Page:Poems and essays (IA poemsessays00howerich).pdf/9

For a long time Mr. Howe looked forward to having a few years of leisure during which he might be able to complete, and present to the Public in two or three volumes, several unfinished literary efforts, together with a number of his smaller poems written in moments of leisure snatched at intervals from the engrossing occupation of a very active political life. His sudden and untimely death unhappily prevented the realization of this idea, but his family, desiring to carry out, as far as it is in their power, what he wished to accomplish, have determined to publish one volume of selections from his works, that under happier circumstances would have appeared in a larger and more complete form. These selections embrace a number of short poems on various subjects, many of which were written in early life, some portions of an unfinished poem entitled "Acadia," together with the essay read on the tercentenary of Shakspeare in Halifax in 1864, and now out