Chapter XII: Preface (12)

It must have been because he was so fond of children that Longfellow became known as the “Children’s Poet.” In the hall of quaint old Craigie House, which became the poet’s home, stood the stately “Old Clock on the Stairs,” solemnly ticking: “Forever, never! Never, forever!” In the early morning the spacious rooms were made bright with the merry laughter of Longfellow’s three little daughters, running down to spend an hour with their kindly, white-haired poet father. Of this he wrote in a poem named “The Children’s Hour”:

“From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.”

Longfellow’s last poem was about “The Bells of San Blas,” which appeared in print just a few days before he died. The close of this--the last poetry he ever wrote--were these three lines:

“Out of the shadow of night
The world rolls into light--
It is daybreak everywhere.”

INDEX

KEY TO PRONUNCIATION

āte, sen*ate, râre, căt, loc*al, fär, åsk, p_å_rade; scēne, *event, ĕdge, nov*el, refḛr; rîght, sĭn; cōld, *obey, côrd, stŏp, c*ompare; ūnit, *unite, bûrn, cŭt, foc*us, menü; bōōt, fŏŏt; f=ou=nd; b=oi=l; fuṅction; =ch=ase; =g=ood; =j=oy; _th_en, =th=ick; hw = wh as in when; zh = z as in azure; kh = ch as in loch.

A

Aaron (ā´r*on), 3

Aboukir (_å_-bōō-kēr´) Bay, 75

Achilles (å-kĭl´ēz), 12

Acre (ä´kêr), (see _Akka_)

Africa (ăf´rĭ-k_å_), 32

Akka (ä´kå), 49

Albany (ôl´b_å_-nĭ), 118

Alciun (*al´sĭ-ŭn), 33

Alden (ôl´dĕn), John, 162

Alexander (ăl´´ĕg-zăn´dĕr) the Great, 20-24;
conquers Persia, 22

Alexandria (ăl´´ĕg-zăn´drĭ-_å_), 24

Alfred (ăl´frĕd), King, 37, 41

Alfred the Great, (see _Alfred, King_)

Alps (ălps) Mountains, 69

Annapolis (ă-nåp´*o-lĭs), 342

“Apology of Socrates,” 19

Arden (är´dĕn), Mary, 58

“Ashland,” 325

Asia Minor (ā´sh_å_ mī´nḛr), 26

Athens (ăth´ĕnz), 15

Aztecs (ăz´tĕks), 90

B

Baltimore (bôl´tĭ-mōr), (See _Calvert, George_)

Barton (bär´tŭn), Clara, 358-364

Battle Hill, 44

Beacon Hill, 174

Blackstone, William, 173

_Bon Homme Richard_ (b*o-n*om rē´´-shär´), 212

Boone (bōōn), Daniel, 232-240

Boulogne (bōō-lŏn´; Fr. bōō´´lō´ṅy), 36

Bowdoin (bō´d’n) College, 368

Bowie (bō´*e), Colonel James, 265

Braddock (brăd´*ok), General Edward, 301

Bradford (brăd´fḛrd), William, 162

Brandywine (brăn´dĭ-wīn´´), battle of, 205, 304

Brewster (brōō´stḛr), Elder, 161

Britain (brit´_å_n), 28

Bryant (brē´_å_nt), William Cullen, 332

Bull Run, battle of, 345

Burr (bŭr), Colonel Aaron, 304, 308