Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1894 — Holmes as a Hymnologist. [ARTICLE]

Holmes as a Hymnologist.

The great group of early American poets no longer exists. Brvant i 17.4187.>), Emerson (1803-1882', Longfellow (1807-1892), Lowell (1819-1891’, Whittier 180 -1892), and Holmes (1809-1894), constituted that group. All were contributors to hymnology, arid all save Whittier were Unitarians. Longs How wa- the author of eight hymns, although he never sought to be a hymnist. He was the translator of a German hymn by Simon Dach (1605165 >), of Luther’s “Ein Feste Burg,” a few of the hymns of Frederick von Lo a i (1604-1655), a vesper hymn of the Greek Church, and a Latin hymn. Erne son wrote two hymns. Jamas Russell Lowell wrote none, although two selections from his severely Intellectual poetry have been used as such. Whittier affii med that he was not a hymnist, for the reason that ho knew nothing of music. Few of his pieces were written for sing;ng. He did not claim that he had succeeded in comp sing a hymn, yet thirty three selections have been compiled rom his poems as hymns. He outranks in this respect all the greater New England oets. Oliver Wende 1 Holmes wrote seven hymns.—Boston Transcript.

NewDigi ni for Paper Currency. The Treasury Department at Washington is preparing to spend between $50,090 ana SIOO,OOO to give the people of the United States a more artistic paper currency. Of course, any estimate of the possible cost of the changes in design of the treasury notes and certificates is necessarily vague and unsatisfactory. And to abillion-dollar country the amount to be spent is small if it were $200,000, considering th • results to be attained. But the great American public usually wants to know of any public work just what it cost; and as nearly as an estimate can be formed at the present time, the reform inaugurated under Secretary Carlisle by Chief Johnson, of the Bureau o Engraving and Printing, will cost t least $50,0,0. There are thirtynix designs to be changed eventually; though the present plan contemplates the experimental change of but six ilie designs for the silver certificates f the denominations of sl, $2, $5, sl., 5 i and SIOO. If these changes are acceptable to the public, the others will I .flow.