New-York tribune., 1883-11-04
NEW PUBLICATIONS,
WHITTIER.

becoue fashion DO not impress US q'uto P"'
unity. There is too strong a suggestion Oh COM
mercial smartness in the haste to welcome our
veteran poets into the company of the immortais'
,oh nc DISTINGUISHED actors are met outside the
barhor by managers and reporters and huirleo
ashore with the aid of tug and band OF music
We cheerfully acknowledge, however, 1hat
mans life must be written before 1t is hnished MI
Underwoods manner Of performing the TASK is "S
free from objections such an undertaking can Oe
First of all this work has Mr. Whitticrs sanction
The early poems reprinted in it, andthe letters now
nublished for the first time are given with the
writer's permission. Relatives and friends OF the
,,oot have lent their assistance. The tone OF the
narrative is excellent; there is no impertinent pry
ing into private affairs, although the personal
history is sufficiently full and the critical COM
ments preserve just mean between severe analysis
and lax eulogy. In word, the book Is Wrltteh
with good taste. Mr.. Underwood, moreover, mas
had the advantage of intercourse with the poe' anu
the poets associates and close association WIN
the literary and philanthrOpic enterprises III "ch
Whittier has been most deeply Interested lie mas
told all that seems to be necessary about the carry
life of his subject his first literary attempts Hi'
newspaper work. his enlistment in the ahtl-Si"veiy
cause and the influences under when MS Po''''"i
mowers were develOped and III so dong ne mas mas pi'
pared us for a better understanding OF hi.'iei anu
a keener relish for his mature work An interest
80 oaoorrt is given of the circumstances under
which great many of the poems were written ana
The periodicals in which they first appeared Inc
alusions TO persons places and incidents, winch
abound in Whittier's works, are explained, ana III
this Mr. Underwood has performed particularly
oluohIe service since explanations of that sort are
generally lacking i'll the collected editions.
Wbitter's literary ambition was aroused very
sarlv, but his intellectual growth seems to nave
beeu slow. He had access to few books at home
IL. of he
The only source from which he derived any literary
nutriment whatever until chance threw in his way
a volume of Burns. Here was revelation TO MN;
bnt il is noteworthy that the exquisite SmphclS
of method the homely truth of feeling and the III
timacv with nature in which he resembles Burns
did not become apparent in his poems until long
afterward. The judgment which excluded nearly al
his early work from the revised voumesWaS soUIlu'
and we cannot agree with Mr.. Underwood In re-
gretting that two immature pieces when ne re-
Irints in the appendix, Isabella of Austria ana
Roliyar" have been allowed to fall into oblivion
II is questionable whether even the. terVor OF
wbittier,s devotion to human freedom did not
somewhat retard his development as poet.
Wbittier's introduction TO literature was made
when he was nineteen years old. lie had con-
tributed poem to The Ne,cbwypor Free Press, then
iust established by William Lloyd GARRISON WHO
was three years Whittier's senior:
the summer of S2G word came that carriage ha9
driven I'M TO the house. and the visitor had inquired
for one John GreenIea1 NhltIlet at ostonisbment
and entered the back door because he was hot pre-
sentable having on neither coat WalsteoaI' t mUi
sbOes-only a shirt pantaOOns, and straw, nat.
Who could have driven out to see hlRF Alttr peIiS
sbod and apparelled his heart still in hutter, ne
apprarcd before the stranger who proved 70 De
Garrison The good sister Mary 1t appeared, had
revealed the authorship OF the poems, anu t W.
Fr lly Wis e
affected the poet; for the manner anu tonoo " VI
Garrison were always hearty, ana SiVob hsoInts Int
sincerity His position as editor gave Welght 5'lsV
to his words To be sure, The Free PresS was iocal
newspaper and in one sense obscure; Dut IL was
conducted with ability and conscience, ana II
reached the best readers IN the county; - H9T IL d d
yoqTng nan rlss MhS 9adReHsriei' "a n MS i"'''i
The father was called in and the prospects of the
son were discussed,-the father demonstrating
against putting notions in hls sons head" Win
warm words Garrison set forth the capabilities
which the early verses indicated, and urged tlat
the youth be sent to some public institution for
such trade as his talents demanded. HIS clear
Sjtbong6 at first the obstacles seemed nsuperable.
The father had not the money for the purpose; the
farm did not produce more than enough Ior the
necessary expenses of the family. But the son
pOndercd upon the matter and determined to make
every effort TO higher and more complete
education. A way opened for him that year.
not by charity OF loan, but by the labor OF his own
hands. young man, who worked for the elGer
Whittier on the farm in summer, used TO make
ladies' slippers and shoes during the winter See
ing the desire of young Whittier TO earn money Tor
his schooling he offered to instruct him III the
"mystcry" The youth eagerly accepted the offer,
and during the following season he earned enough
to pay fOr "a suit of clothes and for his board and
II NAV appear to some a trivial incident to men
ton, but trihes often show the hrnness ana SCI
control attained by those who have contended WITH
adversity. Whittier, after making an appr9prla
tOn bill' for the approaching term at the Academy
fouDd himself square" but without surplus
AT the end of three months he still had single
Mexican quarter of dollar which he had at TN TN
outset, not having spent penny except as pre-
Viouslv arranged for board, tuition, and books.
Mr., Underwood does not indulge in persona
gossip, but he tells us something OF the poet
friendship and mode of life:
If should be added that with the leading Ameri
can poets his relations have always been cordial
Between him and Emerson there it Waf peas P@asabh IN
enjoyed a warm and generous communion. Long
fellow he saw less frequently thoHga tneI W.T. Oi
offices. With Bryant he had an acquaintance bu
they seldom met. .,.....
90 among the people of Amesbury and OF his native
Havcrhin. Though they may not all be able L
gauge his merits as a poet they love him man
and neighbor He has always been democratic il
his feelings Gf political term may be alI0Wedl
and the reputation he has won as man OF letters
has NOT i'm the least impaired his kindly interest in
or his natural familiarity with, all classes OF hi
tOwnsmcn RI. H.. H.
County became the early home of the antl-savery
movement. His poems have celebrated ltS scenery
and historical events with q fidelity ana beauty
elsewhere unparalleled and his fame is felt to b'
a part of the inheritance of every one who trace
his descent from the coOnists of the river towns
The feeling is universal and intense. Other poet
may be admired on the MerTimac but IT is only
Whittier who is regarded with love aud reverence
GEORGE ELIOT. Critical Study of her Life
Writings and Philosophy. By GEORGE WILLIS COOKE
l2nO, PIP. v, 43s James II. OsgOOd Il Co.
Mr.. Cooke has undertaken in this book a task sim
liar 70 that by which he laid the students of Emerson
under an Obligation two years ago. and he has accom-