Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-07
VISIT TO WHITTIER.
AN AFTERNOON SPENT WITH THE
OLD QUAKER POET.
What He Says About tho Literature OF
Our Own Times and OF tho Last
Generation.
For the Dlspatch-cOpyrlgh,sd by Bachelor &

Our Own Times and OF tho Last
Generation.
For the Dspatch--Copyrighte by Bachelor &
Co, 1881
shall never forget that afternoon last
autumn, when the year was nearing its
close. when il was my good fortune 20 pass
several hours with the old Quaker poet.
John Greenleaf Whittier at his home. Oak
Knoll, Danyers. Since the marriage OF
favorito niece, who had for many years
kept the Amesbury home for him, Mr..
Whittier has been wont TO make his home
with some cousins Of his residing at Oak
Knoll, Danvers. and here l found him on
the occasion in question. u IS pleasant
old mansion in which Mr. Whittio- dwells,
standing back some distance from the
street and surrounded with lovely Old
trees; a place restful indeed. and full Of
domestic happiness such as one OF Mt.
Whittier's simple tastes must thoroughly
enjoy.
The old poet received me in that simple,
cordial manner SO characteristic OF him,
and inviting ne into his little study or
library babe me be seated IN a cosy rock
ing-chair, which he extended 20 me. and
taking a seat M my side he proceeded %
ask me how lar had come and where my
home WAS.
Mr.. Whittier is o tall man. at least six
feet in height. and, though more than
eighty years Of age, bis eye ]. still bright
and his step elastic. Ills face wears
quiet. thoughtful expression, and his voice
is singularly sweet and musical His dress
is the plain. conventional garD of the
Quaker dark. high-buttoncd vest. the
coat the black cut-awsy. with only the
iaintcst suggestion of velvet upon tne coi-
lar and the facing Of the small ear-shapcd
lapeis. With the exception of moustachc,
b e. Ts-n q ..-f.f
larry long OF heavy, and. ike his HAIR. Is
very gray. found Mr.. Whittier exceed
ingly conversational. but disposed 20 D."
careful respecting his language and CONE
mcuts on various subjects. 40 suegt,-
ton Of mine the Old gentleman was easily
led into an atmosphere OF dcl ightiui recol-
lnctiOns of the past concerning prominent
literary men with whom he hal bccu 2 de
clatcd intimately. he Arst spoke If Long
fellow, saying: Longiell0w was dear
friend OF mine. ] thluH be was tho
most delightful per whom ] ever ine'.
oud Pm sure hc was % great poet. Inc
last time be came over TO Ame-Durr tp
zee me Charles Sumner, another warm
fricnd of mine. came Win hlu. DUrug
tae last few years OF hi5 lie We rarely
met. A little while before Inc died be- wrote
/ asking me 10 come ANA sec A.n. 90
was Lot convenient for me 90 go az the
time but sOOE after ] got hl- letter
went down TO Cambridge. But was too
late. when reached bis home he was ton
Pr como 90 see anybody. and t"N days
later passed away. IOIgteUOW, Emerson,
Hawthorne. and were very warm friends.
'Ia'n of u5 took great PRIDE n the oihrf
work. We were IN the habit ~ exchanging
notes upon what we had written. and II one
happened to ran ACROSS a ploa'ant notice
about the oth.rit was cut out Of tine paper
and sent 10 him..
EsIIMATE or HAWTHORNE.
"What is your estimate OF Hawthorne,
81. WhituerI IasEcd.
"Oh. Hawthorne. 10 seems o me, lf ono NJ
the Few great masters OF the English lan-
Cuage. / think be was superior 10 even
Addison. never heard of one WHO could
l build such lovely stOrlc, lu i3nguacf sue
As the humhlcst person could understand.
