29 P9 L7 3 1822 01081 7799 A A UC SOUTHERN 3D 3 1822 01081 7799 /- THE •■ . /-- / ^¥>*:.4is^;,,«:,„,^;^ LONGFELLOW STATUE POKTLAND, MaIXE. M^ongfclloto Statue Association EXERCISES UNVEILING OF THE STATUE Henry Wadsworth Longfellow PORTLAND, MAINE SEPT. 29, 1888 POUTLAND BROWN THURSTON «fc COMPANY 1888 /- OFFICERS 1888. rKESIUENT. CIIAKLE8 F. LIBBY. VKK-l'UESlDENTS. James W. Braukury, Fred. Roiue, Wm. D'W. Hyde, W. F. Miluken, CiiAS. J. Chapman, H. A. Neely, II. N. Jose, W. II. Fenn. SECRETARY, THOMAS TAHIl. TREASURER. PHILIP HENRY BROWN. executive committee. Geo. F. Talbot, H. W. Richardson, H. S. Burrage, J. E. DeWitt, C. D. Brown. committee of ways and MEANS. S. W. Thaxter, Mrs. R. J. Carpenter, Lewis Pierce, Mrs. Marcia B. Jordan, Albro E. Chase, Mrs. C. J. Chapman, Geo. 8. Hunt, Miss Mary McCobb, F. K. Savan, Mrs. R. H. Brown, F. H. Gerrish, Mrs. J. H. McMullan, W. W. Thomas, jr., Mrs. E. Cavazza, Mrs. W. F, Milliken. committee on plans. J. W. Symonds, J. P. Baxter, H. B. Brown, F. H. Fassett, E. H. Elwell. Contents oF c()])i)c'r l)ox, prepared by H. W. Bryant, licriiK'lically sealed, and placed under the pedestal. I'ortl.iiKl Directory, 1888, by B. Thurston & Co. I'ortlaiKl Daily Press, Aug. 27, 1888. Portland Sunday Times, Aug. 26, 1888. I'ortland Sunday Telegram, Aug. 26, 1888. Portland Daily Advertiser, Aug. 25, 1888. Portland Evening Express, Aug. 2.'^, 1888. Zion's Advocate, Aug. 22, 1888. Poi-tland Argus, Aug. 27, 1888. i^ortland Globe, Aug. 25, 1888. Tninscript Montldy, Aug., 1888. Portland Transcript, Aug. 22, 1888. Christian Mirror, Aug. 25, 1888. The Original Drawing of the Pedestal, by F. H. Fassett. Card of Fassett & Tompson. Card of Charles L. Wilson. Card of Ilawkes Brothers. Card of William H. Scott. Card of Franklin Simmons. Card and Blanks of J. B. Brown & Sons. Card of H. W. Bryant. Officers and Committees of City Government. Register of Subscribers to the Longfellow Statue Association. Certificates of Membership of the Longfellow Statue Association. Circulars of the Longfellow Statue Association. List of Names of the School Children contributing to the Long- fellow Statue Association Fund, throughout New England and the Middle States. LONCxFF^LLOW STATUE ASSOCIATION. HISTORY OF THE FUND. The seventy-fifth birthday of Henry Wjidsworth Longfellow was observ^ed by the Maine Historical Soci- ety in Reception Hall, City Building, Portland, Febru- ary 27, 1882. On the 24th of March following, the poet died at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The o-entlemen who had interested themselves in the celebra- tion of Mr. Longfellow's seventy-fifth birthday not low-r after suQ*o;ested the erection in Portland of a me- morial of the city's illustrious son, and on the 2()th of May, 1882, a meeting was held in the Aldermen's room, City Building, to consider the advisability of attempt- ini»: to secure a bronze statue which should be an lionor to the memory of the poet and an ornament to the city. Hon. Israel Washburn, jr., was the chairman of the meeting, and Rev. H. S. Burrage, D.n., was secre- tary. Among those present at the meeting were Hon. J; W. Symonds, Hon. C. F. Libby, Hon. George F. Em- ery, Supt. Thomas Tasli, Edmund S. Hoyt and others. A committee, consisting of Hon. George F. Talbot, Hon. Q LONGFELLOW STATUE ASSOCTATIOM. Israel Washbui-n, ji-., J. P. Baxter, Esq., and Rev. H. 8. Barrage, d.d., was appointed to take the matter into consideration and report at a future meeting. At a meeting held June 10th, ii favorable report was made with regard to the undertaking. It was the opinion of all present that the money should be raised by subscription; not in large sums, Init by small con- tributions, giving a large number of people an oppor- tunity to aid in the work. It was voted that an asso- ciation be formed for the purpose, and the same com- mittee was requested to form a plan of organization and draw up a constitution. One week later another meeting was held, and the constitution submitted by the committee was adopted. It was voted to obtain by solicitation the requisite number of names for the organization of the associa- tion, and then call another meeting for permanent or- ganization. July 8, 1882, a meeting was held for organization, and the following officers were elected : — President — Hon. Charles F. Libby. Secretary — Thomas Task. Treasurer — Philip H. Brown. At a subsequent meeting vice-presidents and stand- ing committees were chosen as follows : — Vice-presidents — James W. Bradbury, Samuel H. Blake, Joshua L. Chamberlain, George D. B. Pepper, Oren B. Cheney, Charles UNVEILING THE STATUE. 