Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-08-26
ITO BE Continued
VISIT TO HOME OF WAIT WHIT
MAN.

''"''S ~ u" nedantCaIlv exact, or INC
great, are 80 frequent and 30 thread
pare that to write Of n trip to SO near
shrine ms the house in which Walt
whitman first saw the light seems not
only useless but almost too presumptu-
GUS to be considered. The apparent use
iessness is it's only excuse, and that
points It's own moral
Many a summer pleasure hunter knows
well IN" delights OF the Long Island
coast both natural and otherwise. and
while the poor man may run his boat
along tho shore and pitch modest
camp I'm eomc secluded and beautiful
spot, the millionaire need not dlsdain
those sloping banks so long as tho Cafe
des Beaux Arts and kindred places are
run for his accommodation. Less fro
qucnted alas. nre certain historic spots
and too frequently the boaters that glide
! in to the wharf beneath the glowing
| verandas Of the French cafe know not
that but few Yards aways Is the spot
| where Nathan Hale was captured More
untrodden stin runs the path to the
| Good Ora" Poets early home.
| Three IT ~ were driving one sunny
morning when ! said that I had a wish
TO see where the auth"~ of leaves Of
Grass" was born Wait whitman"
said ono of our trio. a boy OF seventeen
summers. in many ways representa-
tive Of the best Of that original type Of
| modern civilization. the American youth
who was Walt whitman" and his
| handsome face wore n look OF puzzled re-
nembrance as II he realized that here
was something he ought TO know He
was far more intelligent lad than the
/ nf ',,ra
school, slated for one of our universities
| examinations.
He vas poet" exclaimed my other
companion, also a youth OF parts, aud
| somewhat older. Il read some of his
poems once and they were the limit.
PiEgle Randret had them In ,chool until
one Of the masters found it one day
and gave him deuce OF call for hav-
| ing IT."
So this was fame. In time we reached
the house, not half so old or dl!pidated
as had anticipated. Large barns that
dwarfed It completely and which surely
were never there in Waits young days
| filled the ward In the rea" The front
was on the country with a small stretch
| Of green NJ the side In which an old well
|
| deficiencies.
"Oh. YOU we'll sweep" said the Young
est Of the three. | started to see how
unconscously in the slang Of the dav
he had echoed the master. Perhaps It
was the spirit OF the place that from
dumb clay thus evoked voice.
They did not care to ieave the car
So | dismounted ard entered the yard.
A baby boy played on the doorstep and
| laughed n welcome as I stepped on the
| little vera nda where pictured the poet
| might have snt and smoked in the even
Ing From within woman. young and
pleasant-faced, came to the door rs
this where Walt Whitman lived" I
| asked
Wonderment, MILL but expressive,
showed IN her eyes. She stretched her
arms in n suggestive gesture Il don't
| know" she said.
walt Whitman, the poet I renoat-
| ed.
"T don't know" she answered "Yon
might go down 10 the harms and ask
the boss. perhaps he knows"
"How long have YOU lived here
continued.
Three weeks" she Responded. onf
herself put my first question to hel
husband. "thc boss who had approach
ed while we were talking. He knew n
more than did his wife, but though
we needed rain.
They We're Americans. apparently, ant
| looked prosperous. shortly | found
modest stone. erected by some histori
! cal society, that stated in few word:
the nature OF the place. and. later II
the town OF Huntington, a shop window
showed post card with the pictur'
and an inscription. some one knew.
My youngest friend had something or
his mind as we rode back and final
" asked: He wasn't the chap who in
vented the cotton gin. was her" re
member hearing something about that
! Not wishing to crush one budding
thought I answered YEARLY: Il thinl
he was."-R. r. W. In the Hartford
| Courant