But Hawt horne vas ankle mot men. he
was so sad and shy. Yet ] could under,
stand his nature, though most people cou't
/ not. Emerson was not mcr lY great
writer. but n profound thinker end phi-
| losophcr. We were good deal together
during our lifetime. often visited onn
another | think Emerson has written
nothing That VII not live. Tie always
wrote with pain alUug care, and would fr-
/ wise his manuscript no such way that D.
WIS Away absolutely perfect. lie woul.t
{ often consult with me and his otherireDdi
/
: forth into the world. he always sought
tn advice and experience If others, so tnte
+ iu this way hls productions We're as per-
/ feet as mortal could make them. law
/ thOrue and LOugiellOw were also very
! paiustaklng IN every thing tl'F Wfoir,
/ though Hawthorne from the rc-"rFcdue 3
/ OF his temperament seldom went 20 any
/ body for sucg, -tiOu. J was never Inc
! the others: j never had any putcuiM'
system in anything ] ever did. J always
wrote when felt like lt-ucyer when dld
/ not-and never had patience enough -
work over anything after / had once
written it, have lived i'm the main re-
| tiIed life. with only few friends for assoc
ciAtes, and have never had energy enough
/ 90 20 % any one for advice IN anything i
nave written. have always written for
/ the pleasure Il gave me. and have mover
published anything without feeling sense
OF timidnes5 about it, When look back
| over my work ! wonder how / have any
| such thing a. a literary reputation.
HIS own POEMS.
What are your favorite poems, Mr.
( Whittier, among your Own wrtngsI'
why. / don't know that have any. IN
/ fact. "A good deal of what / have written !
wish was buried ont of sight and memory.
/ Yet do not wonder that 1 feel So about
much Of my work. In my youthful
]
education was exceedingly limit 'd, and
/ few books could be procured 10 read or
study. When I commenced 10 "nte L
really knew nothing of the wOrld-and to
/ this dav have never been in any sense
| traveller. The farthcst ! have ever been
away from nome is Washington, ana that
was only on one occasion many years ago
/ dong before the war;, when ! was tenn
/ porarv resident of Philadelphia. l never
/ .rt,.-oI TRAVELLING rs most poOUle do. ana
| [ think Emerson felt good deal the same
WAY. for he seldom went away from home.
| In my fathers house when / was boy
/ there were not probably more than dozen
books. and all were Of peculiar type, or at
| least would be considered so TO-DAY.
| Why, the only volume III the line OF poetry
was a rhyned history of King David, the
work of q contemporary OF George COX
| the Quaker. There was noyel-a pretty
moor one. however it belonged 10 an
| aunt of mine. / happened to get hold OF
| il one day. but after | had read it nearly
| through was found ont and the book was
! taken from me and hidden. Ny first look
into a volume Of real poetry WAS when my
old schoolmaster one day brought = copy
OF Burns into the mousse. lie rea1 alouu
from IL and left it with me 70 read at my
leisure. That copy of Burns had all to DO
ip shaping my taste and love Tor poetry,
and whatever success ! have had IN lie Is
due to the Scottish bard"
LoNGFELLOw. AGAIN.
Referring to Longfellow again, / asked
Mr.. Whittier if be considered him Is great
a poet rs Tennyson.
- regard Longfelow as fully the equal
of Tennyson" be replied. " In fact am
inclined to believe Tennyson has never
written anything surprising the produc-
tions Of our hest American poets. And to-
| day Longfellow is more popular IN Eng
| land than the laureate. regard E'ange-
| line as one of the greatest OF poems;
! Before Longfcllow wrote II had
/ taken good deal Of pains to hunt up the
| histor, Of the Punishment of the Acadi-
ans. with a view TO writing upon the
subject myself. kept putting 1t OH how
| ever. and Hawthorne heard of the story
! but thought he couldn't do anything with
| IT, so he gave it to Longfellow, and the
subject fell into Just the night hands, for
| nobody living could have told the story so
well ~ Lonefelow has told It. Had at
! tempted tn tell it my Indignation would
| have GOT the better of me, which would
! n a lff