7 F. Allen, John Apploton, William G. BarrowS, A. S. Rice, Henry A. Neely. Executive Committee — George ¥. Talbot, Israel WaKhlmrn, jr., Henry S. Barrage, IT. W. llichardson, William E. Gould. Waysi and Means — James P. Baxter, Lewis Pierce, Albro E. Chase, Frederic II. Gerrisli, W. W. Thomas, jr., Maria ITersey, Hannah L. Talbot, Mary McCol)b, Mrs. R. J. Carpenter, Mrs. Marcia B. Jordan. Plans — Joseph W. Symonds, Harry B. Brown, Sidney W. Thaxter, Francis II. Fassett, Edward H. Elwell. Circulars were prepared, by vote of the association, setting forth the object in view and the methods pro- posed to attain it. It was stated that the payment of one dollai* wonld entitle the contributor to member- ship, and that the names of all contributors would be engrossed and placed under the statue when erected. Cards for school children were prepared, entitling the contributor to membership on the payment of ten cents. These particulars of the plan of raising mone^^ for the statue were furnished to all the newspapers in the state, and were thus placed clearly before the people. A committee of sixteen was appointed, one for each county, to have charge of the task of properly dis- tributinu;: the circulars and canvassing for members Four means of securing funds were suggested : — 1, direct subscriptions; 2, entertainments; 3, of- ferings from school children ; 4, sale of photographs. At a meeting of the association, held October 7, 1882, the first subscription received by the committee was reported. This came from a foreign country. 8 L ONGFEL LOW S TA TUE A SSO CIA TION. being five dollars sent by T. W. Brockleliurst, of Hey- bury Hall, near Macclesfield, England. The work oi" raising money now began in earnest. A connnittee was appointed to canvass the bnsiness streets ot" the city for subscriptions of one dollar. Rev. Dr. Burrage and James P. Baxter, Esq., prepared and reported to the association a handsome design for a children's card. It bore a finely engraved portrait of Longfellow and certified that the child whose name was indorsed thereon had contributed to the fund of the association. On the 4th of Novendjer, 1882, Rev. Dr. Burrage reported the first contribution received from school children. This was from Miss Annie T. Whitney, of Castine, who sent to the treasurer the sum of three dollars and ten cents — the offering of thirty-one of her pupils. In addition to the scholars' cards, membership (hplomas were prociu'ed and put in use. January 15, 1883, active canvassing was l^egun in the city, and during the following month a considera- ble nucleus of a fund was foruied. The cjinvassers were successful wherever they went and the dollar membership contributions came in rapidly. Mr. Bax- ter reported that he had received contrilnitions from London amounting to twenty-five dollars. The work of collecting small sums from school children was car- ried forward by teachers all oxer the state. " Long- fellow Hours " were held in many schools as a means of awakening the interest of the young people. In many schools a regular Longfellow exercise was held UNVEILING THE STATUE. 9 each week, coiijsisting of readings and declamations from the works of the poet. February 21, 1883, it was reported hy Mr. Tasli that eight thousjind scholars' cards had been disposed of in Maine and other states. On the anniversary of Longfellow's birthday, Feb- ruary 27, 1883, a grand concert was given in City Hall, under the direction of J. B. Coyle, jr., chairman of the special committee ; Mr. J. P. Baxter, chairman of the waj^s and means committee, having general charge of the arrangements. In this concert Chand- ler's Orchestra, the Haydn Association, Rossini Club, Weber Club, Miss Long, Mrs. Morrison, Mrs. Elizabeth Cushing, Messrs. Pennell and Coyle participated. The Haydn Association sang " Excelsior," arranged by Kotzschmar, with thrilling effect. About five hundred and fifty dollars were realized from this entertainment. On the loth of March following, Harry W. French gave a lecture in City Hall, for the benefit of the asso- ciation, yielding about fifty dollars. Entertainments were given in many of the churches, netting small sums for the benefit of the fund. For two years after this the association held no meetings, but the fund slowly grew, being increased by interest on the funds, in the hands of the treasurer, and also by small sub- scriptions. At