The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-05-30
A VISIT TO WHITTIER.
Some Effective Side-Lights Thrown on
Character of the Poet.

Some Effective Side-Lights Thrown on the
Character of the Poet.
The memory of visit to Amesbury,
made once in September, wildly re-
mains with me. 1t was early in the
month, when the lingering heat of
summer seems sometimes to gather
fresh intensity from the fact that we
are so soon to hear the winds of au-
tumn.
Amesbury had greatly altered Of late
years; large enough to be city," our
friend declared; but I am not fat
enough to be an alderman To us it
was still a small village, though some
what dustier and less attractive than
when we first knew it.
AS we approached the house we saw
him from a distance Enthusiastically
gazing down the road for us, from his
front yard, and then at the first glimpse
suddenly disappearing, to come forth
again to meet us, quite fresh and quiet,
from his front door, 1t had been a
very hot, dry summer, and everything
about that place, as about every other,
was parched and covered with dust
There had been no rain for weeks and
the village street was then quite inno-
cent of watering carts. The fruit hung
heavily from the nearly leafess trees,
and the soft thud of the pears and APP
pies as they fell to the ground could be
heard on every side in the quiet house
yards. The sun struggled feebly
through the mists during the noontide
hours, when still heat pervaded rath-
err than struck the earth; and then in
the early afternoon and late into the
next morning stirless cloud seemed to
cover the face of the world. These
mists were much increased by the burn
ing Of peat and brush, and, alasl of the
very woods themselves, in every direc-
ton Altogether. as Whittier said,
quantity, sit was very encouraging
weather for the Millerites."
His niece, who bears the name
of his beloved sister, was then
the mistress of his home, and
we were soon made heartily well
come inside the house, where every
thing was plain and neat, as became
Friends household; but as the village
had grown to be a stirring place, and
the house stood close upon the dusty
road, such charming neatness must
sometimes have been difficult achieve
ment. The MONDAY meal was soon
served and soon ended, and then we sat
down behind the half-closed blinds,
looking out upon the garden, the faded
vines and almost leafiess trees. 1t was
a coy room, with its Franklin stove,
at this season surmounted by bou-
quet, and table between the windows,
where was a larger bouquet, which
Whittier himself had gathered that
morning in anticipation of our arrival
He had seemed brighter and better than
we had dared to hope, and was in ex-
cellent mood for talking. Referring
again to the Millerites, who had been
so terminated by the mists, he said he
had been deeply impressed lately with
their deplorable doctrines. "Continu-
ally disappointed because we don't all
burn upon sudden, they forget to be
thankful for their preservation from
the dire fate they predict with SO much
He had just received proof of his
poem, Miriam, " with the introduction,
and he could not be content until they
had been read aloud to him After the
reading they were duly commented up
on and revised until he thought he
could do no more. yet twice before our
departure the proofs were taken out Of
the handbag, where they were safely
slowed away, and again more or less
altered.
Whittiers ever growing fame was not
taken by him as matter of course. II
can not think very well of my own
things" he used to say; and what is
mere fame worth when thee is at home
alone, and sick with headaches, unable
either to read or to write?" Neverthe-
less he derived very great pleasure and
consolation from the letters and trib-
utes which poured in upon him from
hearts he had touched or lives he had
quickened. 'gThat l like" he would
say; ''that is worth having" But he
must often have known the deeps of
trouble in winter evenings when he
was too i'll to touch book or pen, and
when he could do nothing during the
long hours but sit and think over the
fire.
We slept in Elizabeth's chamber.
The portrait of their mother. framed in
autumn leaves gathered in the last aut-
umn of her life, hung upon the wall
Here, too, as in our bed room at Dick
ems, the diary of Pepys lay on the
table. Dickens had read his copy faith
fully and written notes therein. OF
this copy the leaves had not been cut,
but with it lay the Prayers of the
Age, = and volumes of poems which had
all been well read and ''Pickwick" up
On the top Annie Field, in Harper's