The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-07-22

N July Richard Henry Stod-
oard. the dean OF American
poets. celebrated his seven-
~ tysixth birthday. The event
was "A notable one. for Mr.
Stoddard Is the last living member OF a
little group OF singers. including Long
fellow Whittier. Bryant, Lowell. EN-
ogson, Poe, Holmes. Willis. Halleck and
few others. who wrote Americas first
poetry and whose places still remain
Vacant because no new singers of
strength and sweetness have risen to
- take. them.
The white haired veteran--who was
the intimate friend OF Hawthorne.
longfellow. Bayard Taylor, Whittier.
Holmes, Whipple. James T. Fields, N.
y Willis, Halleck and Alice and Phoebe
Cary and the acquaintance of Poe. En-
erson and practically every literary
man or woman of note who has either
resided in or visited this country dur
ing the past so years-is still as vigorous
mentally as ever despite his threescore
ana sixteen years and does a credita-
BILE days work each day as literary cd
itor OF the New York Mail and Express
His opinions concerning the merits OF
the new books OF the day have great
weight, and an occasional poem i'm one
OF the great magazines demonstrates
that the veterans verse. like old wine.
improves with age.
The quaint little home OF Mr.. Stod-
dard near Stuyyesant park. New York.
is veritable treasure house OF rare old
books (not 10 mention all the new ones),
interesting pictures. curlos from all
over the world, bound manuscripts OF
famous authors, autographs. old prints,
old china and colonial furniture. Eu-
gene Field described IL well in his poem
''The Stoddards." the opening lines of
which are:
When am in New York, like to drop around at
night
To visit with my honest genial friends. the stod.
dsrds height.
Their homo in Fifteenth street is all so snug and |
furnished 80
That when once get planted there don't know |
cozy cheerful refuge for the weary homesek
guest,
Combining Yankee comforts with the freedom o,
the west
There seems TO be a bookcase in every
corner and along every wall
boots-'awsys books--are piled around some
musty and all old.
TALL solemn folios. such as Lamb declared he
loved 20 hold.
Large paper copies vita their virgin margin,
white aud wide
And presentation volumes with the authors comr,
inside.
break the tenth commandment with a wild iro.
passioned cry,
"oh, how came s,oddard b. thesa things. Why
stoddard and not If''
60 again quote Field and there among
his literary treasures old and new the
poet. critic ana bibliophils does his
work. dispensing, With the aid OF his
wife, Elizabeth Stoddard the novelist
warm hospitality 20 such literary and
other friends as ma! call
The poets birthplace was Hinebar
Mass where the Stoddarc family set
tied as early as 1885 The dat, OF n
birth was July 2. 1926 His anoesto.s
were seataring folk. and when the I'm
lure poet was but OF years old his
rather, the young captain OF the brig
Royal Arch, was lost at sea. The wild
ow, being left In rather straitened cir
cumstances, married again. and in 1895
when her boy was but 10 years of are
became resident of New York city
The story OF my early life is n tale ~
mean streets, "a the poet said recentIv
for we were very poor and our ouar.
ters In New York were humble. AS a
small boy i spent a little OF my time In |
school and much OF IL az work. so,d
matches, was an office boy and earned
little money in a lawyers Office
What may be termed my want of edu. ,