The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-05-25
Longfrllow at Bowdoin.


In September, 1921, Stephen and
Henry Wadsworth entered freshmen in
Bowdoin College, Henry just entering
the last half of his fifteenth year, an at
tractive youth with auburn locks, clear,
fresh, blooming complexion, and, as
might be presumed of we'll bred manners
and bearing. When we think of the dis
tinction that has crowned the class of
1926, teacher may be charged with
singular lack of discrimination and inter-
est in his pupils who is compelled to con-
fess how scanty are his particular remin-
iscences of its members, and this for the
plain reason that no one knew, or even
dreamed, it may be, how famous some of
them were to become. Now and then
very trivial circumstance imprints the
person of the pupil on the memory-the
eye or some other feature, voice, gait, or
some incident of college life. The en-
trance examination of Sergeant Smith
Prentiss, of the class of 1926, recall
with entire distinctness. He came from
Gorham, and I had been an assistant
there, and when the lad, for
he was scarcely more than that,
very lame. supporting his
steps with staff, of fresh healthful, sPir
tied countenance, and offering himself
for junior standing-a heavy trial, we
thought-took his seat, my sympathy
was awakened at once. We're we blind
and dull of apprehension that we did not
forecast during those four years that two
lives, one in the front seat of the class
room and one IN the third seat back,
which were to leave names in the prose
and poetry of the age lasting as the Ian
guage in which their genius found ex-
preston"
l recall the appearance OF few OF that
class of 1926 as they sat in the classroom
of Maine hall-Brad bury, Josiah Slower,
Little, Hawthorne. the Longfellows,
Shepley and others. Why? I can not
say. It 80 happened. can not testify
concerning him whose name we-and l
may add the civilized world fondly
cherish, any more than a general state
ment of his unblemished character as o
pupil and true gentleman in all rela-
tions to the college and its teachers. 1t
is college tradition that in his sopho-
more year, at the examination of his
class, his version of an ode of Horace,
which fell to him to render, so impressed
Hon. BENZ Orr, of the committee of ex-
animation, that when the professorship of
modern languages was established his
recollection of the young sophomoro's
scholarship led him to propose him for
the position OF young Longfellow's
standing as scholar one may Judge FROM
his assignment at commence of an Eng
lish Grafton, when fewer parts of that
rank were given than of late
years. His was the first claim to the
poem; but as the poem had no
definite rank, it was thought due to him,
since his scholarships bore high mark
that he should receive an appointment
which placed his scholarship beyond
question. His English Grafton had for
its subject, Our Native Writers. Chat
terton and His Poems was SO published
in the commencement order of exercises,
but was subsequently changed with
pen. The class poem was assigned to
to Frederick Mellen, who was in reality
more than an ordinary college poet.
have Just said that Longfellow had the
first claim at the poet of the class. Dur
ing his college life he contributed to the
periodicals of the day. an April Day,
Autumn, Hymn Of the Moravian Nuns,
the Spirit of Poetry, Woods in Winter,
and Sunrise on the Hills, which were
recelVeu Will Srcot iuNoE % curly DAoo-
SONS of spring of peculiar promise, and
still think they retain place in later
editions OF his maturer productions
Some of them appear in the Literary
Gazette, q Boston publication. The
editor Of that periodical was James G.
Carter Harvard, 1920, gentleman
whose name is honored among active
promoters os popular education of that
time. I was spending an evening with
him in Boston, when he asked me- what
young man in our college sent them so
fine poetry. It was Longfellow, then
junior, think, in college, and I was
happy to report of him as one whose
scholarship and character were quite on
q level with his poetry. Our two most
notable literary occasions OF the college
year, aside from the official exhibitions
and commencement, we're fall anniver-
saries OF the two leading societies, Athe'
mean and Peucinian. each putting forth
its best. Longfellow, in November, 1924,
the first term Of his senior year, pro-
nounced the poem Of the Peucinian.-
Providence Star.