Telegram-herald., 1889-07-18
AN AFTERNOON WITH WHITTIER.

FLoREstcR FINCH KELLY.
AN AFTERNOON WITH WHITTIER.
what The Good Q..ker Poet says Abeat
th. Literssar. of Oar owa rims@
coPxronr issa
Ish all never forget that afternoon last
autumn. shen the year WAS nearing its
close, when 10 was my good fortune to
px.s several hours with the old Quaker
poet, John Gr-enlesf Whittier. at hts
home, Oak Knoll, Danvers Since the
marriage of a favorits neice, who had for
many years kept the Amesbury home for
him, Mr.. Whtttis< has been wont 10
make hts homo with some cousias of his
residing at Oak Knoll. Danvers.
/ found Mr. Whitsier exceedingly
conversational. but disposed TO be
carefal respecting his language ard cor-
ments on various subjects. At a sugges-
tion OF mine. the Old gentleman WAS easily
lead into an atmosphere of delightful
recollsetIonx of the past, concerning prom
ineat literary rneo with whom he had been
associated intimately. He first spoke OF
Longfellow. saying, "Longfellow was a
dear friend o. mine. think he was the
most delightful person whom / ever met,
aud I'm snre he was q great poet The
last time be came over 60 Amesbury to
see me, Charles Sumner@anothcr warm
friend. of mine came with him During
tue last few years OF his life, we rarely met.
A hetle while before be died he wrote ask
ing ms 10 come and see him. 10
was not convenient for me to 20 at
the time, but soon after got his letter 1
went down TO Cambridge. But was too
Late; when reached his home he was too
far gone 10 see anybody, and few DAYS
later passed away. Longfellow, Emerson,
and Hawthorne and l were very warm
fr'ends. Each OF took great pride In
the others work We were In the habit
Of exchanging notes upoa what we had
written, and II one happened 10 run across
pleasant notice about the other. it was
cut out Of the paper and sent TO him"
Hawthorn II seems TO me, is one OF
the few great masters of the En glish Ian
| guage- l think be WAS superior TO even
Addison I never heard OF one who coud
bufid such lovely stories In language such
as the humblest person could understand.
But Hawthorne vas unlike most men, he
was so sad and shy. Yet I could under
stand hts nature. though most people
could not Emerson was not merely
great writer, but s profound thinker and
/ TDiACSDpDef. hS were KDOQ deal TO-
/ get her during our lifetime; often visited
one another. think Emerson has written
nothing that will not live He always
| wrote with painstaking cnre and would
| revise his manuscript IN such way that 10
| was always absolutely perfect. He would
I often consult with me and his OF her friends
concerning his work before IL was sent
forth into the world. He always sought
the advice and experience of others 50 that
/ IN this way his productions were as per-
feet a. a mortal could make them H.w-
thorne and Longfellow were also very
/ pstnstaking in everything they wrote,
though Hawthorne frvm the rcservedness
/ of bis temperament seldom went to nny
body for = suggestion.
( What are your favorite poems, Mr..
Whittier. among your own writings 20
Why, don't know that l have any
In fact good deal Of what hav. written
wish was buried out OF sight and mem
ory. Yet 10 not wonder that feel so
about much Of my work. In my youth
7 fui years had very few advantages Ny
( education was exceediagiy limited. and
few books could be procured TO read or
study When I commenced 70 write I
really knew nothing Of the world-and to
this dsF have s~ver been In any sense q
| traveller The farthest I have ever been
away from home Is Washington. and that
was only on one occssiop many years ago (,
Referring to LongfeIlov again / asked
| Mr.. Whittier IL ne considered him "a great
poet ss Tennyson
/ Il regard Lougfsllow =, fully IN.
/ squsl of r-nnyson. /" be replied IN fac.
( am iuclinsd 70 believe Tennyson has
never written anything surprising the
I productions Of our best American poets
And to-day LouSfellor y NOR. popular
/ in England than the laureate
/ An. L'nsfsiio~ w, = very lovely individ-
uai. don't think he ever hsd an enemy
I In The world. TIE last time visited him.
- hs helped NJ 20 pat on my overoost.
when Vas going awsy. he said. with a
smile, Why, Whittier. I'm getting 40 old
THAT rather enjoT putting on my own
( coat Wei. ~ ny own dsY and genera
! ton, Doctor Halmss = shout the only one
I iett now. I never rss 40 intimate with
T him ss With Loagfellow and Emerson.
/ Jet hardly know Why Holmes = ons =
tbs most .uioYsble OF men snd he hss
written thinxs shst will live 80 lonzssanv
T thiuz But, lise ne. guess his working
/ daTs -. sSous ever. snd - far "a I am
/ personally eoacerned Tn not sorry. II
have done sny good in life, N helping 20
MAKE sa- wOrId better snd happier.
shss God for t. -
As sroSe 20 take rav le.v- W Wbss
seF ro-- 10 $50, and. following ne 20 e.
door. pressed raF hsnd warmly. and ssid;
/ / hop- Tcu vii cons sod 49, uss again
shonzh ear hardly expect 7ou viii.
unsess ION come v-ry 5000, for sasu nos
Z D. ser- out ltstfr vhils longer Rus
tnsr., he -i6-6 6-@Vs .hsa 80 ~-rh
T oth-r zp Frnr-r WAErEp Rpr~-s