The Republican journal., 1892-12-08

A life tuneful with praise for his Master
Is hushed in the last deep repose
CARRIE BIRD.
WHITTIER.
If we should visit the Whittier home in
Haverhill, Massachusetts,, we would find
it situated in beautiful valley, shut in
by wooded hills, and so remote from any
other dwelling that the voices OF Nature
are the only sounds audible. The house,
built in 1858, has little Of the appearance
of the houses of too day. 1.-The walls are
low. the windows small, the hinges and
fastenings of iron, wrought by Puritan
smiths, the oak beams of great size, the
upper chambers open to the rafters, and
the chimney an enormous pile which the
house seems only to surround as an APP
pendage.'' In this isolated spot, to many
a very lonesome place, our gentle quaker
poet was born, December II, 1907; but
loving nature as he did, he never wearied
of her simple joys, yea, he loved them
almost reverently, and because OF that
love has given us some OF the most beau
tiful thoughts ever drawn from nature.
His boyhood was passed at home on the
farm. with little opportunity Tor improve
ment except that given by the district
''N'1''NAi
twelve weeks each year, and a change of
teachers at every session. He, however
learned to read and eagerly devoured the
few books at his home, together with
many Others loaned him by friends. The
neighborhood, it is said was laid under
contribution for miles around. and when
at the age OF nineteen he entered the
Academy at Haverhill. his teacher found
him well informed on almost every sub
iec1 To obtain money with which to at
tend his first term at the Academy he
learned to make ladies' shoes, at which
he became quite an expert, and II is from
this that the following story probably
originated. 4 visitor was once convers-
ing with Whittier about the poem, 'Han-
nah Binding Shoes" and remarked: 81
consider it Your best poem MI. Whit
tier With sparkle OF memiment i'll
his dark ewes Mr.. Whittier replied that
he was fond Of the poem himself. and
after exhibiting an amount OF interest sur
prising to the visitor. who had always
supposed him to be very modest in regard
to his works. the poet called III Miss Lucy
l.arcom, who was visiting at the house,
and said. ''I'llee will like to meet the au-
thor of Hannah Binding Shoes. and in
troduced her. The poet atterwald taught
school as a means Of paying his expenses
at the Academy his second and last tenn
He was at this time very fine looking, and
although reserved was never awkward
We have read that the young ladies at the
Academy were quite fond OF him. and
were wont to remark upon the graceful
ness with which he bore himself, and to
wonder that boy who had always work
ed on a farm should appear as if accus-
toned to the best society.
His first inspiration to write was given
him by a travelling peddler minstrel who
sang the songs of Burns, which so thrilled
his poetic soul that he obtained copy of
Burns and mastered the dialect by com
hitting the glossary to memory.
Whittier's first poems were well receiv-
ed but We're far inferior to his later works,
and it was only when the slavery question
began to agitate the minds OF the people
that he entered into the work OF writing
with much purpose: but then his noble
spirit. filled with Indignation at the cruelty
and inhumanity of slave holding, found
opportunity through his writings OF turn
ing the hearts of many into sympathy
with the slaves. Some of these productions
were very hastily written, and hence lack
the beauty OF expression that he otherwise
might have given them, but may he
not have rendered better service to his
| country by his spontaneous, heartfelt
poems. written whenever and wherever
the occasion called for them, than if he
he had composed only few works more
pleasing to the critics ear? Nor was it
an easy matter, at this time, to take such
Il decided stand against slavery. He sui
fered the taunts Of many and his life even
was threatened. Speaking to a friend
afterwards OF himself at this time, he
| said: For twenty years my name would
have injured the circulation of amy OF the
! literary OF political journals in the coun-
try" But he, who as he supposed doom
ed himself to Il life of dsfavor for rights
sake, lived to receive many honors for this
very sacrifice.
Soon after the war, Whittier composed
that beautiful Idyl. ''Snow Bound" AS
try it is perfect, and it also gives us an
ideal reproduction OF American country
life at that time. Here, too, he intro
duces the reader to his family:
GA prompt, decisive man, no breath our
father wasted,
Our mother while she turned her wheel.
Or run the new-knt stocking heel,
Told how the Indian hordes came down,
At midnight on Cocheco town.
Our uncle innocent of books
Was rich in lore of fields and brooks,
Next the dear aunt, whose smile of cheer
And voice in dreams | see and hear.
There, too, or elder sister piled
Her evening task the stand beside.
Upon the motley braided mat
Our youngest and our dearest sat.
No other poet ever put so much Of his
own life and experience into his works as
did Whittier. We can appreciate the in
fiuences surrounding him in his youth,
simply by reading ''The Barefoot Boy
1t requires little imagination to see him as
he trudges along the road, barefoot, his
tanned face all aglow with health and ex-
ercise his straw hat with its torn brim set
jauntily on his head. What cares he for
wealth and honor? All the world is his,
and as he sits in the evening on the rude
door-stone eating his bread and milk, his
happiness might we'll be the envy of
kings.
Since 1910, Whittier home has been at
Amesbury where he spent most of his time
writing, but SO dear had he become to the
people that when the news of his death, at
Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, reached