the annual meeting of the association, February 27, 1885, there were a few changes in the board of officers. General J. M. Brown was made a member of the executive coumiittee, in place of Hon. Israel Washburn, jr., deceased; and Mr. Thaxter exchanged 10 LONGFELLOW STA TUE ASSOC T A TION. places with Mr. Baxter, the former beiii*^ made chair- man of the ways and menus committee, and the latter a member oi" the committee on plans. At this meet- ing the treasurer reported that the sum ot" four thous- and one hundred and seventy-seven dollars had been contributed. Durino; the foUowinii; summer the fund was not much increased. Early in the fall, however, it was thought advisable to proceed to the selection of a sculptor. Mr. Franklin Sinnnons, having submitted a model satisfactory to the executive committee, re- ceived the appointment at a meeting of the association held October 3, 1885. It was voted at this meeting that the monument be placed in State Street Square, provided those living in that vicinity should raise the sum of two thousand dollars. At the next annual meeting, February 27, 1886, the same officers were re-elected. The treasurer reported a small increase in the fund, which now amounted to four thousand eight hundred and thirty-one dollars. A contract with Mr. Simmons was approved, by which he agreed to make a sitting statue of Longfellow, of the proportions, if standing, of not less than nine feet, of the finest quality of statuary bronze, delivered in Portland at his own risk, for the sum of eight thou- and dollars, one-third to be paid down, one-third on the satisfactory completion of the plaster model of the statue, and the balance on the deliver}^ of the statue in Portland. At the annual meeting, February 26, 1887, F. H. UNVEILING THE STATUE. \\ Fassett, Esq., submitted a dcsio-n for the pedestal, whic'li was adopted. The members present were con- gratidated on the forwardness of the work. One- third of the sculptor's fee had been paid, and the treasurer reported two thousand two hundred and sixty-seven dollars in his hands. The old board of officers was re-elected, with a few changes in tlie com- mittees. John E. DeWitt, Esq., and C. D. Brown, Esq., were chosen to fill vacancies on the executive committee. At the beginning of 1888 a plaster model of the statue had been completed and accepted, and at a meeting on January 9, it was reported that the statue would soon be cast in bronze. It was also reported that about three thousand four hundred dollars more Avould be needed to meet all the bills, on the comple- tion and placing of the statue. It was voted that the remaining funds be raised by subscription. The com- mittee on ways and means, together with twenty-three other persons, were designated to have charge of rais- ing the money. At a meeting of this committee the follo^ving week, it was reported that Payson Tucker, Esq., had given, on behalf of the Maine and New Hampshire Granite Company, stone for a pedestal, of the value of five hundred dollars. The stone Avas cut by Hawkes Brothers, Portland, according to the beautiful design by Mr. Fassett, who generously presented to the asso- ciation a receipted bill of one hundred and forty-five dollars for his services. 12 LONGFELLO W STA TUE ASSOCIA TION. Messrs. Libby, Barrage and Eicharclson were ap- pointed a committee to issue cireulars asking for sub- scriptions of at least ten dollars each, for the comple- tion of the fund. This proved a successful appeal and about one thousand six hundred dcjllars were raised in this way. The Portland Longfellow Chautauqua Circle gave an entertainment in City Hall which yielded over two hundred dollars. At the annual meeting of the association, February 27, 1888, the list of officers of the previous year with slio;ht chano:es were acrain elected. At a meeting of the association. May 16, 1888, it was reported that the statue had been successfully cast and was read}^ for shipment. September 8, two thousand dollars were lacking to complete the fund. An effort was at once made to secure this amount, and with such gratifying results that arrano-ements were made for the unveilinyi: of the statue, which arrived in Portland on Monday, Sep- tember 24, and on the following day was placed on its pedestal already erected in State Street, now Ijy action of the Common Council, hereafter to Ije named Longfellow Square. UNVEILING THE STArUE. \^ EXERCISES AT I'lIE UNVEILING OF THE STATUE. The statue was luivoiled on Saturday