Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-10-06


The following is clipped from long arti-
ole on John Greenleaf Whittier, published
in the Evening Post:
THE house in which he lived was at
first, perhaps, the most modest ever oc-
cupied by New England poet. 1t was
Originally one story cottage on street
appropriately named Friend street, but
the house gradually underwent various
changes, the most important OF which
was a room added to the poets study aud
called the garden ROOM" This room
was for MANY years the general meeting
place Of the family. Z It looked into the
garden, but not much further. The book
shelves were plain and open and were
tolefably well filled, largely with gifts
from friends or publishers. There were
but few pictures, and there was that
browning ATTRACTIONS great open Frank
lin stove with wood fire, always watch
fully attended by the poet himself. No
one who ever visited Mr.. Whittier at this
house can forget the poets hearty greet
ing, his grasp OF the hand, his hurried
"come in" and the swift, decisive mo-
tons, never graceful, never quite awk-
ward, of his erect and slender figure.
The hospitality was amplifed by the
kindly and gracious presence of three Of
the most typical Quaker women. There
was the mother-placid, equable,- elevat-
ing almost into religious rites the white
ness Of her bread and the purity of her ia
.hle-linen; q nature simple, noble, direct,
limited rather than narrowed by her sect,
and touched with trait of freedom in
later years by a strong interest-i in the
new wonder Disqualification. Then there
was! the gentle Aunt Mercy Of Snow
bound
The sweetest woman ever Fate q
Denied to be household mate. -
Above all there was the gifted sister
Lizzie. the pet and pride Of the household
one Of the rarest Of women, her brother's
complement; possessing all thereadiness
ofspeech and facility Of intercourse which
he wanted; taking easily, in his presence,
the lead in conversation which the poet
80 gladly abandoned to her, while he sat
rubbing his hands and laughing at her
daring sallles. She was as unlike him in
person as in mind: for his dignifed erect
ness, even amounting to stiffness, she
had endless motion and vivacity; for his
regular and handsome features she had a
long Jewish nose, so full Of expression
that it seemed to enhance instead Of in
sjuring the effect Of the large and liquid
eyes that glowed with merriment and
sympathy behind it. There was some.
thing bird-like in Elizabeth sWhittier's
looks and in the movements Of her head +;
her quick thoughts came like javelins; a
saucy triumph cleaned in the great eyes ;
the head moved a little from side to side,
az with the culver Of weapon; and, 10!
y you were transfxed. Her poems, tragic,
sombre, Imaginative, give no impression
OF this side Of her nature; but it was as
iflong generations Of parents who had
he'd the Quaker role had broken into
! reactionary sunahine and rollicking gay
ETY. in her. Her wit had plas upon De
grave Friend themselves, as they gathered
atthe time of Quarterly Meetings un-
der the roof which ]stteriy held all the
Quakerism that was<left in Amesbury
she Wound them round her finger ii
spite Of themselves, and did not hesitate
to discipline the most venerable Friend
on the high seats until she had compelled
him to rise and close the meeting by
shaking hands in good season, lest the
dinner should be overdone. She was a
woman never to be forgotten; and no
one can truly estimate the long celibate
life Of the poet without bearing in mind
that he had for many years at his own
Preside the concentrated wit and SYM
pathy Of all womanhood in this one
sister,
Current Literature publishes some in
teresting details OF the early work Of the
talented Scotch writer who became fam
GUS through "a Window in Thrums."
James Matthew Barrie is attracting
more and more attention from literary
folk. His natural reserve has piqued
curiosity to know, more about him. Few,
however, have seen him: fewer still
know him personally. In this respect he
is unlike Kipling, who has been every
where, is dined and wined wherever he