The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-03-31
How IOncfeIlOw Wrote Evangeline.

How LongfeIlow Wrote Evangeline.
In an interview a short time ago the poet
gave the following details of how he wrote his
masterpiece:
Expressing preference for his "Evangeline, y
| ventured to say: 81 see that you located the
final scene of that beautiful story in Philadel-
pha."
eyes, sir. The poem is one OF my favorites
also; as much, perhaps, on account OF the man
ner in which ] got the groundwork for it as
anything else"
''What is the story. please!'
81 will tell you. Hawthorne came to dine
with me one day and brought friend with
him from Salem While at dinner Mr.. Haw-
thorne's friend said to me, Il have been try
ing to get Hawthorne to write story about the
banishment of the Acadans from Acadia,
founded upon the life of young Acadian girl
who was then separated from her lover, spent
the balance of her life searching for him, and
when both were old, found him dying in
hospital
''.Yes,' said Hawthorne, 'but there is moth
ing in that for story
IL caught the thought at once that it would
make striking picture if put in Verse, and
said: Hawthorne, give it to me for poem,
and promise me that you will not write about
it until have written the poem"
Hawthorne readily assented to my request,
and it was agreed that should use his friends
story for verse whenever l had time and in
clinaton to write it. In 1925 started for Eu-
rope, and, when in New York, concluded l
would visit Philadelphia, and so went over.
at was in the spring, about this time, and
the country was as beautiful as it is to-day. |
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 resi-
dence of the wealthy Binghams, and was kept
by man named Head. The table was ex-
cellent and the bed-chambers were splendidly
furnished, and were great. large, airy rooms
as large as this" turning round and surveying
the ample library room in which we were
seated. at has given way now to the de-
mands of business, believe, for when was
last there could hardly recognize the place
where it stood. During this visit | spent
much time looking about, and Philadelphia is
one of the places which made lasting i'm
preston on me and left its mark upon my
later work. Even the streets of Philadelphia
make rhyme:
Market Arch, Race and Vine,
Chestnut, Walnut, Spruce and Pine.
! got the climax of 'Evangelne' from Phila-
delphia, you know, and it was singular how |
happened to do so. l was passing down
Spruce street one day towards my hotel after a
walk when my attention was attracted to a
large building with beautiful trees about it. in
side Of high enclosure. walked along until
| came to the great gate and then stepped in
side and looked carefully over the place. The
charming picture of lawn, hower-beds and
shade which it presented made an impression
which has never left me. and twenty-four years
after, when came to write Evangeline, To-
Gated the final scene, the meeting between
Evangeline and Gabriel, and the death at this
poor house, and the burial in an old Catholic
graveyard not far away, which / found by
chance in another of my walks.
at is purely fancy sketch, and the name
of 'Eyangeline was coined to complete the
story. The incident Mr.. Hawthorne's friend
gave me, and my visit to the poor house in
Philadelphia gave me the groundwork of the
poem"
"The claim is that the Quaker almshouse on
Walnut street, near Third, is the one referred
to in 'Evangeline.
"No; that is not so. remember the place
dntinctly. 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 adjoining
room picture of the old Quaker almshouse,
and explained that the spot which attracted
his attention and marked Philadelphia for the
final act of "Evangeline" was not this old in
stitution, as had been so often claimed.
When your Uncle Samuel ]. rose up and
informed the six nations of Chicago that he
hoped providence would raise up man whom
the democrats can elect, he echoes the plain |
tiff CRY of the Constitution for a leader. What |
we want is for somebody to bundle the major
ity OF our so-called democratic statesman to-
gether, place them under the counter and get |
a brand-new leader. As Editor Lamar says,
the democratic party wants another Jackson.
Il Atlanta Constitution.