afternoon, September 29, 1888, at three o'clock, in the presence of an immense concourse of people. A stand for the band and speakers was erected just south of the statue. Settees were phiced in front of the statue and were reserved for the hidies and invited guests. Among the members of the Longfellow family in attendance were Mrs. Greenleaf of Cambridge, and Mrs. Pierce of Portland, sisters of the poet, Mrs. Dana, daughter of the poet, with her son Henry, and Alexander Long- fellow, brother of the poet. Letters of regret were received from President Eliot of Harvard, Rev. Edward E. Hale, George William Curtis, E. C. Stedman, T. W. Hii):;2!;inson, Goori>:e W. Cable, Ernest W. Lono-fellow, T. B. Aldrich, George Bancroft, Samuel L. Clemens and others. 14 LONGFELLOW STA TUE ASSOC LA TLON. George William Curtis wrote as follows : — I have just received your kind invitation to the ceremony of unvc'ilinuj the statue of Lonj^Fellt^w •aw'X I regret extremely that I am unable to accept it. No words that may he spolcen can over[)raise the tender beauty of his song, the sim|>le manliness of his character and the )>urity of his life. Portland may well ])ay homage to her famous son and illustrate in the memorial she raises the (jualities which she holds to be worthy of i)erpetual reverence. T. W. Higgiiison wrote as follows : — I regret very much my inability to be present at the unveiling of the statue of Longfellow. It is eminently ap[»ropriate that it should be phiced in the city which gave him birth a:id which he loved so much. George Bancroft wrote : — I share all your admiration and pride in Longfellow's charac- ter as a poet and as a man ; l>ut on account of my age I dare not promise to be with you on the day which you set apart to com- memorate his genius and his virtues. T. B. Aldricli wrote : — I have just returned from abroad after a three months' absence, and at present I find it impossible to leave home even for a day. I am greatly obliged to you for your kind invitation. Some time I shall make a pilgrimage to Portland for no other purpose than to see the statue of her beloved poet. UNVEILING THE STATITE. 15 Hon. James W. Bradbury, of Augusta, in accepiino; the invitation to be present, said : — I have never received auythiiig but kindness fnjni the people of Portland, Members of the Longfellow Statue Asso(',i;ition occu- pied seats near the platform. Previous to the exereises the First Reghuent Band played several selections. At three o'clock, the Hag which covered the statue was removed, amid hearty demonstrations of admiration and approval from the great number of people present. Clarence W. Peabody, of the Portland High School, read the prelude, written by George E. B. Jackson, Esq. This was followed by the singing of Longfellow's " Psalm of Life," admirably rendered by school child- ren, under the direction of Mrs. Merrill, teacher of singing in the public schools. Hon. Charles F. Libby, president of the Longfellow Statue Association, then delivered an oration, which was responded to by Mayor Chapman. The poem, written by Mrs. E. Cavazza, was read by Hon. Stanley T. PuUen. The exercises closed by the singing of the Doxology, " Praise God from whom all blessings flow," and music by the band. THE LITERARY EXERCISES. PRELUDE.* BY (;kok(;k k. b. .iackson. This sculptured form, 'T is but the semblance, And still 'tis he! Amid the bnsy throng. Calmly he sits ; Of all that pass along, Heedless is he ! His gaze is fixed toward home. He loved it well, And yet he seeth naught ! His ears attent To catch the rustling leaves Of Deering woods, But still he heareth not ! Well hath the sculptor wrought. Making the seeming — real, The fiction — fact. And, in enduring bronze. His very form hath caught ! We, living, thee salute, Sweetest of bards! Thy voice hath ceased to be, Read by ("lareiice W. I'caboily ot the I'ortlaml lli;;li SiIkh 18 LONGFELLOW STA TUE ASSOCIA TION. Yet through tlic world Excelsior's fliig unfurled Bears, in its strange device, Thy name and fame ! Thy Psalm of Life still lives And to the weary gives Its heaven-taught blessed words; In pure Evangeline, The unsullied life is thine; While from the Wayside Inn, And Village Blacksmith's din. Thy fancy weaves such forms Of beauty and of grace, That, but to speak thy name. Sets all our hearts aflame, And chief of bards we place Our Longfellow ! The poet needs no monument In lasting bronze or stone ; So long as man shall live. His silver words alone Shall keep his memory green ! Yet, fitly, in his boyhood home. The old town by the sea. Beneath these arching elms. Where he so loved to be, His sculptured form we place ! And in the days and years to come, When men are asked to name Whom Portland honors first, Deserving poet's fame, All shall point hitherward! UNVEILING THE STATUE. 