Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-28

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wmrTIzE's HOME IL AMEssURY, MASS.
opens from the porch into Mr.. Whittier's
study Here he keeps mis- small store Of
books, and here Re has written the
greater part Of his latter year poetry.
Sometimes he has sat under the trees
back II the house and thought out his
verses Frequently he has stood az the
glass DOOR looking out, but seeing moth
ing save the pictures that were forming
Ia his imagination
But his bed Is his best work bench
He Is a light sleeper. and II you should
sit by his door and listen you would be
likely IN the still OF the night 10 hear
him rcciting and changing and repeat
ing verses which on the morrow would
Do put ct paper for the generations u
read O-teu, too, when he IS not com
posing new verses he recites his old ones
aloud IN bed
He did not offer any explanation of
thu % me. but ne did say IN response
- a question that none Of his poems is
his favorite, because none Of them is
what il should be, and DR.. Garland in
terposed the significant remark that in
each new edition OF Mr.. Writers
works almost every poem is altered in
some manner, though no preface by the
author ever mentions this.
Another Of the poets homes Is At
Danvers. a spacious, old-fashioned
house. set on a hill. in broad grounds,
l. - -,
closed by low. rough stone wall. This
Is Oak Knoll. about which enough has
been written 70 warrant me now in
passing hurriedly by It. Mr.. Whittier
spends some 81 his time here with an
elderly maiden niece and her elderly
maiden companion
Still another Of his homes Is on High
street, IN Newburyport- This is the
home, too, OF DR.. Garland. fand you
would never know from him whether
he or Mr. Whittier owns II. Nor does
e matter. Both are equally AZ home
there.
Mr.. Whittier and DIR. Garland have
been bosom friends ever since they
were boys. and nothing could be more
beautiful than the tender, more than
brothcrly regard these two old men
show Tor one another. Or. Garland,
being the younger, seems 70 hold the
dear old poet "a his special charge. and
the tnct that he and his good wife en-
pl1y in ascertaining and IN gratifying
Mr. Whittier's every within Is a charm
ing Lesson in sclf-effacement They
stand between the old poet and the
curious and prying world from which
he strives 50 earnestly u hide himself
and Il he we're not guarded by some
good friends. we outsiders would doubt
less poster him beyond endurance. For
we are a perverse lot, we humans.
There are hundreds ~ struggling young
poets standing around under foot. pray
ing that somebody win see them and
talk about them, but we run from them
end leave them f1rlorn. while we pursue
soune dear old man who has done his
work and earned our love and asks only
In the name Of mercy. 20 be left alone
a. emily IA quietude the peaceful twi-
light Of a long and useful .ife.
Thcrcfore, here I an. at Hampton
Falls. 81 IT.. q little place I've or six
miles from Amesburg. away from rail
roads, rut off from The world--a place
- which SIR Whittier and Dr. and Mrs.
Cartlend Ged IN The middle Of July.
thinking that here they would be ors
u reach - Tho rest of us But. don't
you know. some aspiring journalist r.
GENTLY set afoat the startling runor
Thar Mr. Whittier is very fond Of pic,
and don't vou know. those important
rlmors nust be verified or exploded
Y1n may imagine, then. with What
grcat eSpectations I came here. and
wish what pride I now assure. on am
tiioritv. that Mr. Whittier is not very
fsnd ~ pir-not very lie merely some
times dfgs out the in'arsis II it aaA eats
that. and there Is nobody 20 pass strict
ur-s sfvnu fhls extravagance and warn
him. 81 orr cord mothers used - warn
rs. hat che dav may come when be viii
wish be had the ernst he now rejects
ne wAs At Or Cartland's homo that
Mr. Whistler passed hts last birthday
and re,setvcd So mauy Of his old friends.
It vas ehe-e, t,o, shat be- was soon AZ
ts.rv1r-is astarked bv The grip - ma
trnaatlg tisat FIR long time IL Wa
ti,.-s1g4ft be coul1 nos recover. Since
tat time lsst winter sc has aged very
rspsdFv lie h sin verT straight. and
his runnsf T. as keen a. ever. bat bis
stu, - Uncertain. ard his ears are n,
cui.,l =, s,t.sh 7vrryis. his eyes. although
bright snd clear. are troublesome F.
olse vho bikes 81 resi as rnnch ss h.
aees. and ha has q De guarded AT che
ti,la aazsinst fatigue A very little
u1euta3 eVrrtion provckes heseache- 81
pr cart sn1. wh1 = always festhfillT
on ruarA irlplnres All Visitors rot -
fafx uuch tc The poet ard net a. excite
hf-i .e talk much
In his fme Nr Whittier hss Vrftten
many private poens. These are
nearly al humorous If he attended a
pi-nsr c~ bad any xnd q outing wien
-,ureuial sulrits be was rrettv sure 60