Page:Famous Single Poems (1924).djvu/79

 father at the time of his marriage. He served as a major in General Montgomery's expedition to Canada, but was invalided home in December, 1775, and saw no further military service. After the Revolution, he held various minor offices, such as assessor and justice of the peace, ind did some public surveying, but most of his time was spent looking after his farm. He was twice married, had twelve children, and died February 29, 1828.

Mr. Livingston seems to have been a genial and cultivated gentleman, and all his life he had a fondness for writing playful rhymes for the amusement of his family. Some of these were published in contemporary newspapers and magazines, as were also a number of prose arrives on such subjects as "Antiquity and University of the English Language," "Journal of Asiatic Expedition," or descriptive of plates made from the author's drawings. He was evidently very proud of these drawings, which though rude are not without merit, for he always carefully signed them.

A manuscript book containing forty-four of his poems written between 1784 and 1789 is in the possession of Dr. Thomas. In addition to the evidence which these poems furnish, and the persistence of the legend itself, the belief that Mr. Livingston wrote "A Visit from St. Nicholas" is supported by a number of family