Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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1 8 The Annual of How strange it was for anyone to be married after this manner. But Petrucio had some purpose in view. Immedi- ately after the ceremony was concluded he and Kate started for his country home. Poor Kate, how little she knew what was in store for her! Were all shrews tamed in the same way ? Her life was made miserable. For some time she was not allowed to eat nor sleep in peace. What she liked, Petrucio disliked, what she was pleased with, he found fault with. At last she decided that the best thing for her to do, was to agree to everything he said. She soon saw that she had found some one with as strong a will as her own and after having tried to resist, she finally gave in. When she returned to her father ' s home, they could not believe their eyes. Was that mild, gentle woman the same Kate that had so lately left them ? She was even gentler than Lucentio ' s beautiful wife, for he had married Bianca. Every one decided that Petrucio had gained the day, and he was fully rewarded by having the obedient, gentle Kather- ina for his wife. Eva Baker McCue. Staunton, Va, HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland, Feb. 27th, 1807. The house in which his early childhood was spent may be seen to-day, in outward appearance very like the many houses around it, but ever to be held sacred to the memory of one of our greatest American poets. At eighteen years of age, he graduated at Bowdoin College ; the next year, he went to Europe chiefly for the sake of study. On his re- turn, at the end of several years, he accepted a position as professor of modern languages at Brunswick University, where he remained until he was offered a position at Harvard. He

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The Maty Bald ' d ' in Scminaiy. 17 share her fortune. This obliging personage was, Petrucio of Verona. Hortensio and Lucentio now saw a chance to win Bianca ' s love. Baptista had said that he wanted teachers for Bianca. Hortensio, under the assumed name of Licio, became a musi- cian, and Lucentio having changed names and clothes with his servant, Tranio, became tutor to Bianca. Petrucio now determined not to waste anytime and started out in search of Baptista. He had no sooner been introduced to Baptista, than he began to tell him of his errand. Baptista, having first learned that Petrucio was a very weathly gentle- man of Verona, willingly consented to give him Katharina for his wife. Now came the tug of war. How should he ever gain Kate ' s consent to marry him ? Petrucio, however, had quite as strong a will as Kate, and he went to her with the firm resolve to win her. After quite a struggle, he left her, declaring that she would see him hanged before she would marry him. Petrucio, however, informed Baptista that Kate had consented to marry him , and that the following Sunday he would return and claim her for his bride. At last the appointed day had arrived, the bride was waiting, but no bride-groom. Everyone had come to the conclusion that he was not coming, when a messenger came rushing in announcing the arrival of Petrucio. Why Petrucio is coming in a new hat and an old jerkin ; a pair of old breeches, thrice turned ; a pair of boots that have been candle cases, one buckled, the other laced and an old rnsty sword ta ' en out of the town armoury with a broken hilt and chapeless with broken points. His hor.se is hipped with an old raothy saddle and stirrups of no kindred. Everyone Was surprised to see Petrucio dressed thus, re- monstrated with him, offered to lend him clothes etc.. but all to no avail. Petrucio paid no attention to them, but asked for Kate, his, lovely bride.

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The Mary Baldwin Seminary- 19 determined to accept this, hut before doing so, spent a year or two in Enrope, preparing himself more tliort)Ughly for the place. He held this position until 1839, when he resigned it, that he might have more leisure for literary pursuits. When twenty-five years of age, he married Mary Slower Potter, of Portland ; after the death of this lady, which occur- red within a few years, he married Frances Elizabeth Apple- ton, of Boston. Her father gave her, at the time of their mar- riage, the house which Washington had made his headquar- ters, duiing the siege of Boston. This became the poet ' s per- manent home. After eighteen years of happy married life, Mrs. Longfellow was snatched away by a horrible death, that of burning. Her husband never recovered from the shock and the grief caused by this event. He lived chiefly in retire- ment for the remaining years of his life. In the year ' 82, he passed quietly away, an old man full of honors as of years, and loved and reverenced by all who knew him. Especially was he loved and reverenced by the young, and was called the chil- dren ' s poet. When the spreading chestnut tree, which he immortalized in his poem of The Village Blacksmith, was struck by lightning and killed, years after the poem was writ- ten, the children of the neighborhood had a chair made of it for him to whom its fame was due. It was in the spring, the season, that he loved so well, that he left the world budding into new life, fresh with the first green of the meadows and gay with the songs of birds. He wrote many .sonnets and short stories in verse ; in all his lines there is a soft echo of the great voice of nature ; we hear it as we read of rippling brooks, of rustling woods, of the waves washing upon the shore. In many of his poems, there is a touch of sadne.ss, a shadow, as of sorrow which time has softened, but cannot efface. One of his short, descriptive poems is entitled Woods in Winter The winter scene is beautifully described. The trees uprear their leafless branches to the cold, gray sky. Not a bird nor an insect is heard ; the very brooks, that babbled merrily in the gay summer months, are now silent beneath