The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-01-01
John Greepleaf Whittier.

born Dec. Il, 1901. finds his fame
resting far short OF worldwiGt gp.os,
milton. Whittier did not attempt to
voice the heart of the world. Sti.l
there have beer poets of the local and
the simple life whose verse has stirred
pastoral life has become classic, when
its beauty, simplicity and indepeni-
ence have impressed the foreigner liv-
ing in close contact with it, the singer
of its fresh, clear notes will win an
| audience as wide if not so vast as that
of Burns.
Whittier was a singer. What he
wrote seemed to be pressed out by an
overpowering sense that what was 60
ing on in his out of the way New
England home "a glorious and wor-
thy to be glorifed on the printed page.
He sang ballads; he sang love songs;
he sounded paeans to freedom. His
whole life was passed In q single coun-
ty of a single state. In his verse there
is no sign of straining after new and
foreign ideals. The old ideals of his
ancestors was good enough. His emo
tons were peculiar to America and so
largely shared by the Americans of his
time that he can be called distinctive
~ the poet of America. In his "Cen-
tennial Hymn" and in 1.-THE Eternal
Goodness" is reflected the deep re-
ligious feeling Of his time and coun-
try. The one is a song Of heaven in
| spired endeavor; the other breathes
that childlike trust which m from
simple religious faith.
In Skipper Ireson's Ride Whittier
has handed down a legend Of his own
~seacoast environment, in 1.-THE Angels
Of Buena VISTA a legend of American
battlefields and in Barbara Friet-
| chic" what he doubtless believed to be
a true as well as a pathetic episode Of
the civil war. These stories in verse,
together with the ode 1.-The Barefoot
Boy" are the best known and most
popular of Whittier's short poems.
Surely it required a mind studded with
the imagery Of country life to conceive
those opening lines of Barbara Friet-
chie"-
Up from the meadows. rich with corn.
Clear in the cool September morn,
The clustered spires of Frederick stand
Green walled by the hills of Maryland.
Round about them orchards sweep,
Apple and peach tree fruited deep.
In Whittier nature spoke, and its
message would have come anyway.
Perhaps it is true, as alleged, that Il
| copy of Burns poems which fell I'M
der Whittier's eyes when he was Il
lad at school inspired him to take up
verse. He may have read some of his
own thoughts in the Scotch plowboy's
poetry. But he was not an imitator.
| He was himself. Art never crampcd
and ambition never warped his muse,
so we read him with the assurance
that it was force from within, not a
call from without, which moved and
guided his song.
Whlttier's character was not rs
austere as might be inferred from
printed portraits of him and from
some OF his writings. This Is shown
by the ann in which he answered
attacks upon the Barbara Frietchie
incident. After the poem became fa
nous one of Stonewall Jnckson's staff
officers stated in print that his chief
never saw Barbara Frietchie as re
cited in the poem and that Barbar;
never saw Jackson. Thus challenged
Whittier answered in print: 1.-The poem
Barbara Frictchie' was written IL
good faith. The story was no inven
ton of mine. 1t camc to me from
sources which l regarded as reliable
1t had been published in newspaper
and had gained public credence II
I Maryland and Washington before IN
poem was written. l had NJ reason t
; doubt its accuracy then, and l am stil
constrained 10 DclleNc tutl IL uiu lOuL
dation in fact. II l thought otherWls
: l should lot hesitate to express 1t.
} have NO pride of authorship to int,
fere with my allegiance to TRUTH
Barbara Frietchic was an actual PEI
son and was on the cen where tn
} poem places her. Mrs. Southwortl
the novelist, wrote the story of he
! exploit, as then current in Washing
i ton, to Whittier, confirming it with
newspaper clipping. Whittier sal
that he 'also received letters frol
other responsible persons wholly {
: partially confirming the story" anon
! whom was the late Dorothea l.. Di!
who at the time Of 1t was in Washing
e ton In charge Of the staff Of army ho'
= pital nurses. Among the relies che
t lshed by Whittier was a cane mad
from . timber taken from Barbar
Z F%rietchie'S house, which was Wrccke