The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-04-19

W
ure beyond expression to find the bi-
ographv, which is at length given to
the public, worthy of it's subject In
1ullness. accuracy, and stl le, and
equally worthy Of Bryant's fastidious
taste in it's mechanical execution.
A very interesting feature Of this
stately Life is the printing. without
alteration, of the brief autobiography
which Mr.. Bryant began, but aban
doned for reasons which must remain
unknown. 1t carries the reader On
from his birth through his childish
DAYS to his Young manhood. He is
about to tell us of the various influen.
ces under which his Tbanatopsis was
written when ne lays down his pen.
1t is probable that he became weary
of thinking so much about limself-|
"A practice to which he was always ad
verse. While we can lever cease to
regret that his hand stayed the work,
the story of his early life. as given by
Mr.. Goodwin is of sustained and won-
derful interest. We see him delicate
boy among the Hampshire hills of
Massachusetts, studying, pondering,
growing, making himself ready, and
being made ready for that beginning
of an American literature which was
in his hands. Cummington was then
hundred fold more isolated than
NV. "a mountain hamlet eighteen hun.
dred feet above the sea, buried in
snow the greater part Of the year,
having only a weekly mail and keep
ing up on horsepack the infrequent
communication with the towns. The
| isolation and retirement in which the
| family lived did much to keep the
young Bry yants pure and to preserve
4 simplicity of manner and taste they
never lost. But it had less healthy
influence also. 1t gave to the young
poet an austerity ofdeportment which
he never overcalne. 1t intensified the
shyness oil his temper 1t made him
less approachable than he desired to
be, and gave to those who knew him
but little all impression of extreme
GOODNESS of heart, which was as unjust
| as it was Inevitable. He began to
make verses in his eighth year, and
it is curious to see how the apparent.
lv incongruous mixture of poetry and
politics which marked his mature life
was manifest in the drift of his child
hoods talk and writing. Never in any
case could the child be more the father
to tho man. Nothing can be more de-
ightful than 30 follow the young
Bryant through his school days and
his brief term at college, back to his
home, and to observe how the love of
mature grew on him by daily wander
ings in the woods and fields until it
:ound voice at length in the wonder.
full description offorest.life and beau.
ty which be first published and wllic b
are prominently present in Ttanatop
sis. This last, the most wonderful
ipoeln ever written by SO young man.
is voice from the primeval woods
At twenty-one he is admitted to the
bar and now abandons MS boyisi
heroiis, The Tyrt.ean Drumbeats, .
his morbid colloquies with death, anc
idevotes himself to a study of nature
1t is impossible to follow further
. in this place literary and journal
istlc career of more than sixty years
Always at work, always a man. O
convictions, brave, strong, and true
he lived 8 reverent and pure life, will
a large element of deep righteousness
His life is the history of American
literature his friendships and cor
respondence were with the men VIII,
made US known and secured an Eng
Fish public for themselves. His lif
y is more than this. 1t is the histOr,
, of American politics from the day
of the Constitution to the settlemen
, OF all the questions which followe
;. the Civil War. True to freedom, t.
the Union, 10 noble living and hig
r thinking, he achieved place no
reached by any American of his time
1t was our privilege to be of the CON
:, ipany when the Memorial Vase wa
f presented to him. Nothing could b
y more simple, and yet more nobl
a than his bearing, or more fitting tina
. his speech. He wore his crown @
!. years and honors with a modes
q grace which won all hearts. He wa
then the central figure in one Of til
most unique occasions in our natlor
!, al existence. One was reminded {
= t.le ancient days. when the laurel an
!, the palm were given to the worthless
. But there was more than the crowl
( ing OF him who had won and fouyI
Q aud written we'll. 1t was the corons
tion of intellect and character whic
v had been kinyly for eighty years.
r To this noble biography we Civ
l. the higlest praise. 1t is worthy c
:. its subject; no one can read it will
n out pride in the thoroughly America
e genius it describes, and without er
IS thusiastic. admiration for one wh
It proved himself worthy IN every place
" 1t will be equally priced by tn
# student of litera ure, of politics, an
IT of journalism. 1t opens to the worl
e! a home which it was not easy to el
T. ter, but in which love, faith, an
E. purity were constant guests. 1t Ill
o folds a lie long hidden from curiou
n eyes, but in which curiosity coul
Ihave fOund only tho wOrthv and I'll