The Portland daily press., 1895-03-11

brought out the fact that this had been
made by party OF pleasure seekerss re-
turning Though Amesbury from one OF
the beaches. They had with them
young girl who was veY ANXIOUS Tor the
poet autograph, and they had talled TO
ask for it-at that hour!
Divided between amusement at the an
surdity OF the thing, not the least part
being the asker's INCONSISTENCIES OF lds
presumption, and desire to Crafty the
young autograph 6end. the poet arose,
dressed, went down stairs, wrote ms
name, and handed it to the girl, and the
party drove eff vociterating their thanks
Yet he coulG say mo" as well as yes"
when asked for his name, and do 1t IN
way to raise a laugh instead OF giving
offense. | remember him one day stand
| ing mt bis own door as young LADY,
friend whom he liked much, was taking
leave. 1t was several years ago, at the
time that shares upon the Eastern rail-
road were at the lowest ebb and she
shareholders, of whom he was one, were
NOS Sangulne as to the outlook. HIS
young friend wanted his autograph at
the bottom of a sheet Of paper that she
might write above it something that she
told him about, or perhaps give 1T to
another person who was to do this, Tor,
it was joke in which another was con-
celned. 1 can see now the bright and
| laughing face of the petitioner, and Mr..
Whittler'S quizZical gaze fixed upon her.
He was not TO be caught in any such
arrangement, frank aud honest as lhe
knew her to be; but still less was he to
refuse morosely, or even solemn1y. He
shook his head lightly, still laughing as
he said good by, and assured her that
his name wasn't good for anything now
that the Eastern Railroad stock had
gone down SO low! a9
No one was more ready to accept the
limitation of fame and lind subject for
humor in these.
Shortly after he had gone to Danvers
to live (alhough he never gave up his
Amesbury home, reserving always his
rooms and the right to occupy them at
any time. right which he came to ex-
ercise more ana more), some young
Amesbury friends of his went there
to carry him birthday gift. He was
immensely amused at an incident that
happened on their way. There was
more than one Dauvers station, and
member of the party inquired of the con-
ductor which Danvers was the home of
Mr.. Whittier?
Whittier" he repeated meditatively,
whittier? What does be do?"
This recalls scene that took place in
Amesbury years before. Answering
summons to the door one dav. he found
| Oh the step II child of 10. She had Lately
come to make her home in the place,
and had been sent to the shoemakePs
with pair of boots to be repaired. The
shoemaker happened to have the same
cognomen. The child reached up the
boots TO the poet and beganiher message.
HASN'T thee made a mistaken asked
| the latter, checking his smiles before her
timid accent. No. the little one was sure
she had made no mistake. How could
she have? She had been sent to MIR. Whit
| tier's-and here he was. Again he as
81 QY1+
sar7ed for the older members of her fam
| lily to make the child blush for her ina
bility to distinguish between the cobbler
| and the poet. We hav. all seen men and
women of letters who demanded indef-
| nitely or condeseended infinitely in deal
| ing with Others not gifted with their
| facility of expression, although aathese
might have had quite as much power of
thought. But Whittier's soul was too
great, his nature too large in it's sym
pathies, and his mind too really grand
to allow this looking superior down
upon his fellow mortals." And if these
things had failed him, that keen sense
of humor for which be was so remarka-
BILE would have kept him from the absur
dity. He was too great to be other than
simple. He enjoyed human beings too
| much ana loved them toe well to hold
themsas other than comrades.
To grow old with dignity and gracious
ness, TO make no effort to hide one's
years, and yet to keep life sweet with
| sympathy in joys and sorrows that are
past TO ones self, to be fresh always
with fresh interest in the youth of the
world and its future, to judge from the
| highest standpoint, and to love out of
the deepest 'heart-this was Whittier.
| TO illume everything with his genius
and to make small things great in it's
| light, to enlarge rather than lessen Or
belittle the powers of others-this was
Whittier. This is the spirit Of immortal
| youth and always in sympathy with
| youth. Not children SO much as young
| people were ever welcome companies to
| him. And yet q cbild's simplicity and
beauty were never unnoticed A little
visitor came to one IF his friends and
vent to see him. The poets sister had
| lent her volume of fairy tales. When
she returned them something was said
about his probably not remem bering
her. "Oh, yes, I do" ne answered, and
| added aside to the older friend, such
eyes are not easily forgotten" And then
he smiled again into the beautiful gray
eyes that were looking at him with their
child's gravity.
| & There is no higher inspiration from
| Whittier for youth or for age than the
| beautiful liberality of his spirit. His life
was lived SO near to God that happiness
and good around him were happiness to
| him, and the high achievements of
others he gloried in as one who shared
in all thenntriumphs of his Fathers world
His days sung themselves in the meas
ures of that poem of his. My Triumph"
Hail to the coming singers!
Hail to the brave light bringersl
Forward reach and share
All that they sing and dare.
The love of God and neighbour.
| An equal-handed labor;
| The richest life, where beauty
Walks hand in hand with duty.
WIT AND WISDOM