New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-25
THE ORIGIN OF SOME OF HIS POEMS.

THE ORIGIN OF SOME OF HIS POEMS.
lBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE.l
BOsTON, March 24.-The late James I. Fields,
writing about Longfelow, said:
"Nou must look to Shakespeare for larger stock
Of the currency of thought than LOngellOw's, for
he is quoted III Westminster Palace, IN the British
ParlIamenG and i'll al the pulPts of England 1t
IL because he humanlZes whatever he touches that
his Tyre has nothing alien to any soil. have heard
him quoted by an Armenian monk with a c0wl, and
sung at caml-meetlngs on the hills of New-llamp-
Shire.
Long fellow poems, let me diyUlge TO You few of
their secrets. The Psalm of Life came into ex-
iStence on a bright summer morning, i'll July,
1888, in Cambridge, rs the poet sat between two
windows, at q small table in the corner Of lis ch M
ber II verse from his inmOst heart aud he kept
it unpublished for a long time. Ii expressed hIs
own feelings at that time, when recovering from a
own heart for many months. The poem
Of The Reaper, Death came without effort cry stal-
lied into bismnd The Light OF the stars was COM
posed Oh u serene and beautiful summer evening,
exactly suggestive OF the poem. The Wreck of tue
HespcruS written the night after a violent
storm had occurred. and rs the poet smoking Lis
pipe he lirsprrls came sailing INTO his mind. He
went TO bed, but could not sleep, and wrote the
celebrated verses. II hardly caused him effort,
hut flowed on without let or hlndrance. On Il
summer afternoon III 1913 az lac was riding on
he beach. The Skeleton IL Aunor' rose as out of
the deep before HIM and would not be laid
One OF che best known OF all Of LOugfeloW's
shorter pcems Is Excelsior That one word hap
pened to catch his eye one autumn eve in
lSll, on torn piece OF newspaper and straight
Bay Ills Imagination took fire at it. Taking UP a
piece OF paper, which happened TO be the back OF a
letter received thai day IRON Charles Sumner,
he crowded It Tta vS iss As t ,5
perfected and published version, but il shows
a rush and glow worthy of It's uihor The story of
EVangeline was first suggested to Hawthorne
by a friend who wished him to found a romance on
it, Hawthorne did not quite coincide with the idea,
and he handed 1t over To Longfehow, who saw in 1t
al the elements vi u deep and tender idyl"
All his aDors were congcnisl. He had good
health competence, troops of friends and the fore
taste of universal fame. His home, the historic
headquarters Of General Washington, was all that
a man OF taste or warm-hearted parent and hus-
band could desire. But TO tins paradise
terrible affection in July. 1861. Mrs LOnglcllow,
while seated at the library table amusing
two of her children, accidentally touched
piece of lighted paper with her dress, which was
immediately III flames. Mr.. LOngieow sprang 10
her rescue, but she so badly burned that she
died the next day. The poet yisibly aged under this
grieyOus stroke OF this grief Mr.. r. ii. Stoddard,
in Poets and Their Homes" writes:
He has known poignant sorrow. Death has en-
tered his home and tahen from it his dearest That
tins, sorrow ever aDldinG Is one from which. III
seuse, he Will recover the years have proved
His melancholy Is but dimy seen, like smoke
curling upward from blazing fire. Yet il is pres
ent always yelling his cAeertulncSs and Saddenlug
his smiles
Il never heard him make but ore allusion to the
great grief of his hfe" said an intimate friend
We were speaking of Schlers fine poem The
RIng of Polycrates' he said 1t was just so with
me. | was too happy. might fancy the gods
envied if | could fancy heather gods"
The old ''Craigie House" which was Mr.. Long
fellows home in Cambridge was rich In associa
tons. 1t was built midway in the last century by
gentleman of family and distinction. Colonel John
VasSal. W hose gravestOnc in Cambridge bears upon
it a scuptured goblet and sun. After the Reyolu-
tionaTy war the house was sold to one Thomas
Tracy, who appears TO have been sort
of American Vathek, emulating as far
as possible in an uncOngenial cline the
magnificent dongs of the Eastern Prince. With
he passing of his wealth clouds gathered about the
DID house. We hear of 1t no mere until il came into
the hands of the last owner save one, Andrew
Craige. The expenses it entailed ruined him.
Necessity obliged him TO part with all save
sight of the 200 acres originally inclnded in
he estate. and after his death Mrs. Craigie
was forced 10 let lodgings to the youth of
Harvard, pigmes all to her. though to us
such intellectual giants as Everett, Worcester
Sparks and Longfelow were among them. OF the |
reduced gentlewoman some curious stories are told
IN occasion her young poet odger entering her |
,arlor in the morning, found her sitting by the
open window, through which innumerabe canker- |
had crawled from the trees they were devour-
ng outside. They had fastened themselves to |
DRESS and hung in little writing festoons from
he white turban on her head. Her visitor sur |
,rsed and shocked asked if she could do nothing TO
lestroy the worms. Raising her eyes from the |
Dook she sat calmly reading, like Indifference on a |
monument, she said, in tones of solemn rebuke: |
Young man, have not our fellow worms as good a |
light to live We pan answer which throws
Uncle Toby's Go. little 1y." quite into the shade.
II 1913 the house was bought by Mr.. Longfellow.
nd from that time, with tender love and reverent
are, he has adorned and perfected il. The house
5 set back from the road behind lilac hedge bios
oming in spring with purple and white. On either
ide are broad veTandas from which one can look |
to the Charles River and the blue hills of Mil
on.