Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/28

 LONGFELLOW

LONGFELLOW

himself for the position in Europe. Accordingly after spending the winter of 1825-26 in rest at his Portland home, reading a little in his father's law office, on May 15, 1828, he sailed for Havre-de- Gr&ce. He studied and traveled in France, Spain, Germany, Italy and England, and returned home in July, 1829, on receiving the news of the death of his sister Elizabeth. On the opening of the term at Bowdoin college in 1829, instead of the expected professorship he was offered the posi- tion of instructor, which lie rejected. At a meeting of the board of trustees on Sept. 1, 1829, it was voted to create the chair and elect him professor with a salary of $800, which was after- ward raised to $1000, a full professor's salary. He was also appointed librarian for one year with a salary of $100. He held both of these posi- tions until 1835, taught four modern languages and prepared his own text-books in French, Spanish and Italian. He began to contribute to the North American Review in April, 1831, arti- cles on the origin and progress of the French, Spanish and Italian languages and literature and also original translations. On the establishment of the New England Magazine by Joseph T. Buck- ingham in 1831, \\Q. sent to the opening number the first of a series called "The Schoolmaster" which were scenes from his travels in France. They were the first sketches of his " Outre Mer." He was married Sept. 14, 1831, to Mary Storer, daughter of Judge Barrett and Anne (Storer) Potter of Portland, Maine. She is commemo- rated in Longfellow' "Footsteps of Angels "as " the Being Beauteous Who unto my youth was given • More than all things else to love me. And is now a saint in heaven." They began housekeeping on Federal street, Brunswick, Maine, where Professor Longfellow attended liis classes and continued his literary work. In 1833 he published his first book " Coplas de Don Jorge Manrique," a translation from the Spanish, with an original essay. His second book, " Outre-Mer," was written somewhat after the style of Irving's "Sketch-Book" which had been Longfellow's favorite book when a boy. In December, 1834, he received a letter from President Josiah Quincy, offering him the professorhip of modern languages at Harvard col- lege. Professor Ticknor, who was about to resign bis ohair, having recommended him as his suooessor. When Longfellow accepted, it was suggested that he visit Europe for the purpose of perfecting himself in the German and Scandina- vian tongues and ho resigned from Bowdoin and in April, 1835, set sail with his wife for England, and thence, a few weeks later, went to Norway and Sweden. Late in the autumn he settled in Rotterdam, Holland, where his wife and child died Nov. 29, 1835. He passed the winter of

1835-36 in Heidelberg, Germany, where he met Bryant and his family. The spring and summer of 1836 were spent chiefly in Switzerland and the Tyrol, and at Interlachen lie met Frances Appleton, who afterward became his wife. He reached home in November, 1836, and in Decem- ber was established as Smith professor of French and Spanish languages and literatures and belles lettres at Harvard. He continued his contribu- tions to the periodicals, and in 1839 published " Hyperion : a Romance " which was inspired by Miss Appleton, who is pictured therein as " Mary

4.0AIOPRLI-OW'5 HOMe.,<:AAABRlt>CE..

Ashburton." In March, 1837, Nathaniel Haw- thorne, a classmate of Longfellow's at Bowdoin, sent to Longfellow his " Twice-told Tales " which he noticed in the North American Review of July, 1837, and was thus among the first to recognize Hawthorne's genius. In this year he also formed a strong and lasting friendship with Cornelius C. Felton, George S. Hilliard, Henry R. Cleveland and Charles Sumner. They called themselves the "Five of Clubs "and earned for themselves the sobriquet of the " Mutual Admiration So- ciety." "The Psalm of Life" appeared anony- mously in The Knickerbocker Magazine, in 1838, and was republished in Longfellow's first volume of poems, " The Voices of the Night," in 1839. He became a contributor to Graham's Magazine in 1841. In the spring of 1842 he obtained a six months' leave of absence and made a third visit to Europe. He was entertained in London for two weeks by Charles Dickens, and at Marien- berg-on-the-Rhine, where he si)ent the summer, he made the acquaintance of the German poet Freiligrath, which ripened into friendship and lasted until the latter's death. He was married, July 13, 1843, to Frances Elizabeth, daughter of Nathan and Maria Theresa (Gold) Appleton, and as a wedding gift Mr. Appleton presented to them Craigie House and estate, where the poet had lived since 1837. The subject of "Evange- line, a Tale of Acadia" (1847), was a gift from Hawthorne to Longfellow. This is considered Longfellow's representative poem and was his