s
He joined to courage strong."
IN REMEMBRANCE OF JOSEPH STURGE]

In a drawer of the desk is a most remarkable album of autographs of
public men, presented to Mr. Whittier on his eightieth birthday, by the
Essex Club. It is a tribute to the poet signed by every member of the
United States Senate and House of Representatives, the Supreme Court of
the United States, the Governor, ex-Governors, and Supreme Court of
Massachusetts, and all the members of the Essex Club; also, many
distinguished citizens, such as George Bancroft (who adds to his
autograph "with special good wishes to the coming octogenarian"),
Robert C. Winthrop, Frederick Douglass, and J. G. Blaine. An eloquent
speech of Senator Hoar, who suggested this unique tribute, is engrossed
in the exquisite penmanship of a colored man, to whom was intrusted the
ornamental pen-work of the whole volume. The congressional signatures
were obtained by Congressman Coggswell of the Essex district. It is
noticeable that no Southern member declined to sign this tribute to one
so identified with the anti-slavery movement.

The "garden room" remains almost precisely as when occupied by the
poet--the same chairs, open stove, books, pictures, and even wall-paper
and carpet, remaining in it as he placed them. In the north window the
flowers pressed between the plates of glass are those on receipt of
which he wrote "The Pressed Gentian." By the desk is the cane he
carried for more than fifty years, made of wood from his office in
Pennsylvania Hall, burned by a pro-slavery mob in 1838. This is the
cane for which he wrote the poem "The Relic:"--

"And even this relic from thy shrine,
O holy Freedom! hath to me
A potent power, a voice and sign
To testify of thee;
And, grasping it, methinks I feel
A deeper faith, a stronger zeal."

[Illustration: THE "GARDEN ROOM," AMESBURY HOME]

He had many canes given him, some valuable, but this plain stick was
the only one he ever carried. With this cane may be seen one made of
oak from the cottage of Barbara Frietchie--not, as was erroneously
stated in the biography, a cane carried by the patriotic Barbara. The
portraits he hung in this room are of Garrison, Thomas Starr King,
Emerson, Longfellow, Sturge, "Chinese" Gordon, and Matthew Franklin
Whittier. There is also a fine picture of his birthplace, a water-color
sent him by Bayard Taylor from the most northern point in Norway, and a
picture, also