated in one OF Longfellow's
poems, is not, as generally believed, in the
! Cambridge residence, but at the Appleton
mansion, No. 10 Commonwealth avenue,
Boston. This poem refers wholly to incidents
in the history OF the Appleton family, and
was written by Mr.. Longfsllow while he was
| spending a summer in Pittsfsld. One of his
| friends asked him to write poem on the
subject, and next day ne produced the famous
verses.
ANECDOTES.
Mr. Appleton told the story of Hyperion"
and called attention to one of the incidents
| described as follows: His father, Mr.. Nathan
| Appleton, and Mr.. Lonsfellow were travel
| ing in Switzerland They rescued Zurich,
where the landlord charged very exorbltant
| prices for their entertainment. Mr.. Apple
| ton wrote his name on the books and paid
while demuTring at the price charged.
81 haye not put my name on the books, F"
said Mr.. Longfellow, "and if you will allow
me l will treat the innkeepsr as he de-
serves"
The name Of the inn was the Raven" He
took the book away and soon returned with
| these lines:
Beware of the raven of Zurich,
IT'S bird OF omen i'll,
With an ugly unclean nest
And a very, very long bill
Mr. Longfsllow had very keen sense OF
| the humorous, and many a witty impromptu
was occasioned By some slight incident or ac-
| cident One summer twenty years ago,
! when the ApDletoDs we're living in Lynn, the
poets son, Charles, who was very fond of
! sailing a boat, and who has since became a
| famous yachtsm2n, came in his boat one day
to make call. The surf was high and the
/ boat was cspsizsd and he was thrown into the
water. He was wet through, of course, and
.. was compelled to make an entire change of
| clothing Captain Nathan Appleton, In
| place of SHOES, loaned him a pair of slip
| the poet, returned the slippers, a few days
afterward done up in neat package with
this little stanza:
| Slippers that perhaps another,
| Sailing o er the Bay Of Lynn,
| \ forlorn shipwrecked nephew,
! Seeing, may purloin again
The mother of Captain Appleton was a
| Mrs Sumner before she married Mr. Apple
| ton and before Mr.. Longfellow married his
wife. One day when he came from Portland
| to call upon her, he wore a pair of new
! boots which were very noisy. When he
went away the next day he left little poem
written on a card, which Captain Appleton
| still holds. 1t is as folows:-