The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1886-08-05
Literature.


POEMS BY DAVID BARKER. With Biograph-
ical Sketch by Hon. John L. Godfrey. These
poems are household words in Maine and many
nave treasured the first edition. long out of
print, and now supplanted by the present
handsome volume. Some of the poems are
crude in construction and homely in phrase
but the wit and quaint conceits of the writer,
with their local color and significance, will
cause them to live long in the land of their pro-
duction, while many have had larger audi
encc and given their author high literary rank.
The little poem ''My Child's Origin" familiar
to all, is Il real gem. Others which added to
Mr.. Barker's reputation are, 1.-The Old Ship of
State" 1.-The Under Dog in the Fight" ;" 1.-The
Covered Bridge and ''The Empty Sleeve"
Several of the poems relate to Belfast. Gov.
Crosby in his Annals, tells us that in 1888 the
4th of July was celebrated in Belfast on a larg-
er scale than ever before. Rain curtaied the
programme somewhat and ''the literary cXer-
cises We're held in large canvas tent erected
on the Common. Hon. Ralph G.. johnson,
Mayor of the city, ohiciated as President of the
day, Rev. Cazncau Pafrey as Chaplain, Hon.
Nehemiah Abbott as Reader of the Declara-
ton, and Gov. Crosby as Orator. At the con-
cusion Of the exercises there was a public dim
ncr III l'eloe li'l ~ "ilich Mf' "hi' v.
loof oiliei'le" as ioa>t-ihaster; the toa>tS We're
drank Ill Adams Me. This Is the theme OF
Mr.. Barkcr's poem, '''l'he Fourth of July at
Belfast" in which he writes:
Next came the Govcrhors oratlon,-
I1nom thc 'ntia. ,ria of thn naton tj',o''
And sad condition.
Which ended by sly Irritation
l'h -NOo'l''o"'
There sat Machhs, calmly gazing,
All .oi r,'II Iii al ',S k M",c ', nIi m,"M,
He took it cool.
Until he found his foe was raising
The price of wool.
For round and rounI ,,x.ol Ioar and v.inI. -
mi thnn,o for ,In,t, t.,,.n'I,n ,i;mI",
d. ,'' p;i ~ i i' ~ Ply PI ,i H. I;i ~
'"' ''t NV it0NoIt ,oIf 'aMI amJ mM lam
,nd doultIo.. thnm,tht ~ nutrhm"m tI,inI.
lie thought "tot Tant"
,rr, nf.,,,,.o - ,,,,,t pi,.t,.,. .,r
Mieiliis, formerly Il resident OF belfast, ana
the regular Democratic candidate for Governor
tbot voor ,,.o5ns+ Gov rrn.h,. yyhi,, Nor-
-,
fiii' hepuhh'ait, ''hd iloihcs' free son. / mere
was no election by the people, and Governor
Cro.l,,, ,,-,s oIa.tol h, tI,. ! ,.,;yl,+,,ro
;nittin.," NJ, n,.lor s,,.. .n, rho 9TH
Jav of \u~u,t. A. ID. 1853. nm arc,i widow.
fulI,, cI,d i, ,no,rrin, .,t ,,,iatI,. md l,,,Iv
on,,.,.oI IN l,,ittin,. .to,lir., i, tI,o .,Ioo ot
A., .+o.,o, po,,I..,,4 ~, 1,.,. ,,,.s.,,.,, f.o,,
poIf,.t to H,r,,or / o1,,.rv,l IN NV. ,.to,i.b-
mont two vo,nu yomeu ,,or.enorsI,, dressed
noin+in,, ,nJ l,u,in,, ot tln IJ o.n,,,,,, ,,.it1
her lnitti,,. work ON. of fin, noi,lonx r,fcr.
rol IN b,l l,r, ,,,lo :, +b,, .Iofh,.,to,1.-
;, ~; .,,.;.,'l;,,,.
nnot.
j,,,it an, Io+ ..,,,,,l,.,, ,;,I,, If ti,,- ,,.;u
Knit on, nor >quander thine allotted time:
hnt on olu matron, ana my poet lUlli
rb,n,o. - " :"
DESPITE of idiot LAUGH and pointIcs> Joke
love to see thee 1T thy knlttn@-Work
In the closing Verse the poet says;
| mate to see the neaneSt reptile dic,
h,t ~" " frat If 'r-'1,ilt in ~,
hate a thief hate inrratitlldc.
hut from nlnc lnmo>t soul lar worse IMAM All
~, - .''' j.; II h't 80, w.
| The van TO tauut a widow in her weeds;
loathe the wretch if for no reason other
! h"Ne myself i s'rl'Ne"' "''o"e" ino'''eF'
David Barker, SON of Nathaniel, was born in
! Exeter, Me-. Sept. 20, lSlG. He was the sixth
| Of ten children. IN lS23- when David was in
| his seventh year. his father was accidentally
| killed in Bangor. by his team. Ills estate was
| insolvcnt and the farm on which the family
| lived was encountered; but the widow and
! children determined to redeem it and did 50,
| lhe hno'ler dying there ut the age OF W. l'Nld
was ahlhllloNN ana an apt scholar hy III" III
"u>'fs ne ohtalhrd S"lntlth' means 10 ehaoic
nun ~ '''c''i 'lc N'"'c'n4 III f"A'I"l'' N''''
ne was S"oSeluehl'! e'nP'o9ed is an assistant
| Later nc was Ill He'l''hd is It >tioo lc''theF'
| 'u' ~ a'iihi''oiS TOOK another dir''iloh ana
he began the study OF law With Nalhlei "hN
III r-N''ei' ""' "ie'i H''el Hc WIS "'"l'''e'' 10
| ''ic WI ~ n'''Soi ny iFtufle" l" rA'tc' "h"
oI'e"e" ''" o'''F' 'oi'll''''"S III Su'''>Ni"'
it",.'' '"'i' "'.'' "i'i''" '" VI UNIV !I,''
y! IN 0'',"' NH'. i'','"7 "'''''I 'o"l
Nun - ie''l''i"'s' ~ 'i'o>tl i'oi'NS'o"' llc
que" III ha'Sor "' 'he reS''eic' oi MS "fo'''cI
i'l '''' N'i r>'I'' ''p.' IT, "' '' ''-' VI
'''S 7"' S0''' '''
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! h'"'Ni-''lil noh' ps H. w. HOW I. \
~ Se"iS ~ ''e c''i'oi u '',' e,r'' "''''9 III