The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-01-17
N. P. WILLIS.

t one happened 10 pass through AL kinson street on his way to the Athe- eum, he would notice large, square, painted, brick house, in which hved a leading representative of old-fashioned coleopterous Calvinism, and from which emerged one of the liveliest of literary butterflies. The father was editor Of the Boston Reeorasr, a very respectable nut very far from amusing paper, most largely pa,ronired by that class of the community which spoke habitually of the first day of the week as "the $ .h. buth." The son was the editor of several different periodicals in succession, none oi them over severe or serious, and of many pleasant books filled with lively descriptions of society. which he studied on the outside with quick eye for form and color, and wi:h certain amount of sentiment, not very deep, but real, though somewhat frothed over by his worldly experiences.
 Nathaniel Parker Wills was in full bloom when opened my first portfolio. He had made himself known by his re- ligicus poetry, published in his fathers paper, think, and signed Key" Re had started the American M~raFiws after yard merged into the New York ' Mirror. He had then left off writing scripture pieces and taken to lighter forms of verse. He had just written:
 I'm twenty two, I'm twen,y-,wo-
 they idly give me joy,
 As should be glad Co know
 That 1 was less a boy.
 He was young, therefore, and already famous. He came very near being very ha handsome. He was tall; his hair, oI light brown color, waved in luxurioui abundance his cheek was as rosy as if | had been painted to show behind th< feotlights he dressed with artistic ele gance. He was something between [ remembrance Of Count DOuay and a anticipation of Oscar Wide. There usec to be in the gallery of the Lsxem mbougg [ picture of Hippoly,us and Phedra, n which sse sesrs:fui young man, ~ho kNt kindted . passion in the heart oa hi wicked step-mothei, always reminded me of Willis, in spite of the shortcoming, ot the living face as compared with tn, .deaa. The painted yoush Is ssiR bloom sng 00 the canvas, bat tue ircsh -c;.e. kcd jaapty yossg author of she year qs 3o ha tong faded out of hunan sight. 1 tool the flower which lies befoce me at thi moment zs wrvte, from his cstfin. ss i lay gust Sutside the door of St. P4ul' ch&fch, sa sad, overloaded winter day, in fhe year 1$b7. At that eariie time, NSllis w&s by far the most pTomi Dont young American author. Cooper Irving, BryaRt, Haileck, I1Tsiee, dad al done tkeir best work. Iongfellow wa not yet eoCsp'cSous. Lowell was schoolboy. Emerson was 'uuheard O, Whittier was beginning to make his wa, . gainst the writers with better edao ation {. advantages whom he was destined ,c sutde and to ontlive. Not one of th. great Histories which have done '.onor C. our kteratspe hsd appeared. 0ur school books depended, SO fN as Amesicas authors were concerned, en extracts iroe the oratisus snd sseeohes of Webssc and Everett {; on Brysn,'s "Thanatopsis and the "De@h of the Flowers" HA leckS Marco Bozzaris." "lEed Jacket [, and -iBMns;" on Draxss "Americaa Flag" and PeEival,s "Coral Grove" ans his Genius Sleeping and Genius Wax ing "-snd not getting very wide awake either. These could be depended on. feW othet copies of verses might D, found, bW D~tght's "CoIuEbia, Coiusa bia," and Pierpont's "Airs cf pAlestiae, were already efaood, as many of tn. tsvssiies sf ow own day and genera,ios nsas soon be by the gseat wave whicl the scar &ture will pour over the sasd. in ~hioh they have been or still ars legih&e.