first visit to new england-第3章

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I　liked　him。　　He　had　a　fervent　devotion　to　his　art；　and　he　was　always
going　to　do　the　greatest　things　in　it；　with　an　expectation　of　effect　that
never　failed　him。　　The　things　he　actually　did　were　none　of　them　mean；
or　wanting　in　quality；　and　some　of　them　are　of　a　lasting　charm　that　any
one　may　feel　who　will　turn　to　his　poems；　but　no　doubt　many　of　them　fell
short　of　his　hopes　of　them　with　the　reader。　　It　was　fine　to　meet　him　when
he　was　full　of　a　new　scheme；　he　talked　of　it　with　a　single…hearted　joy；
and　tried　to　make　you　see　it　of　the　same　colors　and　proportions　it　wore
to　his　eyes。　　He　spared　no　toil　to　make　it　the　perfect　thing　he　dreamed
it；　and　he　was　not　discouraged　by　any　disappointment　he　suffered　with　the
critic　or　the　public。

He　was　a　tireless　worker；　and　at　last　his　health　failed　under　his　labors
at　the　newspaper　desk；　beneath　the　midnight　gas；　when　he　should　long　have
rested　from　such　labors。　　I　believe　he　was　obliged　to　do　them　through　one
of　those　business　fortuities　which　deform　and　embitter　all　our　lives；
but　he　was　not　the　man　to　spare　himself　in　any　case。　　He　was　always
attempting　new　things；　and　he　never　ceased　endeavoring　to　make　his
scholarship　reparation　for　the　want　of　earlier　opportunity　and　training。
I　remember　that　I　met　him　once　in　a　Cambridge　street　with　a　book　in　his
hand　which　he　let　me　take　in　mine。　　It　was　a　Greek　author；　and　he　said　he
was　just　beginning　to　read　the　language　at　fifty：　a　patriarchal　age　to　me
of　the　early　thirties！

I　suppose　I　intimated　the　surprise　I　felt　at　his　taking　it　up　so　late　in
the　day；　for　he　said；　with　charming　seriousness；　〃Oh；　but　you　know；
I　expect　to　use　it　in　the　other　world。〃　　Yea；　that　made　it　worth　while；
I　consented；　but　was　he　sure　of　the　other　world？　　〃As　sure　as　I　am　of
this；〃　he　said；　and　I　have　always　kept　the　impression　of　the　young　faith
which　spoke　in　his　voice　and　was　more　than　his　words。

I　saw　him　last　in　the　hour　of　those　tremendous　adieux　which　were　paid　him
in　New　York　before　he　sailed　to　be　minister　in　Germany。　　It　was　one　of
the　most　graceful　things　done　by　President　Hayes；　who；　most　of　all　our
Presidents　after　Lincoln；　honored　himself　in　honoring　literature　by　his
appointments；　to　give　that　place　to　Bayard　Taylor。　　There　was　no　one　more
fit　for　it；　and　it　was　peculiarly　fit　that　he　should　be　so　distinguished
to　a　people　who　knew　and　valued　his　scholarship　and　the　service　he　had
done　German　letters。　　He　was　as　happy　in　it；　apparently；　as　a　man　could
be　in　anything　here　below；　and　he　enjoyed　to　the　last　drop　the　many　cups
of　kindness　pressed　to　his　lips　in　parting；　though　I　believe　these
farewells；　at　a　time　when　he　was　already　fagged　with　work　and　excitement；
were　notably　harmful　to　him；　and　helped　to　hasten　his　end。　　Some　of　us
who　were　near　of　friendship　went　down　to　see　him　off　when　he　sailed；　as
the　dismal　and　futile　wont　of　friends　is；　and　I　recall　the　kind；　great
fellow　standing　in　the　cabin；　amid　those　sad　flowers　that　heaped　the
tables；　saying　good…by　to　one　after　another；　and　smiling　fondly；　smiling
wearily；　upon　all。　　There　was　champagne；　of　course；　and　an　odious
hilarity；　without　meaning　and　without　remission；　till　the　warning　bell
chased　us　ashore；　and　our　brave　poet　escaped　with　what　was　left　of　his
life。




