first visit to new england-第1章
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First Visit to New England
by William Dean Howells
CONTENTS：
Bibliographical
My First Visit to New England
First Impressions of Literary New York
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL
Long before I began the papers which make up this volume； I had meant to
write of literary history in New England as I had known it in the lives
of its great exemplars during the twenty…five years I lived near them。
In fact； I had meant to do this from the time I came among them； but I
let the days in which I almost constantly saw them go by without record
save such as I carried in a memory retentive； indeed； beyond the common；
but not so full as I could have wished when I began to invoke it for my
work。 Still； upon insistent appeal； it responded in sufficient
abundance； and； though I now wish I could have remembered more instances；
I think my impressions were accurate enough。 I am sure of having tried
honestly to impart them in the ten years or more when I was desultorily
endeavoring to share them with the reader。
The papers were written pretty much in the order they have here；
beginning with My First Visit to New England； which dates from the
earliest eighteen…nineties； if I may trust my recollection of reading it
from the manuscript to the editor of Harper's Magazine； where we lay
under the willows of Magnolia one pleasant summer morning in the first
years of that decade。 It was printed no great while after in that
periodical； but I was so long in finishing the study of Lowell that it
had been anticipated in Harper's by other reminiscences of him； and it
was therefore first printed in Scribner's Magazine。 It was the paper
with which I took the most pains； and when it was completed I still felt
it so incomplete that I referred it to his closest and my best friend；
the late Charles Eliot Norton； for his criticism。 He thought it wanting
in unity； it was a group of studies instead of one study； he said； I must
do something to draw the different sketches together in a single effect
of portraiture； and this I did my best to do。
It was the latest written of the three articles which give the volume
substance； and it represents mare finally and fully than the others my
sense of the literary importance of the men whose like we shall not look
upon again。 Longfellow was easily the greatest poet of the three； Holmes
often the most brilliant and felicitous； but Lowell； in spite of his
forays in politics； was the finest scholar and the most profoundly
literary； as he was above the others most deeply and thoroughly New
England in quality。
While I was doing these sketches； sometimes slighter and sometimes less
slight； of all those poets and essayists and novelists I had known in
Cambridge and Boston and Concord and New York； I was doing many other
things： half a dozen novels； as many more novelettes and shorter stories；
with essays and criticisms and verses； so that in January； 1900； I had
not yet done the paper on Lowell； which； with another； was to complete my
reminiscences of American literary life as I had witnessed it。 When they
were all done at last they were republished in a volume which found
instant favor beyond my deserts if not its own。
There was a good deal of trouble with the name； but Literary Friends and
Acquaintance was an endeavor for modest accuracy with which I remained
satisfied until I thought； long too late； of Literary Friends and
Neighbors。 Then I perceived that this would have been still more
accurate and quite as modest； and I gladly give any reader leave to call
the book by that name who likes。
Since the collection was first made； I have written little else quite of
the kind； except the paper on Bret Harte； which was first printed shortly
after his death； and the study of Mark Twain； which I had been preparing
to make for forty years and more； and wrote in two weeks of the spring of
1910。 Others of my time and place have now passed whither there is
neither time nor place； and there are moments when I feel that I must try
to call them back and pay them such honor as my sense of their worth may
give； but the impulse has as yet failed to effect itself； and I do not
know how long I shall spare myself the supreme pleasure…pain； the 〃hochst
angenehmer Schmerz；〃 of seeking to live here with those who live here no
more。
W。 D。 H。
LITERARY FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCEMy First Visit to New England
MY FIRST VISIT TO NEW ENGLAND
If there was any one in the world who had his being more wholly in
literature than I had in 1860； I am sure I should not have known where to
find him； and I doubt if he could have been found nearer the centres of
literary activity than I then was； or among those more purely devoted to
literature than myself。 I had been for three years a writer of news
paragraphs； book notices； and political leaders on a daily paper in an
inland city； and I do not know that my life differed outwardly from that
of any other young journalist； who had begun as I had in a country
printing…office； and might be supposed to be looking forward to
advancement in his profession or in public affairs。 But inwardly it was
altogether different with me。 Inwardly I was a poet； with no wish to be
anything else； unless in a moment of careless affluence I might so far
forget myself as to be a novelist。 I was； with my friend J。 J。 Piatt；
the half…author of a little volume of very unknown verse； and Mr。 Lowell
had lately accepted and had begun to print in the Atlantic Monthly five
or six poems of mine。 Besides this I had written poems； and sketches；
and criticisms for the Saturday Press of New York； a long…forgotten but
once very lively expression of literary intention in an extinct bohemia
of that city； and I was always writing poems； and sketches； and
criticisms in our own paper。 These； as well as my feats in the renowned
periodicals of the East； met with kindness； if not honor； in my own city
which ought to have given me grave doubts whether I was any real prophet。
But it only intensified my literary ambition； already so strong that my
veins might well have run ink rather than blood； and gave me a higher
opinion of my fellow…citizens； if such a thing could be。 They were
indeed very charming people； and such of them as I mostly saw were
readers and lovers of books。 Society in Columbus at that day had a
pleasant refinement which I think I do not exaggerate in the fond
retrospect。 It had the finality which it seems to have had nowhere since
the war； it had certain fixed ideals； which were none the less graceful
and becoming because they were the simple old American ideals； now
vanished； or fast vanishing； before the knowledge of good and evil as
they have it in Europe； and as it has imparted itself to American travel
and sojourn。 There was a mixture of many strains in the capital of Ohio；
as there was throughout the State。 Virginia； Kentucky； Pennsylvania； New
York； and New England all joined to characterize the manners and customs。
I suppose it was the South which gave the social tone； the intellectual
taste among the elders was the Southern taste for the classic and the
standard in literature； but we who were younger preferred the modern
authors： we read Thackeray； and George Eliot； and Hawthorne； and Charles
Reade； and De Quincey； and Tennyson； and Browning； and Emerson； and
Longfellow； and II read Heine； and evermore Heine； when there was not
some new thing from the others。 Now and then an immediate French book
penetrated to us： we read Michelet and About； I remember。 We looked to
England and the East largely for our literary opinions； we accepted the
Saturday Review as law if we could not quite receive it as gospel。 One
of us took the Cornhill Magazine； because Thackeray was the editor； the
Atlantic Monthly counted many readers among us； and a visiting young lady
from New England； who screamed at sight of the periodical in one of our
houses； 〃Why； have you got the Atlantic Monthly out here？〃 could be
answered； with cold superiority； 〃There are several contributors to the
Atlantic in Columbus。〃 There were in fact two： my room…mate； who wrote
Browning for i
