Ir cannot be denied that the poet, though born and not made, must be strongly influenced by his early surroundings. John Greenleaf Whittier was but little indebted to scholarly culture or to art or to literary companionship; he was self-made and largely self-taught. Born near Haverhill, Mass., on December 17th, 1807, he worked on his father's farm and received the rudiments of education at home. After he was seventeen years old, he attended the Haverhill Academy for two terms, and at nineteen he began to contribute anonymous poems to the Free Press, edited by Wm. Lloyd Garrison. Then began a friendship between the editor and the young poet which was cemented by their joint activity in the great Abolition Contest. Whittier wrote fervid anti-slavery lyrics, edited newspapers in Boston, Haverhill and Hartford, and was for a year a member of the Massachusetts legislature. In 1831, he published his first collection of poems, "Legends of New England," a number of Indian traditions, and shortly afterwards a poetical tale, "Mogg Megone." In 1836 he was appointed secretary of the American Anti-Slavery Society, and later became editor of the Pennsylvania Freeman, in Philadelphia. But the abolition cause was intensely unpopular; the printing office was at one time sacked and burned, and the editor was forced many times to face enraged mobs. In the Freeman appeared some of Whittier's best anti-slavery lyrics. There was crude force in these scornfully indignant lyrics, for though Whittier inherited Quaker blood, and adhered to the Quaker practice, he was a fiery apostle of human brotherhood. His health was always delicate, which he attributed to the "toughening" process, common when he was a boy. In 1840, he settled down at Ir cannot be denied r MAN 2 THT TO WE M012211 Abe andreds som on ei mothed onemlinomitest insta ac bone doid anoia T egislatisdo owl new 97odt som bozanq ai dhe e o oggi ms2 mot gidersins etely od antwollo ono tesoo oft gnols ribot 95.10 26. dopo, Indt word Voj e'yab s bombol bis vizitos.omoalorw weud to Tutros s Sendships betware set to sec Mabig oft Toba boт2019 ceranted beithio je.ei siste 238 9 on ysbo enim Whitepedi Hotelgea podpora zrnis evil tilt aang ofw in in Boston, Haverhill! placil art liud odw saods bib her of bug momow bus golo, talpa ni blod ai robog. aidT on to any em modis Ji 19th of bewolls his first colection to shrm an moitgood enotieiv of mogo bernblada toba 297 i oved or etnobias79 tale, "Mogg Megone." I. 16 hestar bavi9997 Tow vode bas the American Anti-Slavery Society of the Pennsylvania Fren an, in Pla tion cause was intensely popular, one time sacked and barne, and the times to tace enraged mos in the. of Whittier's best anti-slavery lyrics. in these scornfully indignant lyrics, for ed Quaker blood, and adhered to the a fiery apostle of hun brotherl. As delicate, which he tinted to mon when he was. In 1 |