The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-04-06
NO. 81
Death Of the Poet Longfellow.


Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, died at his
residence in Cambridge, Mass, on Friday last
Mr. Longfellow had for some time past been
falling in health, SO that to those who were
interested in knowing his condition his demise
Is not unexpected, Born at Portland, Maine,
on the 9th OF February 1907, he had entered
upon MS seYenty-slxth year at the time Of bis
Death. Mr.. Longtellow was the most popular
II not the greatest of American poets for the
highest place seems to have been awarded by
many American critics to the late William
Cullen Bryant. He was graduated at Bowdoln
College III 1928, where he became professor of
modern languages, entering upon his profess
orshlp IN 1929, after studying for three years
IN France, Spain, Italy and Germany In 1885
! he was elected professor OF modern languages
and literature at Harvard University, but did
no; occupy the Chair until he had spent an
other year in study abroad. From that time
he took up his residence in the house wherein
he had lived ever since, known as the old
Cragie House, and historically as Gen. Wash
| ington's headquarters during the siege of Bos-
ton. Mr. Longfellow held his professorship
at Harvard until 1854, when he resigned his
chair and retired to private life. During all
the years of his protessorship, and even while
a student at Bowdoin, he DEVOTED his leisure
TO literature and poetry. With the exception
Of the wel-hnown Hymn of the Moravian
Nuns" his earliest literary works were in
prose, his first volume being small essay OF
| the devotional poetry Of Spain, with transla-
| tlons OF the Copas de Manrique and of SON
nets by Lope de Vega. His subsequent: prose
works, published between 1885 and 1889, were
"Outre Mcr," pilgrimage beyond the sea, and
Hyperion" romance. In the same year
with the latter appeared his first volume of
poetry and the most popular OF any, entitled
Voices OF the Night" Then followed in sue
cession series of volumes of poems, and
single pieces since gathered into his collected
works, running through various years from
1912 10 1875. Within the past few years he
has contributed to literature several poems of
Il high order of merit, such as "The Hanging
Of the Crane" The Alarm Bell of Atri," and
collection of fugitive pieces under the general
title OF Ultima Thule" his last efforts In
verse, and some of them very touching. Mr..
LongtelloW will be remembered as the house
hold poet OF America. Many of his poems
have entered into the reading books of schools.
The devotional spirit of his famous Psalm of
Life" and the Indictment to high endeavOr Of
mis- Excelsior" have not only been admired
and praised at home and abroad, but have rem
dered those poems, from frequent quotation
and recitation, familiar as household words"
All his poetry is pure and healthy, although
many OF its most striking passages are trans
lations or paraphrases from other tongues
Money for Disabled Soldiers, Sailors
and Marines.
There are about eight hundred applications
on file al the Auditors office for commute
ton. Five hundred of these applicants have
been paid $50 EACH and are entitled to $50
more. Three hundred have not received any
thing and are entitled to $50. The money
will be paid out in few days and will be
given to the applicants as they ore registered
ON the books beginning with the first name on
the list, and not alphabetically. The second
section OF the act provides that
ANY such soldier, sailor or marine, disabled
in such manner as to prevent the use OF his
limbs or eyes In manual labor, or otherwise
disabled from the performance of manual la
boz, induced by wounds or surgical operations
rendered necessary thereby, who shall furnish
4 he certificate required by the seventeenth Sec
lion of chapter scyentY-six of the Code of
eighteen hundred and seventy-three, shall be
entitled to Communication at the rate of sixty
dollars each, in lieu OF the limb or eye provid-
ed by law and upon satisfactory proof that
an artificial limb has been worn out, or des-
troyed by accident, such soldier, sailor, or ma
rlne shall be entitled to the same commute
ton; and should any person entitled to the
benefits of this act have heretofore received
only portion of the SIXTY dollars, he shall be
entitled to the residue: provided that any Ger
tificate now on file with the Auditor OF Public
Accounts in due form shall be deemed suffi-
cient provided, however, that those citizens
of Virginia who during temporary absence
from the Commonwealth enlisted in the COM
mands of other States shall be entitled to all :
the benefits OF this act"