. Of his longer poems the most read and
admired are his beautiful romance of "Evangeline," and his epic of
"Hiawatha," but it is hardly too much to say that for the last sixty
years, his "Psalm of Life" has been the common property of all American,
if not English school-children, and a part of their education. When he
was in London, Queen Victoria sent for him to come and see her at the
palace. He went, and just as he was seating himself in the waiting coach
after the interview, a man in working clothes appeared, hat in hand, at
the coach window.

"Please sir, yer honor," said he, "an' are you Mr. Longfellow?"

"I am Mr. Longfellow," said the poet.

"An' did you write the Psalm of Life?" he asked.

"I wrote the Psalm of Life," replied the poet.

"An', yer honor, would you be willing to take a workingman by the hand?"

Mr. Longfellow gave the honest Englishman a hearty handshake, "And"
(said he in telling the story) "I never in my life received a compliment
that gave me more satisfaction."

The incident has a delightful democratic flavor--and it is perfectly
characteristic of the amiable author of the most popular poem in the
English language. The "Psalm of Life" is a wonderful example of the
power of commonplaces put into tuneful and elegant verse.

The thought of setting the poem to music came to the compiler of one of
the Unitarian church singing books. Some will question, however, whether
the selection was the happiest that could have been made. The tune is
"Rathbun," Ithamar Conkey's melody that always recalls Sir John
Bowring's great hymn of praise.

"BUILD THEE MORE NOBLE MANSIONS."

This poem by Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, known among his works as "The
Chambered Nautilus," was considered by himself as his worthiest
achievement in verse, and his wish that it might live is likely to be
fulfilled. It is stately, and in character and effect a rhythmic sermon
from a text in "natural theology." The biography of one of the little
molluscan sea-navigators that continually enlarges its shell to adapt it
to its growth inspired the thoughtful lines. The third, fourth and
fifth stanzas are as follows:

Year after year beheld the silent toil
That spread the lustrous coil;
Still, as the spiral grew,
He left the last year's dwelling for the new,
Stole with soft step the shining archway through,
Built up its idle door,
Stretched in his last-found home, and knew the ol