first visit to new england-第6章

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the　literary　and　historical　associations　of　the　place。　　I　need　not　say
that　I　gave　myself　first　to　the　first；　and　it　rather　surprised　me　to　find
that　the　literary　associations　of　Boston　referred　so　largely　to
Cambridge。　　I　did　not　know　much　about　Cambridge；　except　that　it　was　the
seat　of　the　university　where　Lowell　was；　and　Longfellow　had　been；
professor；　and　somehow　I　had　not　realized　it　as　the　home　of　these　poets。
That　was　rather　stupid　of　me；　but　it　is　best　to　own　the　truth；　and
afterward　I　came　to　know　the　place　so　well　that　I　may　safely　confess　my
earlier　ignorance。

I　had　stopped　in　Boston　at　the　Tremont　House；　which　was　still　one　of　the
first　hostelries　of　the　country；　and　I　must　have　inquired　my　way　to
Cambridge　there；　but　I　was　sceptical　of　the　direction　the　Cambridge
horse…car　took　when　I　found　it；　and　I　hinted　to　the　driver　my　anxieties
as　to　why　he　should　be　starting　east　when　I　had　been　told　that　Cambridge
was　west　of　Boston。　　He　reassured　me　in　the　laconic　and　sarcastic　manner
of　his　kind；　and　we　really　reached　Cambridge　by　the　route　he　had　taken。

The　beautiful　elms　that　shaded　great　part　of　the　way　massed　themselves　in
the　〃groves　of　academe〃　at　the　Square；　and　showed　pleasant　glimpses　of
〃Old　Harvard's　scholar　factories　red；〃　then　far　fewer　than　now。　　It　must
have　been　in　vacation；　for　I　met　no　one　as　I　wandered　through　the　college
yard；　trying　to　make　up　my　mind　as　to　how　I　should　learn　where　Lowell
lived；　for　it　was　he　whom　I　had　come　to　find。　　He　had　not　only　taken　the
poems　I　sent　him；　but　he　had　printed　two　of　them　in　a　single　number　of
the　Atlantic；　and　had　even　written　me　a　little　note　about　them；　which　I
wore　next　my　heart　in　my　breast　pocket　till　I　almost　wore　it　out；　and　so
I　thought　I　might　fitly　report　myself　to　him。　　But　I　have　always　been
helpless　in　finding　my　way；　and　I　was　still　depressed　by　my　failure　to
convince　the　horse…car　driver　that　he　had　taken　the　wrong　road。　　I　let
several　people　go　by　without　questioning　them；　and　those　I　did　ask
abashed　me　farther　by　not　knowing　what　I　wanted　to　know。　　When　I　had
remitted　my　search　for　the　moment；　an　ancient　man；　with　an　open　mouth　and
an　inquiring　eye；　whom　I　never　afterwards　made　out　in　Cambridge；
addressed　me　with　a　hospitable　offer　to　show　me　the　Washington　Elm。
I　thought　this　would　give　me　time　to　embolden　myself　for　the　meeting　with
the　editor　of　the　Atlantic　if　I　should　ever　find　him；　and　I　went　with
that　kind　old　man；　who　when　he　had　shown　me　the　tree；　and　the　spot　where
Washington　stood　when　he　took　command　of　the　Continental　forces；　said
that　he　had　a　branch　of　it；　and　that　if　I　would　come　to　his　house　with
him　he　would　give　me　a　piece。　　In　the　end；　I　meant　merely　to　flatter　him
into　telling　me　where　I　could　find　Lowell；　but　I　dissembled　my　purpose
and　pretended　a　passion　for　a　piece　of　the　historic　elm；　and　the　old　man
led　me　not　only　to　his　house　but　his　wood…house；　where　he　sawed　me　off　a
block　so　generous　that　I　could　not　get　it　into　my　pocket。　　I　feigned　the
gratitude　which　I　could　see　that　he　expected；　and　then　I　took　courage　to
put　my　question　to　him。　　Perhaps　that　patriarch　lived　only　in　the　past；
and　cared　for　history　and　not　literature。　　He　confessed　that　he　could　not
tell　me　where　to　find　Lowell；　but　he　did　not　forsake　me；　he　set　forth
with　me　upon　the　street　again；　and　let　no　man　pass　without　asking　him。
In　the　end　we　met　one　who　was　able　to　say　where　Mr。　Lowell　was；　and　I
found　him　at　last　in　a　little　study　at　the　rear　of　a　pleasant；
old…fashioned　house　near　the　Delta。

