cambridge neighbors-第7章

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wrong　promptly　and　utterly　when　need　is；　and　in　fact　he　owned　to　some
things　in　his　checkered　past　which　would　hardly　allow　him　any　sort　of
self…respect。　　He　had　always　an　essential　gaiety　not　to　be　damped　by　any
discipline；　and　a　docility　which　expressed　itself　in　cheerful　compliance。
〃Why　do　you　use　bias　for　opinion？〃　I　demanded；　in　going　over　a　proof　with
him。　　〃Oh；　because　I'm　such　an　asssuch　a　bi…ass。〃

He　had　a　philosophy　which　he　liked　to　impress　with　a　vivid　touch　on　his
listener's　shoulder：　〃Put　your　finger　on　the　present　moment　and　enjoy　it。
It's　the　only　one　you've　got；　or　ever　will　have。〃　　This　light　and　joyous
creature　could　not　but　be　a　Pariah　among　our　Brahmins；　and　I　need　not　say
that　I　never　met　him　in　any　of　the　great　Cambridge　houses。　　I　am　not　sure
that　he　was　a　persona　grata　to　every　one　in　my　own；　for　Keeler　was　framed
rather　for　men's　liking；　and　Mr。　Aldrich　and　I　had　our　subtleties　as　to
whether　his　mind　about　women　was　not　so　Chinese　as　somewhat　to　infect　his
manner。　　Keeler　was　too　really　modest　to　be　of　any　rebellious　mind
towards　the　society　which　ignored　him；　and　of　too　sweet　a　cheerfulness　to
be　greatly　vexed　by　it。　　He　lived　on　in　the　house　of　a　suave　old　actor；
who　oddly　made　his　home　in　Cambridge；　and　he　continued　of　a　harmless
Bohemianism　in　his　daily　walk；　which　included　lunches　at　Boston
restaurants　as　often　as　he　could　get　you　to　let　him　give　them　you；　if　you
were　of　his　acquaintance。　　On　a　Sunday　he　would　appear　coming　out　of　the
post…office　usually　at　the　hour　when　all　cultivated　Cambridge　was　coming
for　its　letters；　and　wave　a　glad　hand　in　air；　and　shout　a　blithe
salutation　to　the　friend　he　had　marked　for　his　companion　in　a　morning
stroll。　　The　stroll　was　commonly　over　the　flats　towards　Brighton　（I　do
not　know　why；　except　perhaps　that　it　was　out　of　the　beat　of　the　better
element）　and　the　talk　was　mainly　of　literature；　in　which　he　was　doing
less　than　he　meant　to　do；　and　which　he　seemed　never　able　quite　to　feel
was　not　a　branch　of　the　Show　Business；　and　might　not　be　legitimately
worked　by　like　advertising；　though　he　truly　loved　and　honored　it。

I　suppose　it　was　not　altogether　a　happy　life；　and　Keeler　had　his　moments
of　amusing　depression；　which　showed　their　shadows　in　his　smiling　face。
He　was　of　a　slight　figure　and　low　stature；　with　hands　and　feet　of　almost
womanish　littleness。　　He　was　very　blonde；　and　his　restless　eyes　were
blue；　he　wore　his　yellow　beard　in　whiskers　only；　which　he　pulled
nervously　but　perhaps　did　not　get　to　droop　so　much　as　he　wished。




VIII。

Keeler　was　a　native　of　Ohio；　and　there　lived　at　Cambridge　when　I　first
came　there　an　Indianian；　more　accepted　by　literary　society；　who　was　of
real　quality　as　a　poet。　　Forceythe　Willson；　whose　poem　of　〃The　Old
Sergeant〃　Doctor　Holmes　used　to　read　publicly　in　the　closing　year　of　the
civil　war；　was　of　a　Western　altitude　of　figure；　and　of　an　extraordinary
beauty　of　face　in　an　oriental　sort。　　He　had　large；　dark　eyes　with　clouded
whites；　his　full；　silken　beard　was　of　a　flashing　Persian　blackness。
He　was　excessively　nervous；　to　such　an　extreme　that　when　I　first　met　him
at　Longfellow's；　he　could　not　hold　himself　still　in　his　chair。　　I　think
this　was　an　effect　of　shyness　in　him；　as　well　as　physical；　for　afterwards
when　I　went　to　find　him　in　his　own　house　he　was　much　more　at　ease。

He　preferred　to　receive　me　in　the　dim；　large　hall　after　opening　his　door
to　me　himself；　and　we　sat　down　there　and　talked；　I　remember；　of
supernatural　things。　　He　was　much　interested　in　spiritualism；　and　he　had
several　stories　to　tell　of　his　own　experience　in　such　matters。　　But　none
was　so　good　as　one　which　I　had　at　second　hand　from　Lowell；　who　thought　it
almost　the　best　ghost　story　he　had　ever　heard。　　The　spirit　of　Willson's
father　appeared　to　him；　and　stood　before　him。　　Willson　was　accustomed　to
apparitions；　and　so　he　said　simply；　〃Won't　you　sit　down；　father？〃　　The
phantom　put　out　his　hand　to　lay　hold　of　a　chair…back　as　some　people　do　in
taking　a　seat；　and　his　shadowy　arm　passed　through　the　frame…work。
〃Ah！〃　he　said；　〃I　forgot　that　I　was　not　substance。〃

