The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-29
TALKS ON LOWELL
5. S. Ashbsugh Pays Glowing
Tribute to Author
WHO WAS AlL-AMERICAN
Wrote Poems Which Added
Much Lustre to Literature.
WHO WAS ALL-AMERICAN

In the Plymouth Congregational church
last evening occurred the first in a series
of lectures in classic literature that have
been arranged by Mrs. Carter for the
purpose of creating an interest in classic
literature, and also TO supply funds for
the purpose OF erecting fountains on the
main streets, where horses may drink
at any time it may be a benefit for them
to do so. The audience was large and
were amply paid for their time and atten-
ton. Judge S. S. Ashbaugh was secured
for the first lecture and chose for his SUBJ
ject James Russell Lowell" He was lis
tened to with perfect attention and an
appreciation that paid a wonderful trib-
ute to his splendid presentation Of a mas
terful theme. He spoke with an ease
that impressed his audience when they
could for a moment forget the picture
that he was presenting to them. The
quotations that he gave were fifty used
and added a charm to his theme and q
variety that was rightly calculated to
interest the audience and shift the
scenes.
The following extracts viii give those
who were so unfortunate as to miss hear
ing him some slight idea Of the beautiful
tribute which he paid to the most original
of American authors.
"Of the illustrious group Of New Eng
land writer's, whose coming made a new
era in higher literature, James Russell
Lowell was the youngest. After more
than three score years and ten his life
ended at Elmwood, IN the same house
where it began"
In the year 1920. Rev. Sidney Smith,
the witty divine and wit of England,
wrote for an English review: In the four
quarters of the globe who reads an
American book? or who goes to an Amer
lean play? or who looks at an American
picture or statue?' The sketch book had
recently been published but may have
been considered an English work; It was
written and published in England; the
subjects treated were almost entirely
English and with English surroundings;
and the clerical critic had not noticed the
shining Of "Thanatopsis. which was the
morning star of the breaking day. But
the old worlds question was to be ans
wered with a lasting and emphatic ans
wer; for Emerson was born in 1903; Haw-
thorne in 1904. Longfellow and Whittier
in 1907; Holmes In 1909 and Lowell In 1919;
not mentioning the birth time Of others
who have won permanent distinction.
These men all died in the space OF
twelve years, from 1882 to 1894"
''Rome's choicest age was inferior TO
that Of Greece. Cicero and Caesar came
nearly together. and as old men they may
have seen Virgel and Horace and Sallust
as young men and Ivy as a child.
In England Chaucer was the shining
light, who died in 400, and Lowell says:
'Chaucer had been in his grave $50 years
ere Nature had secreted choice material
enough for the making or another great
poet. "
There is a general feeling that after
the death Of Holmes the last of our great
American authors there was perceptible
falling off Of literary merit. However.
periods of rest follow greater periods Of
activity and the strings of the harp can
not always be kept up to the highest
Pitch
"Lowells great-grand-father was Sir
Percival Lowell, of Bristol, England
who settled in Newbury, Mass, in 1899
and was for many years a minister in
Newburyport. His grandfather was
John Lowell. who introduced into the bill
of rights the words. all men are created
free and equal. His father was the Rev.
Charles Lowell who was a Congrega-
tional minister in Boston for fifty years"
'Lowelrs early life was spent at Elm
wood and his early education was &C
quired in the classical school Of William
Wells, from which he entered Harvard
college, where he graduated in 1855"
In 1854 Lowell married Miss Maria
White a woman OF exquisite beauty and
rare poetic attainments. In 1851 they
visited Europe, and in 1855 he was elected
professor OF French and Spanish lang
uages and literature and professor OF
Belle Letters ct Harvard, to succeed
Longfellow. After two years spent in
Europe preparing for his work he enter
ed upon It in 1857 IN which year the At
lantic Monthly was bugun by Lowell as
its editor. His connection with the At
lantic Monthly lasted for four years.
when he became editor OF the North
American Review and this lasted ten
years. In 1877 he was appointed minister
TO Spain and three years later was trans
ferred 10 England.
"Lowen's life divides itself into diff
running Iengthwise and not chronoloCi-
cally. He was an editor. teacher;
man Of public affairs; a poet; and critic.
LAS editor OF the Atlantic Monthly
Lowell fixed the place that magazine has
never occupied. and in conjunction with
Charles Elliot Norton. kept the North
American Review up to its high standard.
1t was Lowell who first gave adequate
OF Lincoln's greatness and
Lowell then points out the place he now
so securely occupies.
AS an editor and conductor OF maya
zines which rely upon the quality OF The
literary contents cor their pre-eminence. /
and not upon their illustrations, Lowell
takes high rank
As man OF public affairs Lowell
is almost an exception among literary
men. How few CT this class ever exerted
any real influence in national or gov
ernmental matters. Il IS true that Frank
lin was minister 20 France; Irving 20
Spain. Bancroft TO Germany. and Motley
70 Vienna; but with the exception OF
Franklin none served at a critical tine.
and his task was 4 difficult one. and he
felt relieved when he was transferred
70 the court OF St. James But his sue
cess in Spain foreshadowed his greater
success in England.