Oxford Democrat., 1913-09-09
Towns Fourth Reader.

I, August IL, regarding Portland edition
and . New York edition Of Towns
Fourth Reader, stated that the preface
of the Portland edition 10 the Same ss
that OF the New York edition except that
the words "formsr Third Reader with tts
present title" In the Portland edition
were changed TO "Fourth Reader" In the
New York edition. Upon more minute
examination of the prefaces Of the two
editions, however, find that that state
ment was not quite correct, but four
other passages in the preface of tho Port
land edition were changed In the preface
of the New York edition as follows:
"mako such additions and Improvements
as would be calculated to" to "intrOduce
such improvements as might; "that the
principles" to land that the -priuci pies" !;
$50 as not to" TO "that they may mott;
and "a little" to ian occasional" !"
Though these changes are all trivial, be.
ing mere verbal notifications of the
phraseOlogy with q view to improving
the diction, mention them In order 10
make the record correct.
The authors OF the selections contained
| in the Reader are stated in the Reader in
whvm the selections we're written, but
the volume contains several selections OF
which the authors are not given, as Mr.
Town did not know who wrote them.
On pages 92-93, for example, is beauti-
full poem, entitled 1.-THE Cherokee's La
msnt," of which the author 10 not given.
That poem was written by Josiah Dean
Canning, q farmer of Gill, Mass. In 1888
q small volume Of Mr.. Canning's early
poems, entitled "Poems," was published
at Greenfield, Mass, and In 1852, at the
same place, a collection of his later
poems was published, entitled "The
Harp and Plow. By the Peasant Bard 4"
This pseudonym Of peasant Bard" was
given to Mr.. Canning by Lewis Gaylord
Clark, editor of "The KnickerbOcker," :"
the old-time New York magazine. "The
Cherokee's Lament" which Is in
"The Harp and PIow," was first
published In "The Knickerbocker" for
November, 1888. The poem consists
of five stanzas, but the fourth one 10
omitted In the poem AZ given In the
Reader. The title of the poem as given
in "The Knickerbocker" Is "The La.
ment OF the Cherokee" and 10 "Ths
Harp and Plow" is Lament of the Cher
okee." Mr.. Canning was born in Gill
on August 81, 1915, and died there on
March 18, 1892. A posthumous edition
uf his poems, entitled "POetry OF the
Farm and Rural Life: Connecticut River
Reeds Blown by the Peasant Bard :"
was published in Boston in 1892, the vol
ums containing a brief biographical
sketch of him and having portrait OF
him as a frontispiece. The preface to
the volume was written by Mr.. Canning,
but the volume did not issue from the
press till after his decease. On page 252
of the Reader Is another poem, "The
Captive Chief" whose author is not
stated. The poem as given in the Read
or consists of three stanzas. The first
two stanzas of the poem as there given
are on pages 148-147 of American Melo-
dies, Edited by George P. Norris" and
published in New York In 1841. The
two stanzas given by Mr.. Morris have
the same title as the three given in the
Reader, aud are there stated to be "by
William Pitt Palmer" Mr.. Palmer was
| in the fire insurance business 10 New
York City, in which business he attained
| pTOuiueuC0. no Woo uOiu III ShoSA-
bridge, Mass, on Feb. %, 1905 and died
in Brooklyn, N. Y, May 2, 1884. he was
graduated from Williams College In the
class of 1928. A volume Of his poems.
entitled ECHOES of Half Century,"
was published in New York in 1880, but
"The Captive Chief" is not included in
the volume. "The Smack in School," q
poem which is quite favorite with pub
lie readers, was written by Mr.. Palmer.
A poem by Mr.. Palmer, entitled MASS
and Mind" is included In the "Fryeburg
Webster Memorial" q brochure pub.
lished in 1882. On pages 277-2S0 of the
Reader is another poem, "The TEN.
pest" whose author the Reader does
not give. That poem Is from tue pen of
Rev. George Croly, rector of st. Ste-
phen's, Walbrook, London. The title
which Mr.. Croly gave to the poem is
"rhe Seventh Plague of Egypt" Mr.
Croly was born on August II, 17SO, and
died on November "a, 1860.
OBSERVER.