The Portland daily press., 1895-04-04
ABOUT THREE POETS.
Julia Ward Howe Talks of Whittier, Low.
ell and Holmes.
buffalo Express, }

GApIGsS.
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe recently gave a
talk in the hall of the Women's Union
building, which she called Personal
"reminiscences of Whittier, Lowell and
Holmes" She was most picturesque
figure as she stood on the stage. Her
kindly face was crowned with a white
lace cap, which blended with her own
snowy hair. Her face was animated as
she thought of the great men she was
speaking to, and the lecture will not
easily be forgotten by those who heard
her. Mrs. Howe first met Whittier in
and was very late. Meanwhile the
young woman had the youthful poet to
entertain, and it was at first somewhat
of task. They sat before the fire and
Whittier was SO nervous that he edged
nearer it every moment. This was trying
to Mrs. Howe, and she told her husband
afterward that if he had not come when
he d id Mr.. Whittier would have been up
the chimney. After the magic influence
of dinner Mr.. Whittier unfolded bit.
The talk turned upon all sorts OF
themes And who believes in a bodily
deyil?" said Mrs. Howe. And does thee
not" quietly responded the young
quaker. Mrs. Howe describes him as of
very striking appearance. His eyes gilt
tered like black diamonds and bis hair
was brushed back from his great forehead
Whittier told Mrs. Howe that the reason
he had not married was that the world
had taken SO many of the Quaker girls
that there were none left for him.
ad If ha W q fraj6
and he related an incident where mob
bad broken up an antl-slavery meeting
and cried, I'VE have killed the English
man, let's finish the Quaker" Then he
confessed that he felt a bit shaky.
@Lowell was not a woman's man-that
is, not in the sense of the word. | rath-
er think he was brought up in the old
dispensation, under the guidance of his
father, a beloved Unitarian minister. and
his mother, a native of the Orkney Is-
landsn Mrs. Howe said. She had much
to say in praise of Lowell's first wife,
Maria White.
Mrs. Howe told of her sending a poem
to Lowell when he was the editor of the
Atlantic Monthly. He sent it back,
women to write poetry. Elizabeth Bar
rett Browning showed This in spite of her
genius" That was not altogether pleas
ing to Mr.. Howe. Lowell was. fair to
look upon," said Mrs. Howe. He had a
wonderfully fine outline to his face and
the color of his hair and eyes enhanced
THIS" She said he was of an ardent
temperament, what the physioloigsts
would term the nervous-sangulne.
She spoke of his literary likes and dis
likes, how he admired Scott, how he was
fond OF Chaucer, and did not like Cover,
how he continually affirmed that Pope
and Crabbe were not poets, which state
ment she was not prepared to accept.
Lowell as critic was not exactly fair;
be was inclined to do more than justice
10 those he lih ed, and less than justice
to those he did not like, Mrs. Howe main
tained. But his prose was mastery.
Without his poems he was entitled to the
highest rank. Mrs. Howe spoke espec-
tally of the Vision of Sir Launfal, and
his Commemoration Ode which, she de-
clared, was his finest poem. OF course
the lauded the Biglow Papers to the
skies. She told story that Lowell told
her of the ignorance of the higher class
Of the English about their own great
literary men. 1t was at dinner, where
Browning was also present. A IaarchiOn-
ess who sat next to Lowell was talking
with him, and the name of Browning
came up. Although Browning himself
was seated very near and heard the con-
versation, the titled woman disclaimed
all knowledge of ever hearing of the
English poet all of which must have
been very interesting to him.
Holmes Mrs. Howe remem bers first
when she was girl of sixteen summer.
1t was at celebration at Harvard, and
"littlen DIR. II Holmes had a poem for the
occasion. She told of him afterward when
a group of authors were talking behind
curtain at Ticknor & Fields, each wish
ing to hear how their productions had
sold. Mrs. Howe had published a volume
anonymously, and Holmes asked her if
she knew the author. She said she did,
and Holmes gave a poem to give to her
when she saw the mysterious person
uext. The poem was a very graceful
pne, and Mrs. Howe treasures it to this
lay.