Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-08-20
LongfeuOw's Two Love Affairs.

LongfeIlow's Two Love Affairs.
He was 24-yesr- old professor ofmod-
ern languages at Bowdoin University.
She was the belle. the prettiest girl in
Portland, Maine, his home town. For
years he had wooed her; ever since he
had been an undergraduate and she girl
in short dresses. He was Henry Wads-
worth Longfellow. She was Mary Storer
Potter, daughter OF a local Judge.
Longfellow had scribbled verse in col
lege, but he had thought so poorly of his
powers as poet that he had long since
given up all efforts al verse-writing and
devoted himself TO his work as aproieSSor
and 10 scholarly articles for literary re-
views. Ii remained for hearbreak to re-
awaken his genius and to give the world
his deathlesS poetry, and il remained for
Mary Potter, who loved him, TO bring
about that heartbreak.
Longfellow's salary as a professor at
Bowdoin was $500 a year. In 1891 it
was raised 10 81 900. And on that sum
he married.
Then Longfellow was offered pro-
fessorship at Harvard. And to prepare
himself for his new duties he went on an
extended journey ofstudy through Europe.
AT Amsterdam Mary fel! violently i'll,
probably from what we should nowadays
call appendicitis.
She rallied, seemed wholly well again !;
and the Longfellows started on TO Rotter-
dam. There the same illness attacked
her again. In few days she was dead.
And there, in a foreign land, she was
buried.
The stricken young husband sought 10
forget his grief in lonely travel and in
work. Sorrow had stirred 10 life his
poetic genius. In verse he found vent
for the grief was crushing him. Soon
after he came back TO America he publish
ed two OF his most famous short poems,
"The Psalm OF Life" and The Reaper
and the Flowers" Both OF these show
the terrible struggle OF human soul TO
reconcile itself to a dear ones death.
From that hour Longfelow's fame as a
poet was assured. But another woman
that she whose loss had inspired his muse
was to reap the benefits.
Not long after MarY'S death, and while
he was still wandering in aimless misery
through Europe, the young widower
chanced TO meet at Interlaken fellow
American, Miss Frances Appleton. Be-
tween the two Sprang up warm friend
ship. Though it was several years be-
fore that friendship bloomed into ayowed
love, yet Longiellow admired Miss APP
pleton tremendously, and after his return
TO Massachusetts he became an almost
daily caller at her father Boston home.
His was literary wooing. He wrote
his novel, Hyperion" and he frankly
drew the character OF Mary Ashbunon,
its heroine, from Frances Appleton-even
though he gave his heroine his first wife's
Christian name. Describing Frances in
this book, he spoke OF her as "maiestic
OF figure, her every step, her every atti-
tude graceful, yet lofty, as if inspired by
the soul within" II was the beauty OF
Hyperion" and the glowing tribute il
paid TO her own charms that won Frances
consent TO Longfellow's suit. They were
married in lS43.
II was an ideal union. The bride was
well TO do in her own right and the
straitened circumstances that had cramp-
ed her husbands career were thus done
away with. Prosperity and eyer-increas-
ing fame were his. II was during this
period that he did practically all his best
work.
Eighteen years after The marriage Mrs.
Longfelow was amusing her children
one evening by showing them the uses
of sealing wax, when spark fell on the
light summer dress she was wearing. In
an instant the dress was ablsze. Her
husband fought desperately to beat out
The flames. But she died IRON the iniu-
ries she received. LongIellow himself
was almost fatally burned.
They buried the poets wife on the
eighteenth anniversary Of her wedding
day, placing on her head the wreath OF
orange blossoms she had worn al her