The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-24
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of this permission, taking his young
wife With him. After they had journeyed
hither and thither for six months. meet.
Ing the Carlylcs and other celebrities.
Mrs. Longfeow died at Rotterdam.
Longfellow felt his grief deeply. but
bore It brayely. Going to Heidelberg he
plunged into the study OF German liter.
ature. And so he came to be the one
who opened for Americans the rich treas-
ure-house OF German song and thought
When he returned to take up his work
at Harvard he found residence In the
Craigie House, ut Cambridge. which has
ever since been one OF Americans literary
shrlnes The mansion had been Wash
ingtons Headquarters during the Siege
! Of Boston,; the room that became Long
fellows study used TO be Washingtons
| Office, and Washlngton'ss bedroom i was
the apartment hrst occupied by the poet.
George William Curtis has told most
amuslngly. how Mrs. Cralgic conducted
the young professor through the old
mansion, showing him room after room,
with the Barmecde words you can't
have that" IN til at last sho camc to
the Washington room, overlooking the
river when she omitted the negative
and made the homeseeker happy.
A New England Weimnr.
This house was the poets home all the
rest OF his HE. aud became the center
Of Cambridge's literary society. Cam
bridge was then the literary capital OF
Amer!ca-e1cept Weimar. In the days
Of Goethe, and Athens, In the age Of
Perlcles, probably no city ever harbored
so many illustrious literary men at one
time. AS Bret Harte said to Howells,
who moved there In 1885: "Why, you,
couldn't IRE Il revolver from your front
porch anywhere without bringing down.
a two-voumer!'' Among those who lived
in Cambridge were Lowell, Agassiz,
Fiske. Child, Dana, Norton, the Jameses
! Gather and SOM, along with many otners
not forgotten. Holmes often ran over
| from Boston. Emerson sometimes came
from Concord, and Whittier from Ames.
bury.
In Washington's old council-room met
the Dante Club. under whoae inspiration
and With whose aid Longfeiow produced
his version OF Divine Comedy YER.
Sion not so highly acclaimed by critics,
but rising In the unbiased reader's estl.
nation ms he compares It with Charles
Eliot ,Norton's prose version. Norton
along with Lowell was the most promi-
nent figure In the Dante Club, ana Is
probably the only survivor except How.
ellis. he will read paper on Longfel-
low at the Cambridge celebrat ton this
week.
For is years Lougfellow was pro-
lessor at Harvard, 10 years OF duty faith.
fully performed and literary luurels hon.
estly earned. During these years he had
written hyperion" '"rhe Spanish Stu.
dent, "Evangellne," "Knyanngh." 'The
Golden Legend" and "Hlawatha." He
had risen to DO the first OF American
poets. both In popular esteem ana In
foreign appreciation.
A Second Domestic Tragedy.
But the year 1861 brought another great
sorrow to the poet. He had married
second tlme-Fanny Elizabeth Appleton,
whom friend of Kossuth's described us
a Indy of Junonian beauty and the
kindest heart" praise confirmed by tho
memory OF all who saw and knew her.
Their marriage In 1S43 was followed by
nearly 20 years of serene happiness, mir.
rored In such poems us "1'he Children a
Hour"
! hear In the chamber above mo
The patcr Of little feet.
The sound OF a door that Is opened
And yolces soft and pwcet.
From my study see in the lpmpligh.
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alce and laughing allegro
Aud Edith with golden hair.
From THIS poem. with Its picturesque
adjectlves. everybody knows the Longfel
low children. We cnn SEQ their mother
too. by tho light OF the poets phrase
about her deep. unutterabe eyes," and
BY the lines In his pathetic sonnet. "The
Cross of Snow"