Through the Year With Famous Authors Part 57

A sacred spark created by his breath, The immortal mind of man his image bears; A spirit living 'midst the forms of death, Oppressed, but not subdued by mortal cares.

"Written After Recovery from a Dangerous Illness,"--_Sir H.

Davy_.

SIR HUMPHRY DAVY, an eminent English chemist, philosopher and man of letters, was born at Penzance, Cornwall, December 17, 1778, and died at Geneva, Switzerland, May 29, 1829. He wrote: "Consolations in Travel, or the Last Days of a Philosopher," "Chemical and Philosophical Researches," "On the Safety Lamp and on Flame," etc.

For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: "It might have been!"

"Maud Muller,"--_John Greenleaf Whittier_.

JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER, a renowned American poet, was born at Haverhill, Ma.s.sachusetts, December 17, 1807, and died at Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, September 1892. Among his noted poems are: "Barbara Frietchie," "Skipper Ireson's Ride," "Snow-Bound," "Maud Muller," "My Playmate," "Laus Deo," "My Birthday," and "The Tent on the Beach."

A charge to keep I have, A G.o.d to glorify; A never dying soul to save, And fit it for the sky.

"Christian Fidelity,"--_Charles Wesley_.

CHARLES WESLEY, a famous English clergyman and poet, was born at Epworth, Lincolnshire, December 18, 1708, and died in London, March 29, 1788. He was called "the poet of Methodism," but many of his beautiful hymns are used in all denominations of the Protestant church.

'Tis noon;--a calm unbroken sleep Is on the blue waves of the deep; A soft haze like a fairy dream, Is floating over wood and stream; And many a broad magnolia flower, Within its shadowy woodland bower, Is gleaming like a lovely star.

"To An Absent Wife," St. 2,--_George D. Prentice_.

GEORGE DENISON PRENTICE, a distinguished American journalist, poet, and author, was born at Preston, Conn., December 18, 1802, and died January 22, 1870. He published in 1860, "Prenticeana" a collection of pointed paragraphs. His other works are: "Life of Henry Clay," and "Poems."

There is no to-morrow; though before our face the shadow named so stretches, we always fail to o'ertake it, hasten as we may.

--_Margaret J. Preston_.

MARGARET JUNKIN PRESTON, a celebrated American author, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., December 19 (?), 1825, and died in 1897. She has written: "Silverwood" (a novel), "Old Songs and New," "Cartoons,"

"Beechen-brook," "Colonial Ballads," "For Love's Sake," "Aunt Dorothy,"

etc.

Man is his own star; and that soul that can Be honest is the only perfect man.

Upon an "Honest Man's Fortune,"--_John Fletcher_.

JOHN FLETCHER, the renowned English dramatist, was born in Rye, Suss.e.x, December 20 (?), 1579 and died in London, August, 1625. A few of his famous plays are: "The Wild Goose Chase," "The Loyal Subject," "Monsieur Thomas," "The Faithful Shepherdess," "A Wife for a Month," "Wit Without Money," "The Chances," "Bonduca," "The Mad Lover," and "Rule a Wife and Have a Wife." His name has always been a.s.sociated with that of Francis Beaumont, and together they wrote many plays; but the beforementioned works were written by Fletcher alone.

Whenever a snowflake leaves the sky, It turns and turns to say "Good-by!

Good-by, dear clouds, so cool and gray!"

Then lightly travels on its way.

"Snowflakes,"--_Mary Mapes Dodge_.

MARY ELIZABETH MAPES DODGE, a noted American editor, poet and author, was born in New York City, December 20 (?),1838, and died in 1905. She has written: "Irvington Stories," "Along the Way" (poems), "Theophilus and Others," "The Land of Pluck," "Donald and Dorothy," "The Golden Gate," "Poems and Verses," and "Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates," her most famous work.

Je crains Dieu, cher Abner, et n'ai point d'autre crainte.[1]

"Athalie," Act. i, Sc. I,--_Racine_.

JEAN BAPTISTE RACINE, the ill.u.s.trious French dramatist, was born at La Ferte-Milon, December 21, 1639, and died at Paris, April 26, 1699. His greatest works were: "The Thebaid," "The Pleaders," "Alexander,"

"Berenice," "Bajazet," "Esther," "Athalie," "Mithridates," "Iphigenia,"

"The Chaplain's Wig," "Phaedra," "Nymphs of the Seine," "Letters," and "Abridgment of the History of Port Royal," his last dramatic work.

The world is a wheel, and it will all come round right.

"Endymion," Chap. lxx,--_Benjamin Disraeli_.

BENJAMIN DISRAELI, Lord Beaconsfield, an eminent English statesman and novelist, was born in London, December 21, 1804, and died April 19, 1881. Among his celebrated works are: "The Young Duke," "Vivian Grey,"

"Venetia," "The Rise of Iskander," "Henrietta Temple," "The Revolutionary Epic," "Sibyl," "Tancred," "Lothair," and "Endymion."

To be really cosmopolitan a man must be at home even in his own country.

"Short Studies of American Authors: Henry James, Jr.,"--_T. W.

Higginson_.

THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGGINSON, a distinguished American poet, essayist and novelist, was born in Cambridge, Ma.s.s., December 22, 1823, and died in 1911. Among his writings are: "Atlantic Essays," "Out-Door Papers," "The Afternoon Landscape," "Life of Margaret Fuller," "Short Studies of American Authors," "Young Folks' History of the United States,"

"Concerning All of Us," "Cheerful Yesterdays," "Old Cambridge,"

"Contemporaries," "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow," "Part of a Man's Life,"

"Life of Stephen Higginson," etc.

I have a liking old For thee, though manifold Stories, I know, are told Not to thy credit.

"Ode to Tobacco,"--_Charles Stuart Calverley_.

CHARLES STUART CALVERLEY, a noted English poet and humorist, was born at Martley, Worcestershire, December 22, 1831, and died February 17, 1884.

He wrote: "Verses and Translations," and "Society Verses."

If I had a device, it would be the true, the true only, leaving the beautiful and the good to settle matters afterwards as best they could.

--_C. A. Sainte-Beuve_.

CHARLES AUGUSTIN SAINTE-BEUVE, the great French literary critic, was born at Boulogne-sur-Mer, December 23, 1804, and died at Paris, October 13, 1869. He wrote: "Literary Critiques and Portraits," "Literary Portraits," "History of Port Royal," "Contemporary Portraits," "Picture of French Poetry in the Sixteenth Century," "Meditations in August,"

"Consolations," "Poems," his celebrated "Monday Talks," etc.

We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success. We often discover what will do by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery.