The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-11-02
A FAvoR1TE WITH BOYS.
J. T. Trowbridge, the Author, and
His Life at Arlington.


to have silver threads in our hair and
who lave "strapping" boys of our own
used to read with unfiagging interest
those delightful stories by J. 7. Trow
bridge that many of the boys of today
are fond of reading. We used to Iuur
over "Cudjos Cave" "Neighbor Jack
wood" and all the other charming ste
ries written by Trowbridge that the
boys of today read with eager inter
est And how many of US when we
were boys used to recite The Vaga-
bonds" on the afternoons when Our
teachers had us speak pieces at
school. ! daresay that many Of the
boys Of today are fond of reciting the
famous old poem beginning with:
I'VE are two travellers, Roger end l.
Rogers my dog. Come here, you
scamp
Jump for the gentleman, mind your
Over the table-look out for the
lamp,
The rogue is growing a uttle cid:
Five years we've tramped through
wind and weather.
And slept outdoors when nights We're
cold,
And ate and drank-and stlrved-to-
gether."
I shall not soon forget one beautiful
afternoon not so very long ag1 when
1 sat in Mr. Trowbridge's home in Ar
lington and he told me when and where
he wrote The Vagabonds," and talked
in the most interesting way of his work
as a writer Arlington is a suburb of
Boston and every mile of the way be-
tween the city and the home Of Tow
bridge is historic ground. One leaves
Boston by the new subway uadcr the
famous old Boston Common. Emcrg-
ing from the subway at one IF the a.
frances to the beautiful Public Garden
one goes on out past the splendid
Trinity church which resounded for so
many years to the eloquence of Philip
Brooks. Near it is the Art museum Of
which Boston is so justly proud and
that all boys ought to visit when they
go to Boston. One goes right by me
great Boston public library, which Is
among the largest and finest Libraries
in the world. In a few minutes the car
runs across the Charles river, and If
one cares to do so, one can, when re-
turning. cross the river by the bridge
on which Longfellow stood when the
words of
Il stood on the bridge at midnight
were suggested to him. On one goes
past the beautiful grounds of Ii&rval
college to Harvard square, where one
changes cars for Arlington. 1t taksss
but a few minutes to go from Harvard
square to the old home of Longfellow,
and few minutes more brings one to
"ElmWood" for 50 many years the
home of James Russell Lowell. TEen
one can go back to Harvard SqUaIe
and resume ones journey to Airing
ton. going by the famous old WasE-
ington elm and on past many houses
having a history of more than ordinary
interest One must leave the car at
Pleasant street, which has been WCll
named since it is a wide and beautiful
winding street shaded in some places
by fine old elms, such as one does not
often see out of New England. A walk
of half mile brings one to Il large
and handsome house standing We'll
back in a wide dooryard filled with
shrubbeTy. Back of the house is a
beautiful lake and the surroundings
are as rural as those of q country
town.
The maid who comes to the door ush-
ers one into a large and sunny parlQr
from the rear window of which one
could almost toss a stone into The lake.
In one corner Of the parlor is wide
case reaching from floor to ceiling and
completely filled with beautiful birds
Mr.. Trowbridge tells you with tear
dimfned eyes that all of these birds
were mounted by his son, Eho was a s
fond of natural history as was Agas- |
siz. and who died not very long after !
reaching manhood's years. Mr.. Trow |
bridge is a patriarchial-looking old |
gentleman of "A, with hair and beard |
of snowy white and most cCuTtly man
ners. None but a real lover of boys
could write such books for boys as
Trowbridge has written. One must re-
tain ones youthful feeling, cna's real
delight in life. ones sympathy with
l., #T.,.Ts-z
as THE Pocket Rife, THE Tinkham
Brothers Tide Mill and other stories
for boys, written by TrOwbridge when
the real days of his bOyhood We're far
behind him. l am sure that John
Townsend Trowbridge has a large
place in his heart for all boyhood, and
it is great pleasure to him to have
had such a large audience OF boys |
among his readers. His books demon |
strate the fact that one can steer clear |
Of all sensationalism and all blood |
and thunder" and yet write stories |
that boys will read with eager in
terest.
Mr.. Trowbridge was born in the town |
of Ogden. n. Y, on the 18th of Septem- |
Der, in the year 1927. so that he now |
feels that he is living on borrowed !
time" He was the son of a poor far
mer and received his education in an |
ordinary country school and by self |
instruction. When he was but 10 years
old he went to New York City to live,
and a year later he went to Boston,
where he supported himself in part by |
his pen. So successful was he that he |
was soon able TO devote all his time |
TO writing. He had the qualities that (
win, for he was very Industrious and |
he wrote with care. Having deter
mined to become a writer, he went |
about it with a this one thing I do
spirit and he did not give any of his
time or his thought to anything else.
He studied hard. He took the best |
writers for his models, and he did
faithful and conscientious work that
made him one Of the most popular and