19 ORATION BY HON. CHARLES F. LIBBY. Ladies and Getitlemen: — The occasion tliut brings us together today is one of more than passing interest, and marks an important event in tlie Ufe of our city. As citizens, we have assembled to honor the memory of the most illustrious of her sons, to pay our tribute to a life of singular purity and merit, to give expres- sion in permanent form to our admiration for the qual- ities of mind and heart which have made Longfellow the best known and loved of American poets. We have called to our aid the sculptor's art, to per- petuate in enduring bronze the physical aspects of the man, the dignity and charm of his person. But this is not the full meaning of our act ; it is the life of the poet rather than his fame or achievements, great as the}^ were, which we would emphasize today. We would have this statue stand as a monument to indi- vidual worth, a tribute to noble living. Fortunately it is not necessary to separate the poet from the man in this tribute of our admiration, for his poems are but the expression of his life, and Longfellow is greater than any of his poems. What manner of man he was, what thoughts he spoke, what ideals he cherished. 20 /- ONGFEL LOW STATUE A SSOC/A TION. what life he lived, arc luatter.s which possess a pecu- liai" interest to us, who claim him as " to the manner born. " As we stand upon this s[)()t today, almost the center of our city's j)o]ndation and growth, it is diflRcult to recall the Portland of eighty years ago — the Portland of Longfellow's childhood and youth — then a town of between six and seven thousand inhabitants, with its center of population east of Exchange street, with its northerly slope toward Back Bay thinly sprinkled with houses, with but a single house upon State street — the residence of a future chief-justice of the state — with Bramhall and Munjoy hills thickly grown with bushes, and hardly reclaimed from nature's hands ; and yet, as a town, it already gave evidence of the thrift and enterprise of its inlialiitants, which, notwith- standing its repeated calamities and misfortunes, have enabled it to rise thrice from its ashes, and each time to gain vantage ground from apparently overwhelming disaster. But however much the Portland of the past may differ from that of the present, so far as the hand of man is concerned, the natural beauties of its situation, which have made it, and will ever make it, one of na- tures's loveliest pictures, were the same at the time of Longfellow's birth as toda3^ Fore River, Back Biiy, Deering Woods, Casco Bay, dotted with islands (the Hesperides of his youthful dreams), the open sea, the rich stretch of landscape with its background of the White Hills, are all the same. They ai-c permanent UNVEILING T//E STATUE. 21 features of oui- ^'beautiful town hy tlie sea," to which Lonfcllow ever returned witli filial love and admiration, seeking the memories of his lost youth amid the scenes that had first awakened his boyish yearnings and as- pirations. Such surroundings as these had much to do with the unfolding of his sensitive and responsive nature. They furnished the background to the picture, the stimulant to his youthful fancy and imagination. Nature in her large and varied way supplied what was lacking in the narrow life of the town, and ministered to the needs of an ardent and thoughtful temperament, which turned from the ordinary pursuits of men and sought companionship in books and in the creations of his own imagination. It is hard to realize the difference between the intellectual life of today and that of the early part of this century in New England. The prodigious stride we have made in the world of letters, the widenino- of our intellectual horizon by greater facilities of travel and inter-communication, the changes in the social and material couditions of life which have emancipated us from the narrowness and isolation of a new civilization and brought us into a close and sympathetic companion- ship with the spirit of the old world, have wrought a revolution so great in all that ministers to the intel- lectual growth of a nation that it seems hardly pos- sible that a century could have produced results