The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-03-17
The POET IONGFELLOW.
LEAVES PROM HIS LIFE BY HIS
BROTHER.
His Early Life aud First Ventures in
Verse-An Unpublished
Sonnet.

Henry nddslDOrli L0llqfeltOlC, puOllbueu
by Ticknor & Co Of Boston-Tbe
boys first printed verses were TO him,
at least, Of vast interest. He recalled,
in sfter years, the trembling and mis-
giving Of heart with which he ran
down 10 Mr.. Shirley's printing office
at the foot OF Exchange street and
cautiously clipped his manuscript into
the letter box. The evening before
the publication Of the paper-it wss q
semi.weekly-he went again, and
stood shivering In the November air,
casting many q glance at the windows,
as they trembled with the jar OF the
ink balls and the press afraid to
venture in. No one but his sister, the
receiver Of all his condolences, had
been let into his secret, and she shared
with him the excited expectation with
which the appearance OF the paper
was looked for the next morning. We
may imagine the impotence with
which they watched the unfolding OF
the damp sheet in their fathers me-
thodicsl hands, and the rising vapor
as he held it before the wood fire TO
dry. Slowly he read the paper, and
fa;d nothing perhaps saw nothing
of the verses, and the children kept
their secret. But when they could
get the paper-the poem was there
Inexpressible was the boys de-
light, and innumerable the times
that he read and re-read his
performance, each time with increas.
ing satisfaction. In the evening
he went to visit at the house
of Judge Mellen, his fathers friend,
whose son Frederic was his own init
mate. In the circle gathered about
the fire, the talk turned upon poetry.
The Judge took up the morning Ga
ztue: "Did you see the piece in to-
DAYS paper? Very stiff, remarkably
stiff; moreover, II is all borrowed,
every word of IT," The boys heart
shrunk within him and he would
gladly have sunk through the floor.
He got out OF the house as soon as pos
sible without betraying himself. Shall
we blame him that there were tears
on his pillow that ni1ht? 1t was his
hrst encounter with "the critic" from
whom he was destined to hear much,
not always complimentary, and OF
whom he had more than once some
thing not very complimentary to say.
THE FRIENDLY PROFESSOR.
A student had incurred the censure
of the college faculty for some slight
ofIense against the regulations, and
Mr.. Longfellow was instructed to "ad-
monish" him. The professor met the
youth the next day in the library, and
was addressed by him with question
upon some point in French literature.
An animated and instructive disquisi-
ton followed upon the subject, in
course OF which the professor forget
his duty aud was tuning away, when,
recollecting himself, he came back
with: "Ah, | was near forgetting.
The faculty voted last night that l
should admo dish you for namiT & the
offsnsel, and you will consider your
self admonished. Coming from him,
this was perhaps more effective adj
mOnition than q sterner and more
formal one from less friendly teacher.
! Letter of Judge Barrows, who thinks
the student was John A. Andrew,
afterward Governor OF Massachusetts. }
Another auecdote relates that in one
Of his French classes student was
called upon who had evidently made
little or no preparation, and was
prompted by his classmate very audi
bly,. The professor took no notice OF
this till the young man was seated,
then he quietly faid: "Your recitation
reminds me OF the Spanish theater,
where the prompter performs more
important part than the actor"
THR YOUNG POET IN SOCIETY.
In Cambridge society Mr.. Longfel-
low soon became a fivorite, for Lhis
sunny presence, his amiable DISPOSE
ton, his naive refinement, his culd-
waited tastes and the poetic cast of his
mind. As newcomer into staid
aud sober community, he was not ex'
empt from some social criticism, par.
ticularly in the matter OF dress, he
having a fondness for colors in coats
waistcoats and neckties. To such
comment he may have had reference
when he wrots to Sumner, then in
Europe. "If you have any tendency
TO curl your hair and wear gloves
like Edgar in Lear, do 1t before you
return" And the same thing may
have been in his mind when in Hype.
rion he made the Baron say to Pau
Flemming:" THE ladies already be-
gin to call you Wilhelm Meister, and
they say that your gloves are shade
too light for strictly virtuous mau.'
His friend Ward writes him some
what later 81 have for you an EDDY
mion waistcoat better eulted to youl
style than mine" and even good Mrs
Craigie thought that he had some
what too gay look.
STORIES OF cRAIGIE HOUSE.
Among the traditions OF the house
are two stories OF "Washington'G
laughter" In the first, an old woman
had one day been arrested in tht
American lines as spy, aud brought
before Gen. Putnam. He though
the matter important enough to be re
ferred TO the commander.in-chief, anC
took the woman to headquarters. Ar
rived at the gate she refused to 90 in
Whereupon Putnam seized her, anC
lifting her on his back bore her up thu
pathway to the door. This, Washing
ton, lookiBg from his window, beheld
and laughed heartily at the spectacle
Of "0ld Put" and his burden. A
another time, the second story runs
several of the generals we're at thu
Vassall House when word was brough
that the British were making dem
onstTation from Boston. The officer
rushed for their accoutrements, an'
Gen. Greenes voice was heard CALM
to the barber: "My wig where is m
wig2" Behind the looking-glass
general, said Lee, and the mirror RI
vealed that Greene's wig was slIeld
, on his head. Again Washington
joined in the general laugh.
A STUDY IN VERSE.
, Walking down to Fulton's thi
morning, seduced by the magic inAr
ence Of the air and the approach t
, classic ground, composed the follow
inc q nandant m Enhillar'a.