Lowell　was　not　then　at　the　height　of　his　fame；　he　had　just　reached　this
thirty　years　after；　when　he　died；　but　I　doubt　if　he　was　ever　after　a
greater　power　in　his　own　country；　or　more　completely　embodied　the
literary　aspiration　which　would　not　and　could　not　part　itself　from　the
love　of　freedom　and　the　hope　of　justice。　　For　the　sake　of　these　he　had
been　willing　to　suffer　the　reproach　which　followed　their　friends　in　the
earlier　days　of　the　anti…slavery　struggle：　He　had　outlived　the　reproach
long　before；　but　the　fear　of　his　strength　remained　with　those　who　had
felt　it；　and　he　had　not　made　himself　more　generally　loved　by　the　'Fable
for　Critics'　than　by　the　'Biglow　Papers'；　probably。　　But　in　the　'Vision
of　Sir　Launfal'　and　the　'Legend　of　Brittany'　he　had　won　a　liking　if　not　a
listening　far　wider　than　his　humor　and　his　wit　had　got　him；　and　in　his
lectures　on　the　English　poets；　given　not　many　years　before　he　came　to　the
charge　of　the　Atlantic；　he　had　proved　himself　easily　the　wisest　and
finest　critic　in　our　language。　　He　was　already；　more　than　any　American
poet；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Dowered　with　the　hate　of　hate；　the　scorn　of　scorn；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　love　of　love；〃

and　he　held　a　place　in　the　public　sense　which　no　other　author　among　us
has　held。　　I　had　myself　never　been　a　great　reader　of　his　poetry；　when　I
met　him；　though　when　I　was　a　boy　of　ten　years　I　had　heard　my　father
repeat　passages　from　the　Biglow　Papers　against　war　and　slavery　and　the
war　for　slavery　upon　Mexico；　and　later　I　had　read　those　criticisms　of
English　poetry；　and　I　knew　Sir　Launfal　must　be　Lowell　in　some　sort；　but
my　love　for　him　as　a　poet　was　chiefly　centred　in　my　love　for　his　tender
rhyme；　'Auf　Wiedersehen'；　which　I　can　not　yet　read　without　something　of
the　young　pathos　it　first　stirred　in　me。　　I　knew　and　felt　his　greatness
some　how　apart　from　the　literary　proofs　of　it；　he　ruled　my　fancy　and　held
my　allegiance　as　a　character；　as　a　man；　and　I　am　neither　sorry　nor
ashamed　that　I　was　abashed　when　I　first　came　into　his　presence；　and　that
in　spite　of　his　words　of　welcome　I　sat　inwardly　quaking　before　him。　　He
was　then　forty…one　years　old；　and　nineteen　my　senior；　and　if　there　had
been　nothing　else　to　awe　me；　I　might　well　have　been　quelled　by　the
disparity　of　our　ages。　　But　I　have　always　been　willing　and　even　eager　to
do　homage　to　men　who　have　done　something；　and　notably　to　men　who　have
done　something。　　in　the　sort　I　wished　to　do　something　in；　myself。　　I
could　never　recognize　any　other　sort　of　superiority；　but　that　I　am　proud
to　recognize；　and　I　had　before　Lowell　some　such　feeling　as　an　obscure
subaltern　might　have　before　his　general。　　He　was　by　nature　a　bit　of　a
disciplinarian；　and　the　effect　was　from　him　as　well　as　in　me；　I　dare　say
he　let　me　feel　whatever　difference　there　was　as　helplessly　as　I　felt　it。
At　the　first　encounter　with　people　he　always　was　apt　to　have　a　certain
frosty　shyness；　a　smiling　cold；　as　from　the　long；　high…sunned　winters　of
his　Puritan　race；　he　was　not　quite　himself　till　he　had　made　you　aware　of
his　quality：　then　no　one　could　be　sweeter；　tenderer；　warmer　than　he；　then
he　made　you　free　of　his　whole　heart；　but　you　must　be　his　captive　before
he　could　do　that。　　His　whole　personality　had　now　an　instant　charm　for　me；
I　could　not　keep　my　eyes　from　those　beautiful　eyes　of　his；　which　had　a
certain　starry　serenity；　and　looked　out　so　purely　from　under　his　white
forehead；　shadowed　with　auburn　hair　untouched　by　age；　or　from　the　smile
that　shaped　the　auburn　beard；　and　gave　the　face　in　its　form　and　color　the
Christ…look　which　Page's　portrait　has　flattered　in　it。

His　voice　had　as　great　a　fascination　for　me　as　his　face。　　The　vibrant
tenderness　and　the　crisp　clearness　of　the　tones；　the　perfect　modulation；
the　clear　enunciation；　the　exquisite　accent；　the　elect　dictionI　did　not
know　enough　then　to　know　that　these　were　the　gifts；　these　were　the
graces；　of　one　from　whose　tongue　our　rough　English　came　music　such　as　I
should　never　hear　from　any　other。　　In　this　speech　there　was　nothing　of
our　slipshod　American　slovenliness；　but　a　truly　Italian　conscience　and　an
artistic　sense　of　beauty　in　the　instrument。

I　saw；　before　he　sat　down　across　his　writing…table　from　me；　that　he　was
not　far　from　the　medium　height；　but　his　erect　carriage　made　the　most　of
his　five　feet　and　odd　inches。　　He　had　been　smoking　the　pipe　he　loved；　and
he　put　it　back　in　his　mouth；　presently；　as　if　he　found　himself　at　greater
ease　with　it；　when　he　began　to　chat；　or　rather　to　let　me　show　what　manner
of　young　man　I　was　by　giving　me　the　first　word。　　I　told　him　of　the
trouble　I　had　in　finding　him；　and　I　could　not