Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-09-14
Stories and Letters.
LoNGFELLoW's BIOGRAPHY.

The house Is still standing in Port
land, Maine, long, square wooden
house. Here Longfellow was born
February 81, 1907. u.
Longfellow's early life was spent in
! what Is known as the Longfellow
house, large brick mansion on Con
gress street. His father and mother
Stephen and Zelpha Longfellow lived
here. His father was a lawyer who
gathered honors through long life
He had several times been in the
Massachusetts legislature while Maine
was district of that state; a mem.
Der of the Hartford convention, and a
member Of the United States house OF
representatives from 1928 to 1925. He
died in 1S49.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was
the second son Of the family which
contained four sons and four daugh'
tiers. He took his name from his
mothers brother, Lieutenant Henry
Wadsworth. The first school which
he attended was a child's school kept
on Spring street by Madame Fellows.
Later he attended a town school In
Love Lane, now Center street, for q
short time and then to the private
school of Nathaniel H. Carter in a lit
tie one story building. He was pre-
pared for college at the Portland
academy which had for masters Mr..
Carter and Bezaleel Cushman, who
subsequently was editor Of the New
York Evening Post. An usher also In
the school was Jacob Abbott, who az
terward became famous as teacher
and writer of books for children. His
amiable and indulgent manners re-
mains in the pupils mind.
While he was still school boy he
began to write and to print his poems.
His first published poem was on Low
ellis fight His experience in the pub
LEGATION was one recalled by him in a
conversation with a younger poet,
William Winter, how he had dropped
his verses with fear into the editors
box at the Office of weekly news
paper at Portland. In the next copy
he looked eagerly but in vain for his
verses. But he said, II had another
copy which l Immediately sent to the
rival weekly and in the next issue 1t
was published. have never had such
a thrill of delight over any Of my pub
locations as that one" He told how
he had bought copy still damp from
the press and stepped into by street
and found his verses actually publish
ed. ..
When he was fourteen years old he
was ready for college, his father en-
tering him at Bowdin but for some rea-
son most Of his freshman year was
spent at home One of his teachers
IN COLLAGE tho 1afo vonorahIo Pack
ard, once gave his "reminiscences of
the poet, who entered with his brother
Stephen. Prof. Packard said he was
an attractive youth with auburn locks
and clear blooming complexion.
Longfellow graduated second in his
class and the class was one with a
number of men with singular ability.
In a letter dated January 5, 1885,
George Tickson, the professor OF
French, Spanish and English language
of Harvard college, wrote that Long
fellow would take his place in Cam
bridge.
Mr.. Longfellow married Miss Fanny
Appleton In July, 1843, and by her he
had two sons and three daughters and
she died July 8, 1861. She had been
amusing the children with some seals
she had made when some of the burn
ing wax spilled on her dress and she
was burned.
Longfellow has since written many
stories and prose and poems which
have been widely read.
Creta Huston, Age IA.
713 Sheridan Ave-, Ottumwa, Ia.