Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-21
WH1TuERs BRTHrLAcE .FRon THE ROAD

making a pleasant home for the poet.
After the death of whittier, Mrs. Pickard
leased 1t to the whittier Home association.
which kept 1t open to visitors. Since the
lease expired and Mrs. Pickards death,
her husband and son, the granddaughter of
the poet, have occupied the house, and
it was their guests we were that day.
What is now the reception room was the
dining room during most OF the fifty-six
years Whittier lived there, but when he
bought the cottage 1t was the Kitchen and
here we saw the old fireplace with its
crane, the brick oven the screen that hid
the fireplace for more than half century,
while the room was the dining room and
the tongs that were in use in the birth
place kitchen at Haverhill by the Whittier
ancestors. The book case is filled with the
poets books. his library overlooking into
every room in the house.
The portrait of Lincoln over the mantel-
piece is an artists proof and has occupied
the place for forty years. Over the table
hangs a water color which Whittier loved
and called The October Carpet" 1t repre-
sents the marshes at Absecorn, N. j. A
painting hanging under the looking glass
representing hazel blossoms was painted
by his friend, Lucy Larcom, at the time
uo WTObe f1dhel DlOShOiHS
THE Garden Room" remains in all re-
spects exactly as it was when occupied by
Whittier. The books. the pictures, the furni-
ture, the carpet, the desk, the stove, the
lounge are kept as when in use then. There
are several articles that suggest poems.
The cane made Of oak from a beam of his
office. destroyed by Philadelphia mob,
which he carried all the rest Of his life.
and uybf CaIfad otlf ali -
"The Pressed Genuan," was suggested by
the fringed gentans pressed between glass
plates that hang In the north window; the
picture Of a great rock in the Arabian des-
ert, south OF the Dead sea- was given to
Whittier by Bayard Taylor and called out
his poem The Rock In BlGhor." The por-
traits Whittier placed on the walls with
his own hands are those of LongfeIlow,
Beecher, Emerson, Garrison, Thomas, Starr
King, Chinese" Gordon, Joseph Surge, II.
o. Houghton and the Roman emperor and
philosopher, Marcus Antoninus. In the
closet OF this room are many Of the per-
sonal belongings OF the poet-hls shawl,
quaker coat, hats, etc. This was his work
room, though he never called II his study
or library. His books are to be found all
over the house This was the family sitting
room and here he received his guests The
mirror is a family heirloom, at least 200
years old, and the table under 1t is also old;
on it Whittier often wrote instead Of at his
desk and ink stains upon 1t are plentiful.
In the parior are many souvenirs The
portraits OF the poets mother and sister,
Elizabeth the desk upon which Snow
Bound" and Tent on the Beach" were
written; the portraits OF his only brother.
and of the niece who from childhood lived
with Whittier until her marriage and to
whom he left his home and its contents.
on the wall is the first rough draft of
the last poem Whittier wrote containing
lines not found in the finished poem This
was written but a few weeks before his
death The post Of a little stand in the
corner was part Of his mothers spinning
wheel and the top a section OF one of the
great limbs OF the old elm tree In Boston
common sent Whittier by the mayor because
he said the Quakers were hung on thai
limb" on the wall is his diploma from
Harvard as doctor OF laws and the note he
wrote 10 his niece upon It's receipt II sup.
pose thee have seen ] got the nickname OF
Doctor OF Laws
on top OF the Snow Bound desk are the
miniatures OF Whittier at tie age Of 22, and
OF Evelina Bray at the age OF II. also a
photograph OF Barbara Frietehte sent Il
Whittier by Dorothea Dix, together with
pieces OF her dress. piece Of linen spun
and woven by Barbara is in the desk. on
the desk are the eagle quilts which called
out his fine poem, ION Receiving an Eagle
Quill from Lake Superior"
The old desk contains many things Of In.
terest. A little green box contains piece