first visit to new england-第9章

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wit　at　my　cost；　which　I　previsioned　in　my　misery；　I　knew　what　I　should
have　said　of　such　a　thing　myself；　if　it　had　been　another's。　　But　the
publisher　at　once　decided　that　the　sheet　must　be　reprinted；　and　I　went
away　weak　as　if　in　the　escape　from　some　deadly　peril。　　Afterwards　it
appeared　that　the　line　had　passed　the　first　proof…reader　as　I　wrote　it；
but　that　the　final　reader　had　entered　so　sympathetically　into　the
realistic　intention　of　my　poem　as　to　contribute　the　modification　which
had　nearly　been　my　end。




X。

As　it　fell　out；　I　lived　without　farther　difficulty　to　the　day　and　hour　of
the　dinner　Lowell　made　for　me；　and　I　really　think；　looking　at　myself
impersonally；　and　remembering　the　sort　of　young　fellow　I　was；　that　it
would　have　been　a　great　pity　if　I　had　not。　　The　dinner　was　at　the
old…fashioned　Boston　hour　of　two；　and　the　table　was　laid　for　four　people
in　some　little　upper　room　at　Parker's；　which　I　was　never　afterwards　able
to　make　sure　of。　　Lowell　was　already；　there　when　I　came；　and　he　presented
me；　to　my　inexpressible　delight　and　surprise；　to　Dr。　Holmes；　who　was
there　with　him。

Holmes　was　in　the　most　brilliant　hour　of　that　wonderful　second　youth
which　his　fame　flowered　into　long　after　the　world　thought　he　had
completed　the　cycle　of　his　literary　life。　　He　had　already　received　full
recognition　as　a　poet　of　delicate　wit；　nimble　humor；　airy　imagination；
and　exquisite　grace；　when　the　Autocrat　papers　advanced　his　name
indefinitely　beyond　the　bounds　which　most　immortals　would　have　found
range　enough。　　The　marvel　of　his　invention　was　still　fresh　in　the　minds
of　men；　and　time　had　not　dulled　in　any　measure　the　sense　of　its　novelty。
His　readers　all　fondly　identified　him　with　his　work；　and　I　fully　expected
to　find　myself　in　the　Autocrat's　presence　when　I　met　Dr。　　Holmes。　　But
the　fascination　was　none　the　less　for　that　reason；　and　the　winning　smile；
the　wise　and　humorous　glance；　the　whole　genial　manner　was　as　important　to
me　as　if　I　had　foreboded　something　altogether　different。　　I　found　him
physically　of　the　Napoleonic　height　which　spiritually　overtops　the　Alps；
and　I　could　look　into　his　face　without　that　unpleasant　effort　which
giants　of　inferior　mind　so　often　cost　the　man　of　five　feet　four。

A　little　while　after；　Fields　came　in；　and　then　our　number　and　my　pleasure
were　complete。

Nothing　else　so　richly　satisfactory；　indeed；　as　the　whole　affair　could
have　happened　to　a　like　youth　at　such　a　point　in　his　career；　and　when　I
sat　down　with　Doctor　Holmes　and　Mr。　Fields；　on　Lowell's　right；　I　felt
through　and　through　the　dramatic　perfection　of　the　event。　　The　kindly
Autocrat　recognized　some　such　quality　of　it　in　terms　which　were　not　the
less　precious　and　gracious　for　their　humorous　excess。　　I　have　no　reason
to　think　that　he　had　yet　read　any　of　my　poor　verses；　or　had　me　otherwise
than　wholly　on　trust　from　Lowell；　but　he　leaned　over　towards　his　host；
and　said；　with　a　laughing　look　at　me；　〃Well；　James；　this　is　something
like　the　apostolic　succession；　this　is　the　laying　on　of　hands。〃　　I　took
his　sweet　and　caressing　irony　as　he　meant　it；　but　the　charm　of　it　went　to
my　head　long　before　any　drop　of　wine；　together　with　the　charm　of　hearing
him　and　Lowell　calling　each　other　James　and　Wendell；　and　of　finding　them
still　cordially　boys　together。

