New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-16
LETTERS OF LONGFELLOW.
CORRESPONDENCE WITH CHARLES Lam
MAN

OLD uoursTFAp-A DAY WITH LCNGFEiLoW,
SUMNER AND wHITTIER-AN EXTRACT PROM
HIS DIARY
To the Edftor OF The tribune
SIZE: In forthcoming volume, entitled Hap
hazard Personalities shall have chapter on the
lamentea poet, including a dozen or more oil LIS
friendly letters and from these have selected ana
now send You four, which may interest your real
era because of their biographical incidents
In ISL while exhibiting por folio OF my
sketches in oil to a nephew OF MI Longieilow We
stumbled upon view OF NcIman's Woe, near Cane
Ann. when he remarked: My uncle should Soe
that picture, for know 1t would greatly interest
HIM" On the next day. accordingly. packed mp
the picture, and, with another view on the eols
of Nova Scotia, the home Of Eyang 'lnr-s'nt
IT cd by express to Mr.. Longfelow, accompanied by
o note of g PLANTATION, In which recalled TIE la't
of our NEE ting many years before at the house OF
Park benjamin in New-lork who was ihc FIRST 10
publish Ia poem abou. the llesperus and who paid
for il the ptance of twenty-five dollars. The letter
winch MIR. Loncfellow sent ne in return. worth
than a thousand sketches. was as follows:
CAMBRIDGE Nov. 81, 1871.
Ny DEAR SIR: Last night nah m pleasure ,,.I OF
receiving Fuur friendly leiirr ana ~" "+H''lt! w
lures that came vI.h q; aud tnanS y"u cor liaty
for tie welcome gait, and Z, @ kind rinrmbI nee
that prompted ~. They are brtn very Nl:ic tHs
30 me: uar+icularlv tire Ref # Norman Woe
What YOU saw 0. tlc ballad j. also very gratifying
and induces me to send you IN return bit OF auto
biography
LooEiug over n journal for 1889, a few days ago.
/ found the following cntrI"s:
December l7-New, OF shipwrecks horrible.
on the coast; toTiy bodies a'hed a-huIe h'ii
Gl'u' stcr. One woman ia>hcd - % piece" 81 wreck.
Thor is e reef called AOrmans " oe, where many
ol those took place Among others the schooner
He-ptrus. Also. tie ScaiOWer, on Black Rock. /
December 3O.-Wrote last e. nirg notice %
Allgto1's Poems after winch sat all / o'clock bv
-r.t.iir l.fff .f fs. IL In
mind % write thc Ballad Of the schooner lie peIus.
which ! accordingly Lld. Then went 20 bed, hut
could moi sleep New thoughts were running II my
mind. and got mp 20 add them TO the Ballad. III
was by the clock
All this is of no import lnce but 10 myself. How
ever like sometimes 10 recall tie circumstances
under which poem was written and a. you cX-
press liking Tor TINS one, II may perhaps Interest
sou go know why and when aad how II came INTO
existence. had quite forgotten about It, first pub
LEGATION: but | ind a letter from Park BENJAMIN.
d. ted January T. 1910. beginning you VIII rccOs-
MS his ST. Ir - follows:
grand luciu.cd are Twenty-Five dollars l-ue SUM
YOU mentioned for H. paid by the pr1prctor- 81
the Acr j. 0rd M Wlici goii0us paper il viii t.
splendently corus"a'c on saturday next
Pardon TN, gossip. and hcucFe mt, Win renewed
thanks, ours faithfully,
HrNRY W. LoHGFrILow.
During the summer oil 1873. while spending few
weeks at Indian Hll ia Mas chuse;ts, the delight
FIJI residence of Ben. Perey Pooie 1t was again my
down from Nabant, with lis friend Charles sumner,
for TIE purpose OF wishing, for tine first time, the
Longfcilow homestead IL NewbuIy. After that
visit he came 10y invitation. with the Senator, TO
Indian Ill., where they enjoyed carly di.ner and
bii of old wine, after which Dir. P0ore took us all
IN bis carriage on VISIT TO the poet John q.
