Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-04

/ peared in this column n year ago-We
| have a very complete picture OF the
man. but Colonel Higgnson has addst
to that information drawn from various
| sources. One source is the manuscript
lletters of the poets first wife, covering
| the four brief years of their married life
| 1S3l $50. and flled with the details OF
her husbands daily life--a sort of diary
Is il We're.
| Another source is the Harvard Col
Ilege Papers" filed in tbs college libra
ry, wherein we g,at many fine glimpses
| OF Longfellow in the class room and
Iamong his pupils.
| third source is his earlier writings
explaining the poets trend for the col
lection of American material for his
| themes
The world generally Knows Longfel-
low only thru his poetry. Probably few
OF the younger generation have ever
read his prose novels-"Hyperion" and
| Havana h'--to which MIR. Higginson
gives special consideration. These vol
umes contain much of his table talk. :
from which we catch side CLEANS of
Longfellow's character, and from which
our critic culls some of his best prose
epigrams. And socially. what de-
lightful soul he was!-The exact an
tithesis OF Hawthorne, the recluse.
In his critical estimate of Longfellow
Colonel Higginson regards him as one
of the founders of American literature.
|and-in spite of the cavils of the young
er critics-leayes him secure in the POI
sition he has so long occupied in the
hearts of our people as poet whose
fame is both world wide and enduring
In Illustration of his universally, the
story Is told of lot of voyagers of diff
ferent nationalities, including an
English captain. an American, a
Scotchman, Greek. Russian lady and
o Frenchman, who in discussing their
favorite auhtros revealed the fact that
each one could recite from memory Il
poem from Longfellow.
Another proof cited il that the poet
has been translated into sixteen differ
cnt languages, including Chinese and
Sanskrit.
Speaking of biography, there is n
general impression that fiction has
largely displaced ii and there is no
great demand for 1t nowadays. In de-
NAL of this, is the announcement that
soon after their publication. the two
lives above mentioned Went into their
3rd edition. And four days after the
publication OF Bishop Lawrence's life
of Roger Wolcott, fourth edition was
ordered.
And there are other proofs forthcom-
ing. In our last issue, mention was
made of the numerous biographies for
1902. If the past year was prolific in
that line, the coming year promises not
to lag behind. From the start already
made with the year only two months
gone. it now looks as tho we shall be
fairly deluged with pillows of bio
graphical literature. Just peep at the
following list promised at AN early
date some of which has already ar
rived. and then have the temerity to
say the public has no taste for biog-
raphy.
The Authorized Life Of Bret Harte
by Edgar Pemberton, author of THE
kendalls and Ellen Terry
Life of the late Thomas Mast by A.
b. Paine. authorized by the cartoon
list himself.
A critical biography of Stevenson by
Sidney Colyin who was to have done
the official biography completed by
Bafour, but was forced by i'll health
to give it up.
Life and Letters of Martineau by
DIR. James Drummond (pub)