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LONGITUDE

1114

LOON

In 1861, while yet in his prime, Longfellow's genius suffered partial eclipse in the shock of his wife's death by fire. He occupied himself for five years in translating Dante's Divine Comedy. Honors crowded thick and fast upon him both at home and abroad, but he was not spoiled by fame. He remained simple, kindly, sincere. His last years were encroached upon by visits and letters from admirers. He helped many an obscure writer by advice and introduction. His " children's hour" was continued for all children long after his own were grown up. The schoolchildren of Cambridge presented him, on his 72d birthday with a chair made from "the spreading chestnut tree." In his later years he collected the Poems of Places from all lands and tongues, a monumental task; and in 1880 he published his last volume of poems, — Ultima Thule. On the title-page was a motto from Horace — the prayer for an old age with unimpaired mind, not without honor nor lacking song.

The prayer was granted. After six months of failing health but unimpaired faculties the end came suddenly, a month after his 75th birthday. A beautiful soul, a beautiful life, a beautiful art nobly used — all were his. Whatever side of him one contemplates, he is helpful and inspiring. His memory is kept green by annual observance of his birthday in the public schools; and Craigie House js one of our few American shrines. His daughter Alice, the "grave Alice" of The Children's Hour, now an old lady, is the guardian of its hallowed treasuies, and receives the thousands of pilgrims who visit it each year. See Life by Samuel Longfellow.

Lon'gitude in geography is the angle at the pole between the meridian passing through Greenwich observatory, England, and the meridian passing through the observer's place. Since this angle is exactly proportional to the time required for the earth in its rotation to carry one meridian into the position formerly occupied by the other, we may define the difference of longitude between two places as the difference of their local times. Hence longitude is the amount by which noon at Greenwich is earlier or later than noon at the observer's place. Longitude may be determined by various astronomical methods, but either the mechanical or electrical method is usually employed. The simplest method is to carry a chronometer, set to Greenwich time, to the station under consideration. The reading of the chronometer at noon at this station will be the longitude of the station. This is the method almost exclusively used at sea. The most accurate determination is made by telegraph.

Long'street, James, a Confederate general, was born in South Carolina in 1821. He

GENERAL LONGSTREET

graduated at West Point in 1842, and fought in the Mexican War, being wounded at Cha-pultepec. He entered the Confederate service in 1861, serving under Beauregard. He fought in the first battle of Bull Run, and at the battle of Seven Pines (May 5, 1862) he gained distinction. In the battles of Cold H arbor and Frazier's Farm his division of 10,000 men lost over 4,000 in killed and wounded. With the rank of major-general he had charge of the army of northern Virginia, and helped to secure the victoiy at the second battle of Bull Run. He was in the battles of Antietam, South Mountain, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, and commanded one of the three corps of the army that invaded the north and fought the battle of Gettysburg. Sent to Tennessee, he was in time for the victory of Chick-amauga, but returned to the eastern army under Lee in March, 1864. Mistaken for a Union officer, he was severely wounded by his own soldiers in the battle of the Wilderness, and only returned to service in time for,the final battle of Petersburg and the council of war which decided to surrender the Confederate army. Known as Old Pete, he was considered the hardest fighter in the Confederate service. He was named minister to Turkey in 1880, and in 1898 was appointed commissioner of railways. He died on Jan. 2, 1904.

Loo-Choo (loo-choc/) Islands (also called Liu-Kiu or Riu-Kiu), a group of islands extending in a southwesterly direction from Kiushu in Japan. They are essentially Japanese, as their language and religious customs show. China holds a reserved claim upon them, but they really are a part of the Japanese empire. The people do not shave the hair, as do the Japanese, but pin it on the crown of the head with a star in front. The women tattoo their hands. The streets are paved with stone, and the houses are inclosed with walls ten or twelve feet high, which give the street a desolate appearance. There are no shops or storerooms in the towns, only a market-place for each town. The food of the people consists chiefly of sweet potatoes, pork and fish. Sugar and an aromatic orange are raised, and a small breed of ponies is found. The area is 950 square miles, and the population is estimated at 455,000, Loon. SEE DIVER,