Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-17
John Greenleaf Whittier.

centenary of Whittier's birth indi-
Gates the permanent place he holds in
American literature and emphasizes
the love for his poems which exists
among our people. Today at Boston.
Haverhill, Amesbury and elsewhere,
literary and historical societies will
nav tribute to his memory, just as
the memory Of our beloved Long
fellow was honored when the centen-
NAL of his birth occurred a few short
months ago. The poems of Whittier
find their place in every American
home beside those of Longfellow, and
for much the same reason. They
were much unlike and were great
poets in different ways, but they had
in common the genius of poetry and
both knew the human heart.
Whittier was not a scholar or a
polished literary artist as was Long
fellow. He drew no themes from
travel and study in foreign lands. He
was home poet, always close to
nature, and always simple, sweet ana
musical He has so voiced the
thoughts Of the people that one feeis
that such expression of them should
be always at hand. His verses are
read by the cottage fireside. recited in
the schools. proclaimed from the pull
Dit and platform. He has given us
some of the most graphic and beauti-
full descriptions of American nature
in the language, and the most stirring
appeals to patriotism of any of our
poets. He is the first of American
religious poets, and his hymns of
faith are sung in hundreds OF
churches throughout the country and
wherever the English language is
spoken
He has described his home and his
boyish life in Snow Bound. and the
house visited thus by the storm rs
still standing. 1t is open to visitors,
lust as it was when the warm hearth
seemed blazing free" At the seclud-
ed farm he lived, knowing the uo-
lights of the barefoot boy, and know
ing also the bitter winds and frosty
ground of a New England winter. He
worked upon the farm and went to
the district school. His father had a
few religious books, and above all the
Rible and the schoolmaster once read
aloud some poems of Burns IN the
Whittier kitchen and left the book IN
the hands of the listening boy. Tile
homelv manual labor upon which ne
was employed was in part the
foundation of that deep interest which
the poet never ceased to take in the
toll and plain fol tunes of the people
Throughout his poetry runs TINS
golden thread of sympathy with
honorable labor and enforced poverty,
and many poems are directly inspired
nv il His out door life let him into
some of the secrets of nature, and
Burns gave him the hint how to find
poetry in common things. But above
all the Bible was the treasury from
which he drew a store of fine English
and a deep sense of the nearness of
God to man.
While he was at work with his father
he sent poems 10 neighboring news
papers and began to attract attention
by his verses. \ new academy was
to be opened ar Haverhill when he was
nineteen wears old, ard the editor of
Haverhiu paper offered TO give him Il
home while he studied there. He had
no money With which to pay for his
schooling but he learned quickly how
to make a cheap kind of slipper. and
vas so Industrious that in few months
he had earned enough to pay his eXpen-
ses at the academy for six months. So
ginning OF the term he reckoned that
he should have twenty-five cents left
over at the end of the term, and so il
proved He paid his way and had just
a quarter of a dollar left over. 1t was
the rule of his life never to buy any
thing till he had the money in hand To
pay for it. and though he was pinched
fol means and had a hard struggle up
To middle life he never was in debt.
After u year or SO at the academy he
haG the opportunity to be editor of
Boston weekly paper. and afterward
edited for while a paper in Hart
ford. He was much interested in poll
tics and when a young man was talked
of for congress. But at this time, when
he was apparently at the beginning of
IA career as a public man, he threw
away his chance by allying himself
with the anti-slavery agitators, who
for many years were denounced by both
the great political parties and used
their influence chiefly outside of the