so wides^Dreading and beneficent. In the early part of this century American literature was a thing hardly begotten. It had not yet escaped from the trammels 22 LONGFELLO W S TA TUE ASSOC/ A TION. which local custom and conditions liiid placed upon it. America had no literary school worthy of the name. Its energies ha.d been too much absorbed in the solu- tion of practical problems of government to Ikivc much time for the cultivation of the fine arts. The national spirit had not yet found its best literary form and expression. Our intense struggle for national existence, our constant contest with material sui'round- inirs to jxain a broader foothold for our civilization, had produced an activity and unrest wliicli had little harmony with cloistered shades or a life of scholarly meditation. The very intensity of our national feel- ing precluded that sympathy with the life and institu- tions of the past which is essential to the creation of the highest literature. The breadth and sweep of our genius was shown in a political rather than a lit- erary form. Foreign nations had little to furnish us in the way of guides to our national development. The old civilization was too much wedded to the past, was associated too intimately with theories and insti- tutions which vexed our spirit and aroused our antago- nism, to make us alive to its merits or tolerant of its defects. Conditions like these do not favor the pursuit of a literary career ; and it is a proof of the strong and pervading qualities of his mind, that Longfellow was able to withstand the current of his time and to follow unchecked the career which his genius marked out for him. The prosaic life of a New England town was not able to check the genuine instincts of the poet. UNVEILING TIfE STATUE. 23 His refined and sensitive nature fomid all that was necessary for its growth in its surroundings, and with that power of selection which marks all highly-organ- ized minds, was able to find among the common thiuiis of life the elements of beauty and truth and to invest them with a new spiritual significance. The outward world was to him hut the manifestation of tlie spirit ; and the inner life, the life of thought and feeling, more than all things else. His temperament was a happy blending of the seriousness and earnestness of the New England character with the cheerfulness and buoyancy of more sunny climes. He was not born out of joint with the world, but in harmony with the whole creation. He had neither the aggressiveness of the reformer nor the narrowness and intolerance of the bigot. Of a deeply religious nature, his religion was of the heart nitlier than of the head. It was based upon the beatitudes rather than the terrors of Sinai. At a time when New England was intensely Calvinistic, and Edward Payson, one of its foremost exponents, swayed the minds of his towaismen by his powerful logic and appeals, Longfellow was able to hold to what seemed to him a more reasonable faith and one which, interpreted by his early pastor. Dr. Nichols, was not lacking in deep spirituality. In one of his later poems we find the expression of his creed. It is the simple thought By the great Master taught, And that remaineth still : Not he that repeateth the name But he that doeth the will. 24 ^ ONGFEL L O IV S TA TUE A SSO CIA TION. He held his religious faith as he held his opinion ot" men and things, not as matters for controversy, but as genuine convictions, charitably formed, firmly held, and consistently lived up to. Of the impress which Longfellow has made upon his own generation, it is difHcult to measure the full value and extent. His quarter of a century of work as professor of modern languages in two of our higher institutions of learning, enabled him to give an impulse to many minds, the effect of which is still felt. His contributions to American literature were timely and important. He brought from his European studies and travel the elements which were wanting to its' growth, the spirit and traditions of an older civ- ilization and an atmosphere of riper and broader cul- ture. That our American literature has thrown aside its provincial dress and has attained Ji recognition beyond the sea, is largely due to the influence which Longfellow exerted on its early growth. His labors in German, French, Italian and Spanish literature were pioneer work for American scholarship. They prepared the way for greater things and Ijrought in their train results which are now seen in the more generous culture and varied scholarship of our own day. His anti-slavery })oems show that he was not lack- ing in the courage of his convictions, and that he was stirred by acts of deep wrong and injustice. Yet his was essentially a gentle nature, one which would suffer wrong rather than inflict it, one which found little UNVEILING THE STATUE. 