The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1907-12-18
POET WHITTIER'S
CENTENARY TODAY.
His Early Friendship for Will
liam Lloyd Garrison.
HOW FIRST POEM WAS PUBLISHED.
Quaker Poets Taylor and Whittier We're
Fast Friends-His Romance-Some
of His Most Popular Poems and
Those that Made Him Famous

on December IT, 1907, poet was
born on a farm near Haverhill, Mass,
who was named John Greenleat Whit
tier. He is probably best known by
his poem Of "Maud Muller" with
barbara Fritchie" near second and
"I'he Barefooted Boy" not far in the
rear. "Snow Bound" written in men,
CRY of his mother and sister, then re-
Gently deceased, was published in 1866
and brought him into prominence as
one of the great poetic writers of
America. "Mogg Megone,' poem
OF some length, is the tragic story of
Ruth Bonython.
Whittier loved nature and studied
her various moods of tears and smiles
summer suns and winter blasts, while
following the pillow or doing chores on
his fathers farm. He was not col
lege graduate, his attendance at school
being limited to the winter months,
two years at an academy and one
years experience as teacher in pub
lie school with no splendid or expen-
sive library to Which he could have ac-
cess. His poems were not carved or
chisled with plumb and rule or chilled
with strict adherence to prescribed
form, but were the free outflow of po-
etc genius. In romance he is pro-
badly best known by his "Margaret
Smiths Journal" in prose by his edi-
torials and antislave addresses.
William Lloyd Garrison, who was
scarcely two years Whittier's senior, as
he was born December 10, 1905, says
of him: Going upstairs to my Office in
the Free Press | observed a letter "
ing near the door opened it and
found a piece of original poetry writ.
ten in q very small hand with pale ink.
Having horror of original newspaper
poetry | was about to cast it aside
without reading, as the chance of re-
lection was 90 to |, when a rhyme
caught my eye and summoning up my
resolution perused it, and was SO
gratihed with it that gave it place
in my journal. was anxious to find
out the writer and one day learned
that it was Quaker lad named Whit
tier, who was daily at work with ham,
mer and lap.stone on the shoemaker's
bench at Haverhill. lost no time
in driving to see the youthful bard, who
came into the room with shrinking
diliidence, blushing like maiden and
almost unable to speak. This was the
beginning of lifelong friendship
founded on>a similarity of purpose and
principles"
In Whttier's introduction to Chimes
Of William Lloyd Garrison" he, says:
| love to think of him as he seemed to
me, when in the fresh dawn of man.
hood he visited me in the old Haver-
hill farmhouse, resolving even then
schemes of benevolence, or with CHEEKY
smile welcoming me to his frugal meal
of bread and milk in the dingy Boston
printing room.'
Whittier was among the worlds
great philanthropists, taking up the
wrongs Of the Indians and working for
the cause of the slave when it meant
persecution and ignominy. While in
Philadelphia he was close friend of
Bayard Taylor and with him shares the
title of Quaker poet.
1t was while a school boy that the
sweet words were whispered him by a
playmate:
"l'm sorry that spelt the word;
hate to go above you,
Because, the brown eyes lower fell,
because, you see, | love you"
1t was probably these words of his
playmate that prevented any other ro-
nance in his life. He says:
Dear girl; the grasses on her grave
Have forty years been growing.
He lives to learn in life's hard school,
How few who pass before him
Lament their triumphs and his loss
Like her--because they love him.
Probably the most pathetic OF his
writings is found in his Farewell" a
slave mothers lament over her daught.
ers sold into the southern slave market:
Gone, gone-sold and gone,
10 the rice swamp dark and lone
>foiling throughout the weary day,
And at night the spoilers prey.
Oh! that they had earlier died,
Sleeping calmly, side by side,
Where the tyrant's power is DER
AL A., f,t,,~