The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-12-24

teaches her the secret OF heI drb as "oiA
as of her heart. There is something zoo
much in this story, also, OF veils torn
down and sacred subjects dIssected ZOE
the general, and there are some oo]ec-
tionable features. At least we used to
deem them SO. At the present day there
seems to be only the question is 1t
true?" never the former query, is 1t
seemly?" or is this the way and time
and place to deal with such subJect?"
New York: D. Appleton & Company;
Portland: Loring, Short & Harmon
Price $1.00.)
There have been few happier conjunc-
lions in biographical literature than that
afforded in the loving task undertaken
by Mr.. Samuel 7. Packard, "The Life
and Letters of John Greenleaf Whittier"
(Boston: Houghton, Miffiin & Co.,
Portland: Loring, Short & Harmon.)
Indeed we recall none SO happy, unless 1t
be the life of Macaulay, written by his
nephew. The present work is the out
come of an intimacy as close as that ex-
lStlliE UCtWGcu buc lotlNlSA AloGoAiNh ohN
Trevelyan, and of a sympathy between
hero and biographer even more pro-
found. In another aspect the present
work lesm bles Froude's Car.yel, in that
Mr.. Packard was chosen by the poet as
biographer decade before his death.
and put in the way of accommodating the
necessary data-but the work has been
done with infinitely more tact,
with finer sense of proportion,
and, it seems to us, with far more JUS
tice. Since Whittier's decease much
other material, in the way of cores
secured. The result is two comely crown
octave volumes of so pages-a biography
that is a model of it's kind, and leaves
absolutely nothing to be desired.
Mr.. Packard possessed Wbittier's entire
confidence, the growth of an intimacy OF
many years strengthened by close family
ties: and he is undoubtedly better &C
quainted with the facts of the poets
life, with his intellectual development,
his manner and tone of thought, the
character of his mind and methods of
work, than any other person who could
be selected for the task. The wisdom of
Whittier's choice is justified by the re-
suit. The volumes are written with
clarity of thought and precision of ex-
preston that enables as to see Whittier
in his habit as he lived; and with a
studied moderation of tone almost (and
most fttingly) Quaker like in its sobri-
ETY. and restraint-though the narrative
is always as easy as luminous, always
sustained at dignified pitch, and some
times eloquent in diction. The nara
tive, too, is frequently relieved by flashes
of "pawkie" humor, which we must
sometimes attribute to the biographer
and sometimes to the poet;- though
the biographer has, in the main. kept
the promise of lis preface and :" in ac-
cordance with Mr.. Whittier's wish, al
lowed him, as far as practicable, to
speak for himself"
Whittier was so familiar a figure to
New England people. and the work of
his maturer years SO carefully scanned
and SO voluminously commented upon.
that it seems at first as though there was
little new to be said. The life of man
of letters is usually so quiet, SO devoid
of dramatic events, that the only dates
of interest are those of composition and
publication, the only incidents that ex-
cite curiosity the circumstances that at
tended and the themes that inspired
them. But Whittier was more than a
man of letters. He was man of ac-
ton in the most stirring period of our
national existence. He was conspicuous
as publicisu in the stormy days that
preceded the abolition OF slavery. He
was Wing politician and the editor of
partisan newspaper IN his early ma IN
hood, long before he became widely
known as poet; taking prominent and
Jealous part in caucus and convention,
and narrowly escaping an election to
Congress- The account of this part of
mis- career will be revelation to many
of this generation; and men familiar with
his walk and conversation in the pleni-
tude of his fame will learn much that is
new from Mr. Pickard concerning those
earlier years. Thoroughly identified
with the anti-slavery wing of the Wing
party, "the conscience Whigs," it was
some time before he could make up his
mind to break with the old organization.
When he did he threw himself into the
fight for Free Soil with unreserve, and
became. one of the most efficient and
widely known of the anti-slavery leaders.
Those familiar with New England house
holds forty years go will recall the en-
craving of "The Champions of Freedom
which hung on SO many walls, in which
Whittier's fine face and. brilliantly dark
eyes appear grouped with Garrison and
Phillips and Gerritt Smith, with Sumner
and Wilson and Burlingame.
In this great movement the experience
OF previous years stood him in good
stead. "In this felld." says Mr.. Packard,
"the skill he had acquired in politics
was not thrown away. With his genius
for state craft, nothing else could have