The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-28
AUTHORS BIRTHDAY
THOMAS WENTWORTH HUTCHINSON
 IS sS YEARS OLD.
At Recent CeIebration There Were Many Letters and Teiegraans
 of . -EongrstUlat0ry Character.

Boston, Mass, Dec. 27--Thomas | Wentworth Higginson. the noted writer
 and historian, celebrated his seth birthday at his home on Buckingham
 Street Cambridge. recently. Notwtth-
 standing his old age. Colonel Higginson is still physically and intellectually
 sound and vigorous. but he no longer
 indulges in violent exercise as In the
 days of his earlier manhood. He spent
 the day quietly in his charming home;
 which is ever filled with an atmosphere
 of culture and refinement. The day was
 fragrant with beautiful flowers, which
 had been sent by friends from near and
 far and gave proof of the
 high regard which Mr Higginson en-
 joys among host of friends and ad-
 nirers. They were gifta of admiration
 for the brilliant man of letters as well
 as of love for the man HiEginson.
 Loads of letters and teIegrams of q
 congratuIatory character arrived du-
 ring the day and many of the closer
 friends of Boston's literary Dean called
 in person to congratulate him upon his anniversary and chat with him for a little while. He was bright and cheer
 fuI and talked Interestingly with his
 callers He was In 6 reminiscent mood
 and recalled many Intensely interesting
 incidents of his varied career.
 MT. I1lkBlHdQA WAS -0gEA HAn S&hA~
 bridge on December 22. 1923, in the
 house in which his father had built on
 kirkland Street and which Is atIli
 standing. His father was steward of
 Harvard College and a well educated
 man. His mother and his aunt. Mrs.
 Charming, were both highly cultured
 and gifted women, and young Higgin-
 son thus had the good fortune of grow ing up In an atmosphere of culture. re- Ia A.s. TT~ kaw OA Harvard at the age of 1A and became one of the 305 boya then in the college.
 Throughout his undergraduate life he lived with his family at Vaughan House. now one of the Radcliffe College
 bulldinGs. but spent q great deal of his spare, time at Fay House. the charm ing home of his aunt. Mrs. Charming.
 There he came in frequent contact with the select literary circle which included Lowell and hts beautiful and gifted fancee Maria White; Leiv Thaxter af- terward the husband Of Celia Thaxter; Leverett saitopstall. Mary Story and
 William Story. the sculptor.
 Young HIeRinson himself wrote
 verses at that time and submitted them
 to the King and Queen. as Lowell and
 Maria White were called by the mem,
 bers of that literary coterie. He left Harvard In 1st0 and soon thereafter en- tered the cnurCn. 6uL ne old noL rS- main a clergyman more than a short time. He was too liberal in his views and made himself practically impossi-
 ble by his opposition to the institution
 of slavery. He developed Into a strong aboIitionist and, on account of his rad
 ical views was even imprisoned for a few days After two years and one
 half in charge of his small congrega- ton at Newburyport. he received and accented a call to the Free Church in
 worcester, then the center of the anti
 slavery propaganda. There he came in contact with the Emigrant Aid Society
 which. in September. 1856. sent him to
 Kansas to spread the views of the so- , ciety in that part of the country.
 During his stay In Kansas young
 Hieginson became intimately acquaint- ed with the ilI-fsted John Brown. who
 became martyr of his convictions and was hanged on December 2. 1859. at harlestown, Va. When the war broke out HiggInson offered his services to inc Union and became Colonel of the ISt south Carolina Colored Regiment. which distinguished itself under his ahIe- leadership. After two years of honorable service. Colonel Higglnson
 was compelled by a wound which he had received in battle. to surrender his
 After his retirement from the army.
 Arr TIiRTinson went to Newport. R. l.. Sov . rest and it was there he wrote l sovsral of his most charming books and oave to the world the exquisite trans | istion of Petrach which alone would | nave secured hls literary fame. After a ] sav years he returned Go cambrtdEe