25 pleasure in tlu> fierce ])()leinics of life, Init genuine sat- isfaction in acts of kiiidlv courtesy and benevolence. His was not an exclusive and narrow spirit wliich could not he touched by the sorrows of our coinmon luunanity. His sympathies were broad and delicate, nay, almost womanly. He ignored none. of the ordi- nary experiences of life. He had tasted its strange mixture of joy and sorrow. The burdens of our race he bore upon his heart, and gathered into his broad humanity the varied phases of our checkered life. In the preseuce of the mysteries which hem in the cycle of our lives, his was a reverent but courageous attitude. His poems breathe the spirit of a lofty resignation which indulges in no wild declamation of grief, but, sustained by a faith which falters not when tested, bows his head before the storm and resolutely takes up his load and pushes on. What sympathy he has for human sorrow ! How gently he touches the chords of human feelings and soothes the wounded heart with words of consolation, such only as the heart that has known its own sorrows can utter. Wherever the English tongue is spoken his lyrics have become house- hold words. He has entered into every home as a gracious presence, voicing its joys and sorrows, speak- ing words of comfort and of cheer. " As no unwel- come guest," he has been received, repaying its hospi- tality with ministrations of gentleness and peace, lift- ing the downhearted, soothing the distressed, and infusing new courage for the battle of life. 26 LONGFELLO W S TA TUE ASSOC I A TTON. His philosophy of life has no uncertain sound. With him Life is real, life is earnest, And the grave is not its goal. lie indulges in no vain regrets or useless lamenta- tion. The present is always with us, pressing us with its duties to be performed ; the future lies before us with its dangers and opportunities calling for courage and faith. It is summed up in the motto of Hyperion : '^ Look not mournfidly into the Past : it comes not back again ; wisely improve the Present : it is thine ; cro forth to meet the shadowy Future without fear, and with a manly heart." Such as this motto indicates, was his life. Sincere, manly, courageous, steadfast to its ideals, constant to the end. In this busy world of the nineteenth century, with its bustle and whirl, its strife and con- tention, its mad pursuit of wealth, its feverish excite- ment and unrest, he lived his life, unmoved by all " vain pomps and shows," untainted by envy, greed, or unworthy ambition, a serene, pure and courageous spirit, whose verses partake of the character of the man, strong, simple and harmonious. Who shall measure the value of such a life, so rounded and com- plete, so perfect in all its relations of husband, father, citizen, Jind friend. It was my good fortune to be present at Bowdoin college on the fiftieth anniversary of his class and to hear him deliver the poem prepared for that occasion. UNVEILING THE STA TUE. 27 a poem which ono ol' his eulogists has called " the grandest hymn to age that was ever written." The scene has left a ])icture upon my mind that T love to recall and contemplate — a picture of old age oi" rare dignity, serenity, and beauty, accompanied with a charm of speech and graciousness of manner which held the listener as in a spell. Into the poem was compressed the gathered wisdom of a long and fruitful life. Its rhythmic and stately measure was in keeping with the theme. With what tender and manly feeling did he greet the classmates of fifty year." before, with what generous words of en- couragement and praise greet the youth who were about to enter tlie race, what grand and impressive tones he uttered as he touched on some of the solemn themes of life, with what calm philosophy did he face the mysteries of death, with what earnestness proclaim the opportunities of the present. For ago is opportunity No less than youth itself, though in another dress, And as the evening twilight fades away The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day. The ])oet himself has left us, but the fragrance of his life remains. Those who have known him person- ally will soon