Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-22
NEW ENGLAND'S POET.

life.
NEW ENGLAND's POET.
On Sunday John Greenlcaf Whittier cee-
brated his seventy fifth birlhduy-n enc
respect melancholy anniversary, since it
marks the advance Of age upon the poet
nearest the popular heart of New England,
bat in other regards glads one, since it
is matter for joy and thanksgiving that the
blessing of length of days has been bestowed
upon him. The rocky and ungcnial sJl OF
New England, from which the liler extracts
a subsistence only by the alchemy of intel
ligcnt labor" pr oduccs the sweetest and love
lest flowor with which man is blcssed-tbe
trailing abutus. BY phenomenon as strange
the cJl1 and hard life of New England three
quarters OF IA century ago blossomed in this
Quaker poet, Ills father was farmer and
he too passed his boyhool and youth in that
pursut-a hard and poorly-paid industry and
dreary beyond measure, man OF this day
would say Yet it was here, no doubt, that
he drank in his poetic inspiration, and his
principles became fixed and unchanging.
For, as some one has said, the dweIlcrs in
the county hang their faith not to the ever
fifty-two weeks of the year do not struggle
by like separate companies, but march along
like single wcll-dried regiment. To-day
retains the remembrance of yesterday. The
good or evil of the day is not forgotten on
the morrow; and public and private doings
are measured by the eternal standard Of prin-
ciplc The beliefs in which he was educated
and the environment by which lie was sur
rounded gave Whittier those qualities by
which he is distinguished fiom all our
other poets. lie is manly, pure, God-fear-
ing, Manufacturing, and of the broadcst
philantlropy-an these are the qualities
that are the Heart of New England. As he
himself has sad, amid all changes 'this mys
ferrous universe, through which half veicd
in its own shadow, our dim little planet is
wheeling, with its star worlds and thought
wearying spaces, remains. Natures miracle
is still ever and around US; and hence awe,
wonder and reverence remain to be the in
heritancc of humanity" Manliness is an
ever present characteristic of his vcise-and
what blessed relief it is, in these days when
the writing of poetry is chiefly undertaken
by women, whose verse has its natural and
impossible limitations, to listen to Il man
who speaks to men. And with its manly
strength his verse is as pure as a mountain
spring. OF all men who ever wrote it could
be said mos, truly of him that dying he
writings OF his love OF Nature volumes
might be almost written and in his pictures
OF New England life and character and seen
cry he stands uhrivaied and unapproachcd.
To say nothing of whatever else he has done
in this way, that glorious idyl of "Snow
Bound" will live for ever Ii appeals to all
classes. The illt,rate and uneducated feel its
charm and no New Highlander ever read it
without acknowledging and loving its fidelity
to nature, its truthful delncation of life in the
old home. Years may have passed since the
reader left that home, and it may be to him
but fading recollection of past and almost
forgotten era. But "Snow Bound" brings it
back to him instinct with life, and he lives
again amid the old scenes and among the old
faces, long since, perhaps, dust and ashes.
And in host of other poems Whittier cele-
bratcs our Yankee life and does for New
England, it is not too much to say, what
Burns did for Scotland.
But beyond all this is Wbittcr's love for
his fellow men and for his Maker The anti
slavery cause found in him one of its oari-
est and most Jealous friends. In the War for
the Union lie was an enthusiastic supporter
of the National cause. He loves the little ones
and one of his finest poems is addressed to a
"Barcf DOT Boy" He has no touch of the
prevailing pcssismism of the day-none of
the sadness which made Carlyle "take the
pathizcs with those who mourn, for into his
SOU, too, has Grief come and left an indy
ing pang but through all and above all lie
has an abiding faith, serene and calm and
sents the New England idea. Those traits
and principles that date back to the Puritans
and have make New England all she is are
found in him. He is. indeed, the fine flow
er of New England civilization.
Mr.. Whitticr's first poem was published
before the century had reached its first
quarter-mark and his latest but to-day, The
intervening years have been full OF labor and
full of good. All his work beas the stamp
of his own lovablc character and those who
know him only by his writings have come
to love him as a personal friend. They form
great multitude, these ''troops of friends !"
and from them all will go up heartfelt con-
CALCULATIONS and good wishes and pleasant
hopes for the poet both great aud good,
"rcvered, eloved"
An Indiana man was recently aroused from