448 



Poet-lore. 



After a few years more have elapsed, a visitor who sees the church 

 for the first time would hardly suspect that any repairs or altera- 

 tions had been made in the last half century. 



It was unfortunate that some excellent critics protested against 

 the restorations before they knew what they were to be ; and also 

 that the removal of some of the mural tablets to new positions 

 (not an unprecedented proceeding, as some people assumed, but 

 quite common in the restoration of other churches nnd of the great 

 cathedrals) aroused some opposition ; and that, as Mr. C. E. 

 Flower remarked, the vicar's ' want of tact and temper ' brought 

 upon him and the restoration committee 'a great deal of unde- 

 served and exaggerated criticism ' ; but the ih feeling due to 

 these causes appears now to have died out, and the restorations 

 are almost unanimously approved." 



1 



The ' Battle Hymn of the Republic ' sprang to life in 



Mrs. Julia Ward Howe's brain, shortly after witnessing a military 

 review. With the soldiers pressing about the carriage the poet 

 and her friends drove slowly, and she says in her interesting 

 'Reminiscences,' m Xho. Atlaiitic Monthly, ihiX they sang "from 

 time to time, snatches of army songs ; concluding, I think, with 



' John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the ground ; 

 His son] is marching on.' 



The soldier seemed to like this, and answered back : ' Good for 

 you ! ' Mr. Clarke said : ' Mrs. Howe, why do you not write 

 some good words for that stirring tune ' I replied that I had 

 often wished to do this, but had not as yet found in my mind any 

 leading toward it. 



I went to bed that night as usual and slept quite soundly, 

 according to my wont. I awoke in the grey of the morning 

 twilight, and, as I lay waiting for the dawn the long lines of the 

 desired poem began to twine themselves in my mind. Having 

 thought out all the stanzas, I said to myself : " I must get up and 



