The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-06-24
LoNcFELLow,s BIRTHPLACE
In Portland Opened with Lecture by a
Niece.

l a 81
The interesting old house on Fore
street, Portland, the birthplace OF the
poet, Longfellow was opened last week
with lecture by Miss Marian Longfel-
| low, the daughter of Stephen Longfel-
low, the oldest brother of the poet.
| The lecturer began by saying: "When a
/ person is possessed of some great endow-
ment, be it art. science. poetry or music,
| such one becomes to a certain extent
public property. That persons life is
open to scrutiny and commentator or
the reverse of the public, not only for
the period of this earthly life, but for all
time. When such life is benediction
to the world it is indeed a beautiful les
son and a blessed heritage. Such was
the life of Henry Wadsworth Longfel-
low, and its influence is as much with US
today as if he were with us in person..
and death had not lain its hand upon
him."
She then went on to tell of the poets
life ''from the cradle to the grave" as
she termed it. She took up some of the
most important works in detail, and then
told of the bearing of his work on hu.
mainly. She said that absurd dog
gerel," Mr.. Phinney and His Turnip,
which has been so often supposed to have
been among the earliest efforts of the
poet, was not written by him at all. She
took up the Longfellow birthplace, room
by room, and described its appearance,
and many interesting and amusing stories
| were told of the poets life.
The lecture was illustrated with hum
dred and one lantern slides, which added
greatly to the delightful evening. Among
these were the following: The desk at
which the Rainy Day was written; pic
lures of the two Longfellow houses in
this city and the Craigie House in Cam
bridge; a lovely picture Of the French
willows at Grand Pre- where the story of
Evangeline was laid; the Memorial re-
Gently erected in Cambridge on the Long
fellow lot opposite the Craigie House;
one of the chairs made from the wood OF
the spreading chestnut tree" and one
of the tree itself; portraits Lamson
prlnts) OF the poet from the age of IL
years up to three years before he died;
picture of the poet in his academic gown
which was copied from the picture at the
Congress Street house by permission of
Alice Longfellow, the poets Oldest
daugnter, the picture OF the Ola CLOCK
on the stairs which is in the possession
of Ernest Longfellow, the we'll known
artist at Observation-Disclosures, the son
of the poet. and a picture Of the old
bridge where the poet stood when he
wrote, Stood on the Bridge at Mid
night. This bridge was the old West
Boston bridge, now no longer in exist
ence, and the view was made from a pen
and ink SKETCH
Following the lecture there was an in
formal reception, and in the receiving
line were: Miss Marian Longfelow and
sister, Ellen 7. Longfelow, Mrs. George
T. Edwards and Arthur C. Jackson. The
lecturer is an especially interesting wom-
an. She is charter member of the Ma
tional Society of the Daughters of the
American Revolution, her number being
2O3, is an honorary member of the John
Paul Jones chapter of the D. A. R. in
Boston, an honorary member of the
Wayside Inn of the D. A. R. at Sudbury,
Mass, an honorary member of the Eliza
beth Wadsworth chapter of this city,
and is regent of the Old North chapter
in Boston,