Norwich bulletin., 1922-08-30
FAMOUS McKNAhEs
~rMr QTAKrx r0EsY

John Greenieaf Whittier came natural Fly By his familiar nickname, 'srhe Quaker Poet" Nobody gave 1t to him. It. was born with hiIh He was so thoroughly onaker ali his life that nc other nickname would seem exactly ap- propriAte for the riuch-beIoved New EnslanA poet But Whittier was no Catholic are alike. both children of our Heavenly Father, and separated 6Aly by creed, to some, indeed, a barrier Ike chinese wall. but to me frail and slight ak Epider's weD.'
 With all his charity for other secSa, Whittier held firmly to the faith in which he was born, and in which he was educated He did not like to see the Friends adopting the evaneeltxfnk ] methods ot other dehonhiAatibiis. He used to quote with approval q remark made to him by the Rev. Dr. Wfthins. ton, of NewtuFyport, wAo said: T am l Caiviniss; you are t Quaker We are | in essentials in unity. But Neu will re. l main Quaker to the end, and am l Caiyinist. It Is better So, [ don't he lieve in spiritual ctew6er.'
 | Whittier loved beat the old-fasi1iAned Quaker meetings, in which the silence I was not broken unless some weishty i word pressed for utterAnce. On one oc- l easic1 he was< discussing with a cultured i Friend the inaftieufate gro3ninKa which punetuated the remarks of soaiae of the speakers of their faith His friend said : I Let up discourage this mannerism by
 calling 1t gruntfnG ' ''1fheA better mol do it," graveiy replied Whittier. If thee taks away the grunt there's nothing left. T Whittier was aceustomed to say tha,
 the Quaker icustoss1s had It's use 1n 1 Tria nSr svS, frivelities Of the worlds people He wal [ nevar in a theatre or circus in his life ] He bore his testimony to the necuiaritie! i Of his sect on all occasions. When 4
 member of the legislature he adhered tt
 the Quaker custom in the matter of tn, I oath. and in addressing the chair whel e fellow member died he deciIned to wea,
 crepe on his arm. and the practice va
 given up after that time
 Il Tn his later life Whittier, the OuakAr = was shown in his dress only in hi coat. all ether clothing being in the ore
 vailins fashion. This coat, of biael
 broA6tioth. was cut in the Orthodo. : Quaker style. The Philadelphia tailo { who supplied 'sThe Quaker Poet" dur
 ing his ftsiaenee in the Quaker Cit,
 in isss-4e, sent him from time to tim gi all the coats he wore for the remainde of his life, without the slightest chang -t In SLVlS or Me4S0refnent.
 Of innovations in the -metheds of ouak
 erissn he would say Our folks have go :, to talking too much. They even want - glass of water On the table, and some e Y them. want singing in the meetings. : tell them, that if they want singing the
 Enlust get the worlds folks to do it fo
 them, for two hundred years of silene ri have taken all the sing out of our pee ,fI pie."
 ,tl But Whittier wrote a campaign soni
 "The Quakers Are Out' to be sung a
 i a mass meeting to be held in NeWbury :, port, October il, 1850. Much anxiety ha
 been expressed during the summer . regards to Penhsyiva nia, the vote ( ie which state, it was thought, would d. n eide the contest If the Quakers ceul
 be reused Pennsylvania could be counte
 on as safe, ana as the state election ot tel eurTed several weeks before the presider IS tial, tho result Of that election would il h dicate whether Quakerism was going { l. turn in for the republicans.
 It is an interesting thing to note
 the perusaro of the poems of 'The Quak, $ Poet that he was always governed . his Quaker training and by his deep col vietions upon moral subjects He did nl 10 seek out the worlds heroes and f ce vorites for eulogy, but instead, gave h
 tributes of affection and sympathy ii
 those whom the world neglected ar le dsspised.