IV

I　have　followed　him　far　from　the　moment　of　our　first　meeting；　but　even　on
my　way　to　venerate　those　New　England　luminaries；　which　chiefly　drew　my
eyes；　I　could　not　pay　a　less　devoir　to　an　author　who；　if　Curtis　was　not；
was　chief　of　the　New　York　group　of　authors　in　that　day。　　I　distinguished
between　the　New…Englanders　and　the　New…Yorkers；　and　I　suppose　there　is　no
question　but　our　literary　centre　was　then　in　Boston；　wherever　it　is；　or
is　not；　at　present。　　But　I　thought　Taylor　then；　and　I　think　him　now；　one
of　the　first　in　our　whole　American　province　of　the　republic　of　letters；
in　a　day　when　it　was　in　a　recognizably　flourishing　state；　whether　we
regard　quantity　or　quality　in　the　names　that　gave　it　lustre。　　Lowell　was
then　in　perfect　command　of　those　varied　forces　which　will　long；　if　not
lastingly；　keep　him　in　memory　as　first　among　our　literary　men；　and　master
in　more　kinds　than　any　other　American。　　Longfellow　was　in　the　fulness　of
his　world…wide　fame；　and　in　the　ripeness　of　the　beautiful　genius　which
was　not　to　know　decay　while　life　endured。　　Emerson　had　emerged　from　the
popular　darkness　which　had　so　long　held　him　a　hopeless　mystic；　and　was
shining　a　lambent　star　of　poesy　and　prophecy　at　the　zenith。　　Hawthorne；
the　exquisite　artist；　the　unrivalled　dreamer；　whom　we　still　always　liken
this　one　and　that　one　to；　whenever　this　one　or　that　one　promises　greatly
to　please　us；　and　still　leave　without　a　rival；　without　a　companion；　had
lately　returned　from　his　long　sojourn　abroad；　and　had　given　us　the　last
of　the　incomparable　romances　which　the　world　was　to　have　perfect　from　his
hand。　　Doctor　Holmes　had　surpassed　all　expectations　in　those　who　most
admired　his　brilliant　humor　and　charming　poetry　by　the　invention　of　a　new
attitude　if　not　a　new　sort　in　literature。　　The　turn　that　civic　affairs
had　taken　was　favorable　to　the　widest　recognition　of　Whittier's　splendid
lyrical　gift；　and　that　heart　of　fire；　doubly　snow…bound　by　Quaker
tradition　and　Puritan　environment；　was　penetrating　every　generous　breast
with　its　flamy　impulses；　and　fusing　all　wills　in　its　noble　purpose。　　Mrs。
Stowe；　who　far　outfamed　the　rest　as　the　author　of　the　most　renowned　novel
ever　written；　was　proving　it　no　accident　or　miracle　by　the　fiction　she
was　still　writing。

This　great　New　England　group　might　be　enlarged　perhaps　without　loss　of
quality　by　the　inclusion　of　Thoreau；　who　came　somewhat　before　his　time；
and　whose　drastic　criticism　of　our　expediential　and　mainly　futile
civilization　would　find　more　intelligent　acceptance　now　than　it　did　then；
when　all　resentment　of　its　defects　was　specialized　in　enmity　to　Southern
slavery。　　Doctor　Edward　Everett　Hale　belonged　in　this　group　too；　by
virtue　of　that　humor；　the　most　inventive　and　the　most　fantastic；　the
sanest；　the　sweetest；　the　truest；　which　had　begun　to　find　expression　in
the　Atlantic　Monthly；　and　there　a　wonderful　young　girl　had　written　a
series　of　vivid　sketches　and　taken　the　heart　of　youth　everywhere　with
amaze　and　joy；　so　that　I　thought　it　would　be　no　less　an　event　to　meet
Harriet　Prescott　than　to　meet　any　of　those　I　have　named。

I　expected　somehow　to　meet　them　all；　and　I　imagined　them　all　easily
accessible　in　the　office　of　the　Atlantic　Monthly；　which　had　lately
adventured　in　the　fine　air　of　high　literature　where　so　many　other
periodicals　had　gasped　and　died　before　it。　　The　best　of　these；　hitherto；
and　better　even　than　the　Atlantic　for　some　reasons；　the　lamented　Putnam's
Magazine；　had　perished　of　inanition　at　New　York；　and　the　claim　of　the
commercial　capital　to　the　literary　primacy　had　passed　with　that　brilliant
venture。　　New　York　had　nothing　distinctive　to　show　for　American
literature　but　the　decrepit　and　doting　Knickerbocker　Magazine。　　Harper's
New　Monthly；　though　Curtis　had　already　come　to　it　from　the　wreck　of
Putnam's；　and　it　had　long　ceased　to　be　eclectic　in　material；　and　had
begun　to　stand　for　native　work　in　the　allied　arts　which　it　has　since　so
magnificently　advanced；　was　not　distinctively　literary；　and　the　Weekly
had　just　begun　to　make　itself　known。　　The　Century；　Scribner's；　the
Cosmopolitan；　McClure's；　and　I　know　not　what　others；　were　still
unimagined　by　five；　and　ten；　and　twenty　years；　and　the　Galaxy　was　to
flash　and　fade　before　any　of　them　should　kindle　its　more　effectual　fires。
The　Nation；　which　was　destined　to　chastise　rather　than　nurture　our　young
literature；　had　still　six　years　of　dreamless　potentiality　before　it；　and
the　Nation　was　always　more　Bostonian　than　New…Yorkish　by　nature；　whatever
it　was　by　nativity。

Philadelphia　had　long　counted　for　nothing　in　the　literary　field。
Graham's　Magazine　at　one　time　showed　a　certain　critical　force；　but　it
seemed　to　perish　of　this　expression　of　vitality；　and　there　remained
Godey's　Lady's　Book　and　Peterson's　Magazine；　publications　really
incredible　in　their　insipidity。　　In　the　South　there　was　nothing　but　a
mistaken　social　ideal；　with　the　moral　pri