New-York tribune., 1886-04-25
SOME WINNING VERSE.
WHITTIEP'S NEW VOLUME.

SOME WINNING VERSE.
WHITTIERS NEW VOLUME.
ST. oKEGoRY's GUEST, And Recent Poems. BY JOIN
GREENLEF WHITTIER 16mo pp 66. Houghion.
Miilin Il 20.
The beautiful little collection which the singer
of NewEngiand offers US, with simple ana touch
ing apology for publishing on the verge OF
fonrscore contains examples OF nearly All the hlsh
qualities winch have won for his maturer poetry so
firm place in the popular affection His pure ana
earnest religious sense his inst net Tor ballad story
telling, his enthusiastic sympathy with 1al1h ana
moral courage and his exquisite feeling for nature,
illustrated over and over again In tue cnoico
paqes IN winch the snceTeSt OF poets has written
the record of a gentle and beautiful old age Per-
haps there is nothing in the new volume when
reaches he level of the best of Whlttiers previous
work; bnt there Is something very winning III the
spirit and temper of it all, and it cannot fail 10
strengthen the tie Of endearmeut which has always
bound the poet and his readers ArtisIicaiiy. it
shows more careful attention to melody ana form
than Whittier used to think necessary.
he poem from which the book lakes lis title Is "a
legend in the ballad metre which whittier has
cultivated so successfully. In simplicity, direct
ness, and Just sentiment it is model OF us klnd.
The familiar story of the monk who gives aims 20
our Lord in the guse Of beggar, told 50 often IN
such a variety OF FORMS is presented here WIN III
lmitable effect: the narrative is te1se clear, ana
! unaffected; and the obvious moral flows with a
beauty OF phrase and suggestion when maAeS IL al
most fresh:
suli wherrsoever Pity shares
It's bread with SORROW, want m SIN,
Amt love the hegGlr's Feast prepares,
The uninYlted guest CONES lu
Unhear.i because our ears are dul
Crsccn, because cur eyes arc I'm,
He wallis our earth. Thr Wonderful,
And III. good deeds are done 10 nm.
The next pieces IN the collection. " Revelation
and Adjustment" have reference to the Problems
OF doubt which distress ouraGe, when
Tho awed spirit holds it, breath
Blown over by wind OF deati.
The poet like George Fox, two hundred years ago,
in the Vale of Beavor trembes at the image OF the
&" strange god of Force" the implying tnergy,'
the coslnc Vastness" which has no ear for PRAYER
| and no concern for human aspirations. Whoever
| knows Whittier knows how he meets this
intellectual tenDati ton. 1t Is the inner voice which
answe1s his prayer for faith and hope. and answers
| in no uncertain tone:
| o 10Y supreme ! know the Voice.
| Iase beside on eartd or sea;
| Yea. more, soul of mne rejoice,
| BY all that lie requires OF me.
| know what God himself must be-
! No picture to my aid I call.
| only know in HIM all
| OF life, light beauty, everywhere
| Eternal Goodness here and there
! The stanzas we quote are from Revocation"
The second Of the pieces, "Adiustnent," has the
same ring of confidence o. joyful trust in the In
| ward Word" and the delightful serenity.
"The Wood Giant leads a group Of poems of nat
ure, with characteristic description OF walk
| over shorn and was,el III iuntan land" of New
| England rihod and abandoned by tue woodcutters,
and fine picture Of primeyal pine stretching his
mighty arms, solemn aud solitary, above the under
brush The verses have the truthfulDess and
graphic force which belong to all WhIitiersscenery
| pieces but the moral reflections with which they
close are hardly valuable enough to justify
so elaborate prelude. A discOrdant Tote OF
did .cticsm is also struck in the last
part of The Homestead y; but one
would freely pardon much more than that Tor ihe
sake of the description of the deserted tarm-nouse-
| Against the wooded bills il stands,
| Ghost of dead nome, staring through
| It's broken lights on wasted ands
| Where od-time harvests grew.
Unploughed unsown by scythc unshorn.
| The poor forsaken farm-heds lie.
Once rich ami rife with golden corn
And pale green breadtEs OF rye
An admirable effect is produced here BY tie met
Tica device Of dropp ng fOot from the ourth line
OF each stanZd-a variation of the customary meas
ure which serves to Tetard and suDdue the move
ment. casting over the Nhole poem an an of mel
anchOly thOughtfulness. j ne painting IA - The
Homestead is far above realism: II Is picturesque
not by elaborate detail but BY subtle p0eilcal sug-
gesIon. one finds the same charm III " Il rch6fooK
Mill with The description OF che shady nook where
| Nature mas redeemed part of her domain from the
trespas. Ipg OF man-She waited, and she broug I
the old wild beauty back agaln-and the charm Is
| even more fascinating IN sweet Fern" winch Is
full OF the OdOrB and sunbeams of August.
AmODg the miscellaneous POEMS " Ianlshcd from
Massachusetts" which celebrates the faith, firm
ness aud courage of the colonial Quaker IN strain
| which no one ever knew better than whittier hOw
to sound is the most remarkable. " The Two
| Eliza betis" IS "A sympathetic and somewhat eX-
tended sketch OF ST. Elizabeth OF Hungary and
| Elizabeth Fry. " The Light that Is Felt " viii
! touch a gool many plOuS hearts. We copy the
| whole Of IT, although the third sianze cannot b;
said to add 90 the thought already sufficiently dc
velOped IN the second
A tender child OF SUNNI ,rs thrcn.
| Seeking her little bed AT night,
| Paused The dark STAR tim diy,
| "Oh, mother! Take my hand" saii she.
| And then the dark Will all be light
| We older children grope our way
| From dark behind to dark before;
| And only when our hands We lay
| Dear Lord IN Thine the night Is day,
| And there is darkness neyermoro
Reach downward to the sunless days
| Wherein our guides are bind as we,
| Aud faith is small and hope delays;
| Take Thou the hands OF prayer We raise,
] And let us feel tie light Of Thee!
| We cannot leave the welcome little book without
| word of cordial praise Tor the beautiful form IL
| which the publishers have presented 1t, st
Gregorys Guest" is one Of the prettIest OF recent
issues from the Riverside Press, aud 70 those who
have remarked what specially excellent work tha
| establishment has been doing OF late no higher
| cOmmendatiOn will be required.