REMINISCENCES.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2633, 14 September 1882, Page 3

REMINISCENCES.

When the late lamented poet Longfellow died the newspapers were straightway filled with ' reminisoenoes' written by obsoure rhymers who sought to advertise themselves at the oost of the dead. There was a remarkable sameness in all these ' reminisoenoes.' The writer always began by bewailing the death of one who he styled not only the most popular ol Amorioan poets, but' a dear and intimate friend,' and then proceeded to tell of his first interview with the poet. It appeared that the moment Mr Longfellow met a man who had written a few versos —say one of the authors of 'Beautiful Snow' —he instantly seized him by both hands and expressed his unbounded admiration of his rhymes. He usually said—- " My dear fellow, you are a true poet. I have written a few worthless verses, but if I had written the first two liceß of your ' Beautiful g now > —or your ' Book Me to Sleep, Mother,' as the oase may have been —I would be glad to die.' After this burst of admiration, Mr Longfellow made it a point to beg the writer to oome and spend a few years with him, so as to sustain and inspirit him with his sublime remarks about snow, rocks, and mothers, and the two poets immediately beoame the firmest and best of friends. Acoording to a careful oaloulation, made by an aooomplished statistician, Mr Longfellow during the last twtn'y-five years of his life must have spent some ten hours daily in welcoming and encouraging new poets at the rate of two poets per hour, and must have had an average number of 211 new poets staying at his house every day in the year.— New York Times.