Page:One of a thousand.djvu/671

 Will I TIER WHITTIER. 657 He was married in Roxbury, June 7, 1S55. to Eliza Isabel, eldest daughter of Benjamin F. and Eliza (Everett) Camp- hell. He has no children. lie was elected to the state Senate in 1884, and served one term. WHITTIER, JOHN GREENLEAF, the son of John and Abigail (Hussey) Whit- tier, was born at Haverhill in the valley of the Merrimack, Essex county, December 17, 1807. He has passed nearly his entire life in the same region, first in the town of Haverhill, and then in Amesbury, some nine miles distant. He is descended on his father's side from Thomas Whittier, who in the year 1638 came from Southampton, England, to New England, in the ship "Confidence," of London, John Dobson, master. Themother of the poet was a descendant of Christopher Hussey of Hampton, N. H., who married a daughter of Rev. Stephen Bachelor, the first minister in the town. Mr. Whittier received his early educa- tion al the district school at Haverhill, which he attended twelve weeks in the year. His first schoolmaster was Joshua Coffin, afterwards the historian of Newbury. An old friend and schoolmate of Whittier's says that sometimes, instead of doingsums on his slate at school, he was writing verses, even when a little lad. On leaving the district school, he attended Haverhill Acad emy for two terms. It is a well-known matter of record that the reading material that found its way to Farmer Whittier's house consisted of the almanac, the weekly paper, and scarce a score of books and pamphlets — among them "Lindley Murray's Reader." Al the age of eighteen some verses of his were sent to the local weekly paper, " The Newburyport Free Press," of which William Lloyd Garrison was the editor. They were published, much to the delight of the author, being the first time anything of his had appeared in print. Encouraged by his success, this was followed by other poems which attracted the attention of Garrison so strongly that he decided to ride over a distance of fifteen miles, and see his contributor, which he did, telling him that he had power as a writer, and urging him to improve his talents. His first connection in business was as editor of the "American Manufacturer" in Boston. He was subsequently editor of the " New England Review " at Hartford, Conn.; the "Essex Gazette," Haverhill; the " Pennsylvania Freeman," Philadel- phia ; the " Middlesex Standard," Lowell, and the " National Era," Washington, I » ( Mr. Whittier has been a member of the state Legislature, and was chosen as Re- publican presidential elector in i860 and '64. His religious connections are with the Friends. He has held the offices of secretary of the Anti-Slavery Society at its formation in 1833 ; overseer of Harvard College, and trustee of Brown University. His writings are characterized by earn- estness of tone, high moral purpose, and energy of expression. His spirit is that of a sincere and fearless reformer ; and his fervid appeals are the true utterances of a brave and loving heart. He describes JOHN G. WHITTIER. natural scenery correctly and beautifully, and a vein of genuine tenderness runs through his nature. He is a true son ol New England, and beneath the calm, fraternal bearing of the Quaker, muses the imaginative ardor of a devotee, both of nature and humanity. Mr. Whittier has been too prolific a writer to allow an enumeration of all the poems that have stirred the patriotic heart, touched the chords of sympathy, or awakened a holy purpose. His first volume was "Legends of New England," in prose and verse, published in Hartford, Conn., in 183 1. This was followed in early years by