Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-08-21
TO THE COURT OF GOD.
RUSSELL LoWELL'S SPIRIT
HAS FLED.

The Renowned Poet and Diplomat Dies AT
tho Are of 72-Sketch of His Lilo and
rf+erarv Successes-A Typical Ameri-
can.
James Russell Lowell, the great
American poet and diplomat, died at
cambridge, Mass. He was born in that
city Feb. %, 1919. He graduated at
Harvard College in 1885, and studied
law. but soon abandoned law for litera-
ture, Before leaving college he pub
lished a class poem. A volume of mis-
cejIaneous poems entitled "a Years
Life" appeared in lS4l: new colec-
ton, containing Legend of Brittany"
"prometheus" and others, in 1874: "Con-
versations on Some of the Old Poets,
containing a series of well-studied crit
icisms. both in prose and verse, giving
indications of Mr.. Lowell's interest in
the various political and philanthropic
questions of the day and of his
attachment to those principles OF
which he has since been the champion,
in lS45: thir collection OF poems and
"The Vision of Sir Launfal," founded on
legend of the search for the San Glael,
in 1s4s; "a Fable for Critics, in which he
satrically passed in review the itterati
OF the United States, and his most re-
markablc work. THE Biglow Papers,"
a collection of humorous poems on
political subjects, written by Hosea
Rigiow," in the Yankee dialect. in 40.
al ireside Travels" including graphic
pagers on Cambridge in old times. and
the second series of the "Biglow Papers"
appeared in 1864.
In 1869 Mr.. Lowell published "Under
the Willows and Other oems," and near
TIE close of the same year "The
Cathedral" an epic poem; in 1870 col
lccted volume of essays EMIT, ed "Among
My Books" and in 1871 "My Study
Windows. "Thrce Memorial Poems"
appeared in 1876. In 1856. he succeeded
LongfeIlow as professor OF modern Ian
guages and belles-lettres in Harvard Col
legc The degree of ID. c. l.. was con-
ferred upon him in 1878 by the English
University of oxford, and that of LII.
D. by Cambridge in 1874. The latter de-
gree he received also from st. Andrews,
Edinburgh. Harvard ana Bologna. From
1857 to 1862 he was editor OF the
Atlantic MonthlH and he had previously
been connected with The Pioneer, a
magaz ne of high character, the 44nti-
Stnccry Standard. Pattnan,s Monthly,
and IRON 1864 to 1866 was editor of the
II
been lecturer before the Lowell Insti-
tutc, in Boston. on the British poets.
Toward the close of 1874 Mr.. Lowell
was offered the post of Minister to Rus
STA, which he declined, but in 1877 ac-
cepted that of Minister to Spain, from
which he was transferred in 1880 to that
of Minister to Great Britain. On tho
change of administration in 1885 he re-
signed this position and returned to the
United States. The speeches which he
delivered in England were republished
in 1887 under the title of Democracy
and Other Addresses. Though a life
long Republican, Mr.. Lowell supported
the candidacy of Mr. Cleveland for re-
| election to the presidency in 1888. Dur
ing the slavery agitation prior to the
| civil war he was a prominent advocate
for its abolition, and had been equally
outspoken in more recent years in urging
| the reform of the civil service.
"Harvardiana, which Mr.. Lowell
edited in lS37-s, was a notable poem,
composed under peculiar circumstances.
At the time of writing it the collegiate
senior was undergoing brief period OF
rustication at Concord in consequence
of inattention to his text books. His
forced soiourn in this Arcadia of scholar
ship and reform brought him into re.
lationship with the transcendentalists,
who at that time were in the habit OF
gathering at the home of Emerson, with
whom then began that friendship which,
despite the playful sallies of the younger
poet in his earlier writings, only termi-
mated with the death of the elder The
young satirist saw the humorous side of
| the social movements of the day. and the
class poem, scntilating with wit, at
tackled the aboitionists, Carlyle, Emer-
son and the transcendentalists.
In the winter OF 1887 Mr.. Lowell read
4 paper before the Union League Club,
| Of Chicago, on the authorship of
"Richard Ill" Since his return to pri-
vate life Mr.. Lowell's home had been
with his only child, the wife of Edward
Burnett, at Southboro, Mass