The true northerner., 1900-09-07
TRUE STORY OF WHITTIER
Poets Letter and Souvenir Sent to %
Child.


Klyda Richardson Steege tells in st.
Nicholas a true story of the poet Whit
tier. The nursery was bright and
cheerful. she begins. and the TWO chill
dren were happy as they listened 20
a kind voice reading 10 them. Every
day the same old favorites were told
or read TO the little listeners, VINO we're
never tired. but always asked for
more. The stories were all about fair
les and elves. or boys and girls who
had distinguished themselves, or brave
soldiers and noble heroes. And the
poems were everything in the world
from Mother Goose TO Shakespeare.
But the greatest favorite Of all the
verses were those which told about
Barbara Frietchie. You surely know
them. and how when she, though old
and gray and feeble. refused to take
down her flag, and said as the soldiers
marched through Frederickstown:
Shoot, if you must. this old gray
head.
But spare your country's flag" she
said
And then how General Stonewall
Jackson treated her, and how her flag
waved the whole day long over the
heads of the passing soldiers, not one
of whom uttered a word against it. or
its brave defender.
In the old nursery, the children loved
this poem, and through il the author.
one of the greatest and best of men.
as we'll as poet Of whom our coun-
try is Justly proud. They talked very
often of Mr.. Whittier, and at last. one
of them evolved with great labor, from
her childish brain, little verse. 1t
was of little value, no doubt but she
was a small child. The answer to the
enigma was the Quaker poets name,
and so writing timid little letter. the
child inclosed this first literary at
tempt and mailed it TO Mr.. Whittier.
Then followed several days of sus-
pense and anxious waiting Would
Mr.. Whittier think it very strange
that she had written and would he call
her very foolish?" 1t was strange
how much she cared, but she was the
kind of child who always did care
about her own schemes rather too
much for her own happiness.
At last. one morning, the postman
brought letter for this little girl.
Written in violet ink on thin paper,
this is what it said
Amesbury, 4th mo- 20th. 1877.
My Dear Young Friend
thank thee for thy little letter e.
the ingenious Word Enigma, which is
certainly very nicely done.
am very glad thee and thy broth
er like Barbara Frietchie. | send thee
a piece of one of her dresses, given me
by Miss Dorothea Dix, The lady who
has done so much good in visiting hos
pitals and prisons.
With every good wish for thee l am
thy friend.
John G.. WHITTIER.
The good poet never knew how great
was the pleasure he gave to one little
heart that day; she has the letter
still, and the piece of silk from Bar
bara Frietchies dress is pinned TO the
shee Of note paper VITA I'll. same r.n
John Greenleaf Whittier's kind hand
placed there.
In the letter you notice the mention
OF Miss Dorothea Dix. Perhaps,
some day. if you have not yet done
So you w.ll read about her and learn
of her wonderful life and what she ac-
complished for poor prisoners and in
sane people, not in America only, but
in many other countries Mr.. Whit
tier, who himself was always trying
to relieve the oppressed and to help
people in trouble, was her dear friend,
and once, toward the end of her busy
life, when she had sent him some
words of appreciation, he wrote TO
her, Compared with such a life as
thine, my own seems poor and made
guate." He was modest, you see, as
well as great.
The little child who wrote the let
ter TO the poet once saw and spoke TO
this honored friend of his. She re-
membered the gentle hand on her
brown curls and the soft voice. Now
as then, there are always associated
in her mind, Barbara Frietchie, who
would not give up her flag, John
Greenleaf Whittier who wrote the
poem, and in the midst of his manv
more important affairs took time TO
please a child, and Miss Dix, the no.
BILE woman who sacrificed comfort, and
home, and health. to relieve, as far as
she wa, able, the suffering os The
world.