The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-01-07

Paper Read Before the Chaa.tauQ,sa Circle.
Nv HITTER, the sweet-singing
M son of New England's soil,
was born one hundTe1 and
one years ago last Thurs
day. on farm at East Haverhill, Mass.
For the greater part of his boyhood
years the family circle at the Whittier
home embraced father and mother, his
sisters Mary and Elizabeth and his
brother Matthew.
The poets father was practical and
reserved; a man whose kindly offices
~,ere frequently sought as an arbitrator
OF the disputes arising IN the commu-
atty; q man who was not in sympathy |
with other than agricultural pursuits.
His mother, gentle, refined woman,
was esteemed as charming by all who
were favored with her acquaintance.
Mary, who was the poets senior, was
more after the order of the father.
Elizabeth, who was several years
younger, was the pet aud favorite OF
her brother, and later on became his
most intimate personal and literary
friend. 1t is said that she was of poetic
temperament and supplied some of the
deficiencies of her brother by qualifica-
ti0ns which she possessed. Atho op-
portunities for gaining an education
we're meager at that time. Whittier
began his school days before he was OF
school age, and until nineteen years of
age attended the district school each
year for few months in winter.
AS he developed physically he was
assigned to share of the chores about
the house, and later on he took hand
at farm work In the fields with his
father. One of the tasks to which he
did not take kindly was milking seven
COWS regularly twice day. When he
was fifteen years old he had reached
his fun stature of 5 feet 10 inches, but
as he had never been very rugged, his
brother Franklin, althO several years
Younger, took upon himself the harder
jobs.
At this time his first visit to Boston
is said to have taken place. A new
suit of homespun with boughten but
tons and broad -brimmed Quaker hat
made of pasteboard and covered with
felt, completed his costume. His par
ents warned him against possible dan
gers and snares and made him promise
that he would not enter theater.
[ believe this visit is one of his mos
Interesting "reminiscences for he says
Il wandered up and down the streets
but somehow it was not what expect
ed, the crowds became worse and worse
after got into Washington Street, ant
when L got tired of being jOstled i
seemed to me as if the people nigh
get by if waited little while. Som'
of them looked at me and stepped In
60 an alleyway and waited. Sometime
there didn't sc m to lie so many pass
lug and thought of starting and thel
they would begin again. l began t.
thiuk my new clothes and the button
were all thrown away. l stayed Il
Boston good while and finally becam
homesick. / thought it made no di1
ference at all about my having thos
boughten buttons, and was muc
shocked by the gay young people VIII
asked me to 60 to the play" Fror
these first Impressions of its inhabi
ants we can get some idea of why i
after-life he never felt that he conl
live in Boston.
Unlike Longfellow, Lowell, Eme
son. Holmes and Hawthorne who WEI
town and college bred, Whittier's lite
ary career cannot be said to have hs
any specific beginning. 1t is said th'
his first verses were written upon Il
beam of his mothers loom, and th
when but small boy and the work
the day was over, it was the custO
for the family to gather around Il
fireplace. On such occasions the old
members would read or mend whi
the children occupied themselves wi
slate and pencil trying to solve pro
lems given them at school. The lesso
all prepared, Whittier would spend t
remaining time in writing verses
his slate, and altho the majority
these were lost few were rescued o