Norwich bulletin., 1922-08-11
Famous Literary Mysteries
LoNcFELLows nEvANeELlNE"

Longfellows "EvangeIine" has made an unusual appeal for the reason that there is so much heart interest in the story. There is so much that Is so dt- rectly stated in the poem that read CTS all over the country have believ- ed that 1t was founded on the absolute facts, and that the location of the ter imitation of the romance was in Phil adelphia.
 There is unusually much disappoint- ment when EVangeline's grave is not to be found, or the site of the aims house where the heroine found her Gabriel. Where did Longfellow get his facts and were they authentic ? No one can answer this. The accepted theory as to the origin of the story is that Hawthorne heard it and thought of making it the subject of a TO- nance, but finally gave it to Long fellow as more suitable for an idyl It is also said that Robert Walsh, q Philadelphia writer of the early part of the last century, had assembled considerable historical matter on the subject which Longfellow gained from some source.
 The story is thus set down in Haw- i thorne's note book: I'll. L. C. heard ! from the French Canadians the pa l 1 Acadia. On their wedding day all men l in the province were summoned to as- i semble in the church to hear a proc ! lamation. When assembled they were l all seized and shipped off to be dis 1 tributed through New England, and 1 among them, was the new bridegroom Il His bride set off in search of him wandering about New England for 2 1 long time, and at last when she was I old reached Philadelphia, where she 'i found him on his death bed in an aims J house. The shock was so great tha it killed her likewise.
 | Longfellow himself says: Tt wa singular how I happened to find tn, climax to my story in Philadelphia was passing down Spruce street on day towards my hotel after a wall,
 when my attention was attracted to
 large building with beautiful tree : about it, instead of high enclosure l walked along until l came to a grea
 gate and I then stepped inside an
 looked carefully over the place.
 The charming picture of lawr , flower beds and shade which it pre- sented, made hn impression whicl
 has never left me, and twenty fou years after, when I came to writ 'Evangeline,' I located the final seen l -tne meeting between EVdnSeln6 an
 Gabriel and his death at this hospi l tai, and the burial in the old Catholi , | graveyard nearby, which I found m
 chance in another of my walks i
 Philadelphia. The interesting materi;
 Hawthorne gave me, and my visit 1 e the hospital in Philadelphia I apprC | priated for the groundwork of th
 poem"
 The story Of this poem grew o, f of the jealousy between the Frenc
 and English in Nova Scotia, at ths
 time called Acadia, one of the chic
 differences being a dispute as to tt
 oath of allegiance demanded of tf - people by the English.
 - The Acadians refused to take tf
 oath unless it excused them from tai
 ing up arms against France, who: <. people were their own flesh and bloo The demand was frequently made ar '- as often refused until at last the Ef e glish determined to free the countl
 Of French settlers and decided to sea
 ter them through the North Amer V can colonies.
 They did so, 45o reaching Philade > phia. Was Gabriel among them e was difficult to know what to (
 With them and they were finally lanC
 ed on Province Island Anthony BeI e ezet, a French settler in Philadelphi s appealed to the assembly in the n behalf and it responed charitabIy,
 process which needed to be repeatt
 for many years. Just how many fac
 are connected with Longfellow's poe 's "Evangeline" will never be known