Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1894-01-04

twelve vida coutAining. should
think. perhaps two hundred uauaty
ieavca Thu bonk 49, crowded from
end - end With ~ discarded vsrses
- uhish ths spsatss had jass allsdsd-
They were writssn IN besusiful old
fAAhicned seyls Of penmsnship, - 1ns
and - clsas - copper plata Not =
letter wuo ntsn1ne. Nos . line ~
trnysd hasoo- Not : word waa sltghasd
nor slusod- There Il waa. poo o.
paes. IN Ia sstistie showing. . siient
rsbuke frU0 . eensrneicn eoas 70 TIE
hssdless. rnshing sssu snd women Of
the prsssnt Who never would tahg the
time 70 copy whole book with such
scrupelous ndeiity. Then IN ides
.it Is beautiful, But who did thar
.Ah. Philadelphia friend; . lady"
al wish.sl sid. '.you would tall me
the last literary work done by Whit
tier"
THE very last thing written by
Whittier must always remain riddle.
for the reason that Il v-oald take the
voice of the deaA 20 sst NJ right. and
our beloved friends lips are scalcd In
eternal silence. lie wrote. few
weeks before he died, three letters ON
the same day: but which one he wrote
first have no way Of knowing. All
can say h that I found them among
his papers after the funeral. when we
laid him away in the Friends little
half-acre beside his family"
"But his last poemY
A look of sadness came into the
hosts fscc. and was reflected I'm thu
quick glances Of his wife. l felt surs
that something Of extraordinary inter-
est was about 10 be revealed. With de-
liberation, worthy Of the theme, thS
eonssrvstor OF the literary relics Of the
venerable bard said:
THE last poem written by Whittier
was penned In August, lso9. about
four weeks before he died IL h 10
Oliver Wendell Holmes. . birthday Of
fering. and begins thus:
Among shs taoassndA WAC. with bah
and oh<tE
Win welcome thy new year.
How fsw Of ali hath pssssd. - you and L
So many mia stoues By"
ssThis poem. the original of which
will now show you. IN almost iliegible,
because whittier's hand trcmbled so
when he penned Il: and. additionally.
from the fact that be composed. erased
and inserted. again and again. line on
line, 20 that it Is very. badly cut mp.
However. . version Of Il has been
studied out. and Is now TO be found In
his latest editions
"But. TO my mind, tho vtry last poet
ical work of Whittier must always re-
main q mystery. Here Is an original
OF verses which believe arc the very
last ones On which he was engaged.
Some Of the lines are found In the
Holmes birthday Testimonial. at least
there Is suggestion OF the same idea
In them I win give you the lines;
perhaps. somewhere. some admircr OF
Whittier may be able 70 study them
out"
took In my hAssd q mere fragment
of . sheet Of note paper. ! studied the
well-pigh illcgible scrawl, and unused
for long time on It's message, coming
as IL did. like . voice from the grave
the sweet. kind voice 1T . msstes
singer whose harping IL dumb In death
"Thcy rect IN ocds pssee taken hon vork.
The vacAnt pisce v allied"
Was my translation correct 80 far a.
Il went7 l looked up from my work.
The nicce Of the poet had gone into an
other room A light Wa kindled
where one bad not been before. and It's
soft illumination shed a star-like lus-
ter upon the grand old oil painting of
John Grcenieaf Whittier. Singing
softly 70 herself. the good woman was
arranging In . vase underneath the
portrait some brigh I golden chrysan
themum& n was picture whose ten
derness and beauty will not soon fade
from memory.
John Greenleaf Whitaker. whose
memory lives In the hearts Of CRATE
fui people. sleeps In the little half-acrs
OF the Friends. beside his Uncle Moses,
hia Amt Mercy. his sisters Mary and