The Poet Whittier's Ripe Old Age

Julin G. Wlilitn-i-, the gentío laiker poel is perhaps the best-known and moetboloved of the olil men of New Englaml. He must be called an okl man now, for althoufrh Btlll as youog as ever in bis ympathle8, 1k wil] next month celébrate hit elirhtleth birtliday. Mr. Wblttler is -till liviüK vcry quielly and eimply at liis fnvoriro "Ouk Knoll" in Danvers. His verses so piominently identify liim in the minds of all Kiialisli-speakinj? people that liiscarly stniKülisi" le'.ialfoftheabolltion cause aie almost lost Bijrht of by the younjrer Kenerntkwi of his ad ml reis. Mr. Whittier was boni Dec. 17, 1807, at Havervllle, Mass. He was brou;bt up on R farm, and liad only a common school education, learnlng while still a boy, the trade OÍ :i slmc-inakur. When only elghtteen yeara crtd he bean to oontribute verses to tbc HaverhJQl Gazette. In 1821) he became the editor of the American Manufacturar, aud a year later he took editorial charle of the New England Weekly Review. Aftcr a few nionths he riliirncil to tli' Hnverhill farm, where he remained for several years. In 1835 and iiü he represented liis nelfchbon in the lower brancli of the Leglalature. During the latter part of 18M li( became secretary of the American Anti-slavery Society, at l'liiladi.lphia, and in 'I8 and "M he wal the editor of the lVtinsylvania Freeman and Anti-slavery Journal. His offloe waspneked and burnpd by a niob, and rinally he came to Amoliury and scttlcil there in 1840. He wus the eorretpondlng editor oí the Natlona] Era oi Washington for sevcral yean, and contrlbated to tbat pubUcatlon miiny of bis best anti-slavery lyrics. Mr. Whlttler never married, bnt bas always lived in the inannerof simple (Juaker folk. It cannot be said that Mr. Wnittier's intellect bas in the slightest de:ree dlmmed witb bis advancing years, uiTi physically he is a remarkiibly wellpreserved man. Hut a very gradual feebleness hasaffected his bealth, and while be is still a well man, he can by no meaui be]decribed as a vijrorous one. Tiie preparatlona belng made by hls friends lor the celebratlon of hls eightieth birtliday will make the occasion one of national Interorti