The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-10-25

Providence. II. IL Vcs., - r.
the Boarding School OF new the
"Iend, at the yearly meeting OF tne
Er;ands to-day, Whittler's ann'veI-
sorv was celebrated by the presenta-
t;nn If a portrait of the poet Dy
T I,Ta r. Coffin, of Lynn, Mass. M
oa".ro;t was life size. Among the
!p'ests noted literary people were
gu ussa0+ ond others sent letters OF re.
p 1 ! Iohn G. Whittier himself
saut a letter regretting and explain
was as follows
OAK KNOLL, MASS, Oct. ID, 's4.
A,,ouatine Jones, Principal Of the
Iriends' School, Providence, II. 1:
NV DEAR FRIEND have re-
oa;ved the kind invitation to be
Nth Won on the oath instant, but II
is hardly possible that ! can AVA
myself of it otherwise than oy proxy.
NV double, or "~counterpart Pre-.
sentiment" will, of course We
there. and as the party most
interested may fifty supply my
place and position assigned 1t De
tween the busts of the great English
friend and statesman and the noble
woman who, like the Master, visited
snirits in prison. 1t seems so far be
yond the desert of its original that If
the portrait had the miraculous
mower Of locom0tion attributed to
mediaeval pictures it would feel con-
strained to walk out of its frame and
seek an humber place. l have
reached an age when fattery ceases
to deceive and notOriety is u burden,
and the faint shadow of literary repu-
tation fails to hide the solemnities of
life. But q genuine token of love
and good will has Limitation of time
and is never out of place. l scarcely
need say I appreciate the generous
compliment paid by a much valued
friend in placing r,y portrait in the
old and honored institution in their
charge. 7 confess l heard the first
intimation of his purpose with some
surprise and misgiving, as l looked
back upon my lite not indeed with
out honest endeavOr, yet marked by
many weaknesses and errors. II,
however, this gift of my friend shall
testify our common interest in the
Friends school and faith in the prin-
ciples and testimonies of its fOun-
ders, and if it shall serve to remind
those who see it that whatever may
seem worthy of commentator in
the life of its original is due not to
himself but to Providence. which
surrounded his youth and strength
ened his manhood. l shall be
more than satisfied. 1 reed
not say to thee, my dear friend, that,
although 1 am a Quaker by birth and
sincere reflection, I am no sectarian
in the strict sense of the term. My
sympathies are with the broad church
of humanity. Nevertheless if n
has to be chung in effigy" he may
have some choice as to the place of
execution, and it goes far in recon
Cling me to my own fate to know
that the ceremony in which 1 am to
be a passive participant will be per-
formed in the hall of learning of the
Society of Friends. 1 am very truly
thy friend,
JOHN G.. WHITTIER.
John Bright, the British states
man, in his letter writes: 1.-The Vir-
GINA slave mothers lament has often
brought tears to my eyes 1t is short
but it is worth volumes on the great
question which was settled twenty
years ago by your great conflict in
which so much blood. and treasure
was expended to make freedom the
heritage of your continent. Those
few lines were enough to rouse the
whole nation to expel from amongst
you the OdiOuS crime and guilt of
slavery. III the poem OF "Snow-
Bound" there are lines on the death
of the poets sister, which we have
nothing superior to them in beauty
and pathos in u language. [ have
read them often with always
increasing admiration. I have suf-
fered from the loss of those dear and
near to me, and I can apply the lines
to my own case and feel as if they
were written for me. The External
Goodness" is another poem which is
worth a crowd of sermons which are
spoken from the pulpits of our sects
and churches and which I do not
wish to undervalue. It is a great
gift to mankind when a poet is raised !
up amongst us who dev0tes his great
powers to the sublime purpose of
spreading among men the principles
mercy and justice and freedom. |
This our friend Whittier has done in
degree unsurpassed by any other
poet who has spoken to the world in
our noble tongue. 1 feel it a great
honor that my bust should stand in
your hall near the portrait of your
great poet"