THE RANDALL FAMILY 49
of which was issued in 1856, and reviewed shortly after in the North American, while the others, nearly or par- tially completed at the outbreak of the civil war, still lie unfinished among the many wrecks of Time painful to most of us to look back upon, or reflect themselves on a Future whose skies are as yet obscure.'
"Dr. Randall was never married, and resides with his sister in Roxbury."
A few personal reminiscences of the poet, in addition to the foregoing record for the Class of 1834, and in re- sponse to my request, were very kindly communicated to me by Mr. Gushing, a short time before his death, who also obtained for me a few more from Dr. Henry Blan- chard, another member of the same Class. These are here inserted in the words of the writers, omitting only Mr. Cushing's direct quotations from the record just printed in full, as follows : —
170 Newbury St., Sept. 25, 1895. Rev. F. E. Abbot :
Dear Sir, — Having promised you some account of my school-and-classmate, the late John W. Randall, I do not know that I can begin better than to use the same lan- guage that I used in the " Memorials of the Class of 1834 " in regard to him. . . .
Though sitting on the same bench with him, I never penetrated a certain reserve that enveloped him. I have no recollection of ever seeing him join in the sports of his schoolmates or indulge in the light-heartedness of the typical boy. Perhaps he had already begun to gratify the poetical and scientific tastes which afterwards distinguished him. They would certainly have been a great relief to
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