follow, and another generation will know him only in his works. But in these his fame is secure, for he has written himself into his poems and his own verse is his most fitting eulogy : — He the sweetest of all singers, Beautiful and childlike was he, 28 LONGFELLOW STA TUR ASSOCLA TLON. Brave as man is, soft as woman, Pliant as a wand of willow, Stately as a deer with antlers. All the many sounds of nature Borrowed sweetness from his singing ; All the hearts of men were softened By the pathos of his music ; For he sang of peace and freedom. Sang of beauty, love and longing ; Sang of death, and life undying In the land of the Hereafter. For his gentleness they loved him, And the magic of his singing. The Longfellow Statue Association of Portland, has accomplished the purpose of its organization. Its work is now done. It only remains for me as presi- dent of the association to formally transfer to the chief magistrate of our city the custody of this statue, which perpetuates the memory of Longfellow and adds new interest to the city of his birth. It is the work of one of Maine's gifted sons, and the cunning hand of the sculptor has with rare fidelity and success reproduced the manly grace and beauty of the original. To this spot, henceforth dedicated to the genius of Longfellow, future generations will come to pay their tribute of homage and respect to the poet and the man. So long as this statue shall endure it will stand as a, silent reminder of the value of a pure aud un- tarnished life, of noble endeavor directed to worthy ends. UiVVEIIJNG THE STAniE. 20 RESPONSE. IJY IIOX, CHARLES .1. CPAPMAX, MAVOlt. Mr. President, Members of the Longfellow Statue Association., Ladies and Gentlemen: — It is with tV'clin^ii-s of profound appreciation and gratitude that I, in l)e- half of the city of Porthmd. accept at the hands of your association, this artistic memorial of her most distinguished son, and officially commit it to such sa- cred municipal custody as shall henceforth serve as a protection against wanton injury, or the too despoiling ravages of time. For the bestowal upon our city of so appropriate and welcome a gift, no words of mine can render ade- quate thanks, nor will 1 mock the opportunity with any such attempt ; and yet I feel constrained to offer some passing compliment not only for the worthy mo- tive which prompted your association, but also for the uniform wisdom which has characterized its methods. Animated with the exalted object of commemorating the sublimest accomplishments of poetic genius, in a masterpiece of art, you followed not the too prevalent opinion that such a privilege is the exclusive preroga- tive of wealth, but encouraged the cooperation of every person whose sympathy accorded with your purpose ; and today it is a source of exceeding satis- faction that this statue has been erected not by the generosity of a devoted few, but through the glad of- 30 LONGFELLO W STA TUE ASSOCIA TION. ierings of a iiiultitiidc of appreciative hearts, young Miul old. And if superioi- jud<,nnent was exercised in opening wide the door for pubhc contribution toward this statue, certainly no less wisdom was displayed in the felicitous selection of its sculptor. The former policy broad- ened the circle of individual into general interest ; the latter act kindled common interest into enthusiasm, since both the affection and pride of Portland stir at mention of the name of Simmons, for many years a favorite resident in our midst. Aware of his native talent, familiar with his early training, acquainted with his growing career, justly proud of his well-earned fame, and gratefully conscious of the luster reflected by his reputation upon his adopted city, what more befitting, or better calculated to arouse local enthusiasm, than that his masterful hand should be employed in molding an image of our beloved poet, whose acquaintance, in common with ourselves, he had once enjoyed, and whose reproduc- tion in bronze it became almost possible for him to endow with that sweet personality of character which he had encountered in living contact. Significant, then, the choice, and most appropriate, of Simmons as sculptor of the first statue erected in memory of Longfellow. Doubly significant and ap- propriate the circumstance that such statue should be located amid the scenes of Longfellow's boyhood, within view of those Deering w^oods whose carpet of oak-strewn leaves his youthful feet were accustomed UNVEILING THE STA TUE. 31 to tread, ^vh()^