Whit. Ter at AinesbuTy. The day was charm
ing tie route followed was down the
Merlimac and ycry lovely aud the convcr alton OF
the lions was Of course delightful We found Mr.
Whittier at home, and it not only great treat
TO see him there, but noted event 90 meet socially
ami under one roof three such men as whittier, sum-
nerand Lougfrilow The department Of the two poets
was. to me, most captivating. The host. in his
simple drc.s, "a shy as a schooiooy while Mr.
Lon.tollow, with his white and flowing hair, and
Jolly laughter reminded ne of one Of his own Vi
kings; and when NJ. Whittier brought out and eX
Libited 10 us an ant.-slayery document winch he
had ,iruel forty years before, could not help
calling some of tho splendid things which tia. trio
Of great men hal written on the sub
j,ct e slavery. Tie drive to NeWburypoTt,
whence M Sumner AID MI Longiellow
wcr- 70 return to Nahau' was not less delightful
THAI had been the preceding one; aud tAe kindly
words which wcIc spoken OF Mr. hitler proved
that be vas highly honored and loved hy his noted
friends a. he is By the world at large. Before part
ing from Ml~Louglrllow lac took me ore side and
spoke with great interest of tue old HON stead hc
lad ,hat morning visited. and expressed wish tiat
should make a sketch Of il for him rs il was then
200 vars old and rapidly going TO decay. On the
10 lowing morning went 10 tie spot and complied
with hi, request few weeks afterwarl sent him
"a finished picture Of the house. not forgetting the
welI-s,.crp ana lie Old stone hOTse-bOcA IN which
lac fol. special interest; and he ackuOv lodged the
IecoIy, OF The picture IN these words
CAmEIDGE, OCT. l., 1873.
Ny DlAn SIR have Aad rue pleasure Of recc.y-
ing YOUR very friendly note. and the picture OF
TIE old homestead at NowDury, for both OF which
urv YOU 10 acc, pt any most cordial thanks. b. a.
a.ueG th4' value your si.I i7Aiy' ah4 appLec,ile
Ill. kUdlea, v lch prompted D. and tie trouble
Won too,> iu making tine portraits Of the Oil house
and tree They are very exact and Will always To-
miAG liz oi that pleasant summer Day ANA MI.
POOR, cha can and lls ci4rlAil- family, ana
rour-. Iitaug, coud cycG bc done twice over in
ihi, world. hcl they cannot, shOul Like to i've
Win .,.n, ard. tollra Laumau. not forgetting
a word and his. oui ittle Japarr>' ward me
IsudAI, am, ny dear SIR Your tTuiN' .,....,,,.
VrheI, the poem OF Kc.amos was published, ia
November. 1877, / Lad translation made into
Japauese of that portion OF it aliudng TO japan,
and forwarded il to the poet with an explanation
a. 70 ho1e the trans formation had taken place. the
vosng gentleman who made the translation having
been Air Amauo Koliro, then Of the japanese Lcsa-
ton. The acknowledgment sent he by Nh. Long
fellow was as follows:
CAMBRIDGE. Nov. % 1>77.
~ DEAR Sir: have tins morning Lad thr II eas-
urc of receiving youl letter. and the japanese yer
sion OF a rartion Of " keramos' which you were
,uI enough to send me- ana Tor winch beg you 90
accent mas cor .al thanks. saali put u a0 ay WIN
% Tie Psalm OF Life written ~ Chinese on fan.
What should like now D. q literal administration Of
the japanese int English
In tie Introduction ID re- j, Q slight error which
d, worth CORRECTING i is the Poet NOT tie Pott.r
Who fake, the aerial Il cht and il Imagination yIs
fl--ofi lands. Also, keramos Is rather' potteI's
clrh than eaulcuWarc. Bat the difference Is
,IrIl and hardly worth noticing, unless one wishes