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Show POEFS EARLIEST ''GEfT RECITED Informal Celebration ol Centennial . Anniversary of Longfellow's Birth in the City Schools Today. j . i One hundred years ago today, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, probably the most popular of American poets, was born. The . anniversary is being celebrated cele-brated in practically all the city schools. There are no formal programs of exercises, exer-cises, but in many of the rooms there are readings and recitations from Longfellow's Long-fellow's poems. Pupils have been working work-ing on these recitations for several days. In several of the rooms, also, portraits por-traits of the poet are displayed. In some of the primary grades Longfellow Long-fellow 's first poem, written when he was 9 years old. is being recited. This "gem" is as follows: Mr. Finney had a turnip, And it grew, and it gcew," And it grew behind the barn And the turnip did no harm. . And Jt grew, and It grew. Till it could grow no longer, Then Mr. Finney took It And put It in the cellar. There It lay, there it lay Till It began to rot: ' Then his daughter Polly took it And put it tn the pot. Then she washed it and boiled it As long: as she was able, Tnen tils daughter Susie took It And put it on the table. Mr. Finney and his wife Both sat down to sup. And they ate, and they ate, And they ate it all up. |