I　do　not　know　whether　〃The　Old　Sergeant〃　is　ever　read　now；　it　has
probably　passed　with　other　great　memories　of　the　great　war；　and　I　am
afraid　none　of　Willson's　other　verse　is　remembered。　　But　he　was　then　a
distinct　literary　figure；　and　not　to　be　left　out　of　the　count　of　our
poets。　　I　did　not　see　him　again。　　Shortly　afterwards　I　heard　that　he　had
left　Cambridge　with　signs　of　consumption；　which　must　have　run　a　rapid
course；　for　a　very　little　later　came　the　news　of　his　death。




IX。

The　most　devoted　Cantabrigian；　after　Lowell；　whom　I　knew；　would　perhaps
have　contended　that　if　he　had　stayed　with　us　Willson　might　have　lived；
for　John　Holmes　affirmed　a　faith　in　the　virtues　of　the　place　which
ascribed　almost　an　aseptic　character　to　its　air；　and　when　he　once
listened　to　my　own　complaints　of　an　obstinate　cold；　he　cheered　himself；
if　not　me；　with　the　declaration；　〃Well；　one　thing；　Mr。　Howells；　Cambridge
never　let　a　man　keep　a　cold　yet！〃

If　he　had　said　it　was　better　to　live　in　Cambridge　with　a　cold　than
elsewhere　without　one　I　should　have　believed　him；　as　it　was；　Cambridge
bore　him　out　in　his　assertion；　though　she　took　her　own　time　to　do　it。

Lowell　had　talked　to　me　of　him　before　I　met　him；　celebrating　his　peculiar
humor　with　that　affection　which　was　not　always　so　discriminating；　and
Holmes　was　one　of　the　first　Cambridge　men　I　knew。　　I　knew　him　first　in
the　charming　old　Colonial　house　in　which　his　famous　brother　and　he　were
born。　　It　was　demolished　long　before　I　left　Cambridge；　but　in　memory　it
still　stands　on　the　ground　since　occupied　by　the　Hemenway　Gymnasium；　and
shows　for　me　through　that　bulk　a　phantom　frame　of　Continental　buff　in　the
shadow　of　elms　that　are　shadows　themselves。　　The　'genius　loci'　was
limping　about　the　pleasant　mansion　with　the　rheumatism　which　then
expressed　itself　to　his　friends　in　a　resolute　smile；　but　which　now
insists　upon　being　an　essential　trait　of　the　full…length　presence　to　my
mind：　a　short　stout　figure；　helped　out　with　a　cane；　and　a　grizzled　head
with　features　formed　to　win　the　heart　rather　than　the　eye　of　the
beholder。

In　one　of　his　own　eyes　there　was　a　cast　of　such　winning　humor　and
geniality　that　it　took　the　liking　more　than　any　beauty　could　have　done；
and　the　sweetest；　shy　laugh　in　the　world　went　with　this　cast。

I　long　wished　to　get　him　to　write　something　for　the　Magazine；　and　at　last
I　prevailed　with　him　to　review　a　history　of　Cambridge　which　had　come　out。

He　did　it　charmingly　of　course；　for　he　loved　more　to　speak　of　Cambridge
than　anything　else。　　He　held　his　native　town　in　an　idolatry　which　was　not
blind；　but　which　was　none　the　less　devoted　because　he　was　aware　of　her
droll　points　and　her　weak　points。　　He　always　celebrated　these　as　so　many
virtues；　and　I　think　it　was　my　own　passion　for　her　that　first　commended
me　to　him。　　I　was　not　her　son；　but　he　felt　that　this　was　my　misfortune
more　than　my　fault；　and　he　seemed　more　and　more　to　forgive　it。　　After　we
had　got　upon　the　terms　of　editor　and　contributor；　we　met　oftener　than
before；　though　I　do　not　now　remember　that　I　ever　persuaded　him　to　write
again　for　me。　　Once　he　gave　me　something；　and　then　took　it　back；　with　a
self…distrust　of　it　which　I　could　not　overcome。

When　the　Holmes　house　was　taken　down；　he　went　to　live　with　an　old
domestic　in　a　small　house　on　the　street　amusingly　called　Appian　Way。　　He
had　certain　rooms　of　her；　and　his　own　table；　but　he　would　not　allow　that
he　was　ever　anything　but　a　lodger　in　the　place；　where　he　continued　till
he　died。　　In　the　process　of　time　he　came　so　far　to　trust　his　experience
of　me；　that　he　formed　the　habit　of　giving　me　an　annual　supper。　　Some　days
before　this　event；　he　would　appear　in　my　study；　and　with　divers　delicate
and　tentative　approaches；　nearly　always　of　the　same　tenor；　he　would　say
that　he　should　like　to　ask　my　family　to　an　oyster　supper　with　him。　　〃But
you　know；〃　he　would　explain；　〃I　haven't　a　house　of　my　own　to　ask　you　to；
and　I　should　like　to　give　you　the　supper　here。〃　　When　I　had　agreed　to
this　suggestion　with　due　gravity；　he　would　inquire　our　engagements；　an