I　would　gladly　have　glimmered　before　those　great　lights　in　the　talk　that
followed；　if　I　could　have　thought　of　anything　brilliant　to　say；　but　I
could　not；　and　so　I　let　them　shine　without　a　ray　of　reflected　splendor
from　me。　　It　was　such　talk　as　I　had；　of　course；　never　heard　before；　and
it　is　not　saying　enough　to　say　that　I　have　never　heard　such　talk　since
except　from　these　two　men。　　It　was　as　light　and　kind　as　it　was　deep　and
true；　and　it　ranged　over　a　hundred　things；　with　a　perpetual　sparkle　of
Doctor　Holmes's　wit；　and　the　constant　glow　of　Lowell's　incandescent
sense。　　From　time　to　time　Fields　came　in　with　one　of　his　delightful
stories　（sketches　of　character　they　were；　which　he　sometimes　did　not　mind
caricaturing）；　or　with　some　criticism　of　the　literary　situation　from　his
stand…point　of　both　lover　and　publisher　of　books。　　I　heard　fames　that　I
had　accepted　as　proofs　of　power　treated　as　factitious；　and　witnessed　a
frankness　concerning　authorship；　far　and　near；　that　I　had　not　dreamed　of
authors　using。　　When　Doctor　Holmes　understood　that　I　wrote　for　the
'Saturday　Press'；　which　was　running　amuck　among　some　Bostonian
immortalities　of　the　day；　he　seemed　willing　that　I　should　know　they　were
not　thought　so　very　undying　in　Boston；　and　that　I　should　not　take　the
notion　of　a　Mutual　Admiration　Society　too　seriously；　or　accept　the　New
York　Bohemian　view　of　Boston　as　true。　　For　the　most　part　the　talk　did　not
address　itself　to　me；　but　became　an　exchange　of　thoughts　and　fancies
between　himself　and　Lowell。　　They　touched；　I　remember；　on　certain　matters
of　technique；　and　the　doctor　confessed　that　he　had　a　prejudice　against
some　words　that　he　could　not　overcome；　for　instance；　he　said；　nothing
could　induce　him　to　use　'neath　for　beneath；　no　exigency　of　versification
or　stress　of　rhyme。　　Lowell　contended　that　he　would　use　any　word　that
carried　his　meaning；　and　I　think　he　did　this　to　the　hurt　of　some　of　his
earlier　things。　　He　was　then　probably　in　the　revolt　against　too　much
literature　in　literature；　which　every　one　is　destined　sooner　or　later　to
share；　there　was　a　certain　roughness；　very　like　crudeness；　which　he
indulged　before　his　thought　and　phrase　mellowed　to　one　music　in　his　later
work。　　I　tacitly　agreed　rather　with　the　doctor；　though　I　did　not　swerve
from　my　allegiance　to　Lowell；　and　if　I　had　spoken　I　should　have　sided
with　him：　I　would　have　given　that　or　any　other　proof　of　my　devotion。
Fields　casually　mentioned　that　he　thought　〃The　Dandelion〃　was　the　most
popularly　liked　of　Lowell's　briefer　poems；　and　I　made　haste　to　say　that　I
thought　so　too；　though　I　did　not　really　think　anything　about　it；　and　then
I　was　sorry；　for　I　could　see　that　the　poet　did　not　like　it；　quite；　and　I
felt　that　I　was　duly　punished　for　my　dishonesty。

Hawthorne　was　named　among　other　authors；　probably　by　Fields；　whose　house
had　just　published　his　〃Marble　Faun；〃　and　who　had　recently　come　home　on
the　same　steamer　with　him。　　Doctor　Holmes　asked　if　I　had　met　Hawthorne
yet；　and　when　I　confessed　that　I　had　hardly　yet　even　hoped　for　such　a
thing；　he　smiled　his　winning　smile；　and　said：　〃Ah；　well！　I　don't　know
that　you　will　ever　feel　you　have　really　met　him。　　He　is　like　a　dim　room
with　a　little　taper　of　personality　burning　on　the　corner　of　the　mantel。〃

They　all　spoke　of　Hawthorne；　and　with　the　same　affection；　but　the　same
sense　of　something　mystical　and　remote　in　him；　and　every　word　was
priceless　to　me。　　But　these　masters　of　the　craft　I　was　'prentice　to
probably　could　not　have　said　anything　that　I　should　not　have　found　wise
and　well；　and　I　am　sure　now　I　should　have　been　the　loser　if　the　talk　had
shunned　any　of　the　phases　of　human　nature　which　it　touched。　　It　is　best
to　find　that　all　men　are　of　the　same　make；　and　that　there　are　certain
universal　things　which　interest　them　as　much　as　the　supernal　things；　and
amuse　them　even　more。　　There　was　a　saying　of　Lowell's　which　he　was　fond
of　repeating　at　the　menace　of　any　form　of　the　transcendental；　and　he
liked　to　warn　himself　and　others　with　his　homely；　〃Remember　the
dinner…bell。〃　　What　I　recall　of　the　whole　effect　of　a　time　so　happy　for
me　is　that　in　all　that　was　said；　however　high；　however　fine；　we　were
never　out　of　hearing　of　the　dinner…bell；　and　perhaps　this　is　the　best
effect　I　can　leave　with　the　reader。　　It　was　the　first　dinner　served　in
courses　that　I　had　sat　down　to；　and　I　felt　that　this　service　gave　it　a
romantic　importance　which　the　older　fashion　of　the　West　still　wanted。
Even　at　Governor　Chase's　table　in　Columbus　the　Governor　carved；　I　knew　of
the　dinner　'a　la　Russe'；　as　it　was　then　called；　only　from　books；　and　it
was　a　sort　of　literary　flavor　that　I　tasted　in　the　successive　dishes。
When　it　came　to　the　black　coffee；　and　then　to　the　'petits　verres'　of
cognac；　with　lumps　of　sugar　set　fire　to　atop；　it　was　something　that　so
far　transcended　my　home…kept　experience　that　it　began　to　seem　altogether