Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-30
ABOUT THREE POETS.
julia Ward Howe Talks ON Whittier,
Holmes and Lowell.

From the Buffalo Express.
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe recently gave
talk in the hall of the Women's Union
building, which she called Personal Remi-
niscences 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 of, and the
lecture will not easily be forgotten by
those who heard her. Mrs. Howe first met
Whittier in early life. He came to her
house to dinner. Her husband was detain-
ed and was very late. Meanwhile the
young woman had the youthful poet to
entertain, and it was at first somewhat Of
a task. They sat before the fire and Whit
tier 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 did Mr..
Whittier would have been up the chimney.
After the magic influence Of a dinner Mr..
Whittier unfolded a bit.
The talk turned upon all sorts of themes.
and who believes in a bodily devil?" said
AIRS. Howe. And does thee not?" quietly
responded the young Quaker. Mrs. Howe
describes him as Of very striking appear
ance His eyes glittered like black dia-
monds. and his 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. Whittier was asked if he was
ever afraid, and he related an incident
where a mob had broken up an anti-slavery
meeting, and cried, I'VE have killed the
Englishman, let's finish the Quaker" Then
he confessed that he felt bit shaky.
Lowell was not womans man-that
think he was brought up in the old dis
pensation. under the guidance of his father,
a beloved Unitarian minister. and his
mother, native of the Orkney Islands,"
praise of Lowell's first wife. Marie White.
Mrs. Howe told of her sending a poem to
Lowell when he was the editor of the At
lantic Monthly. He sent 1t back, with note
saying: 1T is impossible for women to
write poetry. Elizabeth Barrett Browning
showed this in spite of her genius, That
was not altogether pleasing to Mrs. 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, or what the phys
iologists would term the neryous-sa npuine
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 statement
she was not prepared to accept Lowell as
a critic was not exactly fair; he was in
clined to do more than justice to those he
liked, ana less tnan justice TO those he did
not like, Mrs. Howe maintained But his
prose was mastery. Without his poems he
was entitled to the highest rank. Mrs
Howe spoke especially of the Vision of Sir
Launfal, and his Commemoration Ode
which. she declared. was his finest poem
OF course. she lauded the Bigelow 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 marchioness
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 conversation, 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 remembers first when
she was girl of sixteen summers. 1t was
at celebration at Harvard, and little"
DIR. Holmes had poem for the occasion.
She told Of him afterward when a group of
authors were talking behind a curtain at
Ticknor & Fields, each wishing to hear
how their productions had sold. Mrs. Howe
had published 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 next. The poem was a very grace
full one, and Mrs. Howe treasures 1t to this