studies of lowell-第1章

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Studies　of　Lowell

by　William　Dean　Howells






I　have　already　spoken　of　my　earliest　meetings　with　Lowell　at　Cambridge
when　I　came　to　New　England　on　a　literary　pilgrimage　from　the　West　in
1860。　　I　saw　him　more　and　more　after　I　went　to　live　in　Cambridge　in　1866；
and　I　now　wish　to　record　what　I　knew　of　him　during　the　years　that　passed
between　this　date　and　that　of　his　death。　　If　the　portrait　I　shall　try　to
paint　does　not　seem　a　faithful　likeness　to　others　who　knew　him；　I　shall
only　claim　that　so　he　looked　to　me；　at　this　moment　and　at　that。　　If　I　do
not　keep　myself　quite　out　of　the　picture；　what　painter　ever　did？




I。

It　was　in　the　summer　of　1865　that　I　came　home　from　my　consular　post　at
Venice；　and　two　weeks　after　I　landed　in　Boston；　I　went　out　to　see　Lowell
at　Elmwood；　and　give　him　an　inkstand　that　I　had　brought　him　from　Italy。
The　bronze　lobster　whose　back　opened　and　disclosed　an　inkpot　and　a　sand…
box　was　quite　ugly；　but　I　thought　it　beautiful　then；　and　if　Lowell
thought　otherwise　he　never　did　anything　to　let　me　know　it。　　He　put　the
thing　in　the　middle　of　his　writing…table　（he　nearly　always　wrote　on　a
pasteboard　pad　resting　upon　his　knees）；　and　there　it　remained　as　long　as
I　knew　the　placea　matter　of　twenty…five　years；　but　in　all　that　time　I
suppose　the　inkpot　continued　as　dry　as　the　sand…box。

My　visit　was　in　the　heat　of　August；　which　is　as　fervid　in　Cambridge　as　it
can　well　be　anywhere；　and　I　still　have　a　sense　of　his　study　windows
lifted　to　the　summer　night；　and　the　crickets　and　grasshoppers　crying　in
at　them　from　the　lawns　and　the　gardens　outside。　　Other　people　went　away
from　Cambridge　in　the　summer　to　the　sea　and　to　the　mountains；　but　Lowell
always　stayed　at　Elmwood；　in　an　impassioned　love　for　his　home　and　for　his
town。　　I　must　have　found　him　there　in　the　afternoon；　and　he　must　have
made　me　sup　with　him　（dinner　was　at　two　o'clock）　and　then　go　with　him　for
a　long　night　of　talk　in　his　study。　　He　liked　to　have　some　one　help　him
idle　the　time　away；　and　keep　him　as　long　as　possible　from　his　work；　and
no　doubt　I　was　impersonally　serving　his　turn　in　this　way；　aside　from　any
pleasure　he　might　have　had　in　my　company　as　some　one　he　had　always　been
kind　to；　and　as　a　fresh　arrival　from　the　Italy　dear　to　us　both。

He　lighted　his　pipe；　and　from　the　depths　of　his　easychair；　invited　my　shy
youth　to　all　the　ease　it　was　capable　of　in　his　presence。　　It　was　not
much；　I　loved　him；　and　he　gave　me　reason　to　think　that　he　was　fond　of　me；
but　in　Lowell　I　was　always　conscious　of　an　older　and　closer　and　stricter
civilization　than　my　own；　an　unbroken　tradition；　a　more　authoritative
status。　　His　democracy　was　more　of　the　head　and　mine　more　of　the　heart；
and　his　denied　the　equality　which　mine　affirmed。　　But　his　nature　was　so
noble　and　his　reason　so　tolerant　that　whenever　in　our　long　acquaintance
I　found　it　well　to　come　to　open　rebellion；　as　I　more　than　once　did；
he　admitted　my　right　of　insurrection；　and　never　resented　the　outbreak。
I　disliked　to　differ　with　him；　and　perhaps　he　subtly　felt　this　so　much
that　he　would　not　dislike　me　for　doing　it。　　He　even　suffered　being　taxed
with　inconsistency；　and　where　he　saw　that　he　had　not　been　quite　just；　he
would　take　punishment　for　his　error；　with　a　contrition　that　was　sometimes
humorous　and　always　touching。

Just　then　it　was　the　dark　hour　before　the　dawn　with　Italy；　and　he　was
interested　but　not　much　encouraged　by　what　I　could　tell　him　of　the
feeling　in　Venice　against　the　Austrians。　　He　seemed　to　reserve　a　like
scepticism　concerning　the　fine　things　I　was　hoping　for　the　Italians　in
literature；　and　he　confessed　an　interest　in　the　facts　treated　which　in
the　retrospect；　I　am　aware；　was　more　tolerant　than　participant　of　my
enthusiasm。　　That　was　always　Lowell's　attitude　towards　the　opinions　of
people　he　liked；　when　he　could　not　go　their　lengths　with　them；　and
nothing　was　more　characteristic　of　his　affectionate　nature　and　his　just
intelligence。　　He　was　a　man　of　the　most　strenuous　convictions；　but　he
loved　many　sorts　of　people　whose　convictions　he　disagreed　with；　and　he
suffered　even　prejudices　counter　to　his　own　if　they　were　not　ignoble。
In　the　whimsicalities　of　others　he　delighted　as　much　as　in　his　own。




II。

Our　associations　with　Italy　held　over　until　the　next　day；　when　after
breakfast　he　went　with　me　towards　Boston　as　far　as　〃the　village〃：　for　so
he　liked　to　speak　of　Cambridge　in　the　custom　of　his　younger　days　when
wide　tracts　of　meadow　separated　Harvard　Square　from　his　life…long　home　at
Elmwood。　　We　stood　on　the　platform　of　the　horsecar　together；　and　when　I
objected　to　his　paying　my　fare　in　the　American　fashion；　he　allowed　that
the　Italian　usage　of　each　paying　for　himself　was　the　politer　way。
He　would　not　commit　himself　about　my　returning　to　Venice　（for　I　had　not
given　up　my　place；　yet；　and　was　away　on　leave）；　but　he　intimated　his
distrust　of　the　flattering　conditions　of　life　abroad。　　He　said　it　was
charming　to　be　treated　'da　signore'；　but　he　seemed　to　doubt　whether　it
was　well；　and　in　this　as　in　all　other　things　he　showed　his　final　fealty
to　the　American　ideal。

It　was　that　serious　and　great　moment　after　the　successful　close　of　the
civil　war　when　the　republican　consciousness　was　more　robust　in　us　than
ever　before　or　since；　but　I　cannot　recall　any　reference　to　the　historical
interest　of　the　time　in　Lowell's　talk。　　It　had　been　all　about　literature
and　about　travel；　and　now　with　the　suggestion　of　the　word　village　it
began　to　be　a　little　about　his　youth。　　I　have　said　before　how　reluctant
he　was　to　let　his　youth　go　from　him；　and　perhaps　the　touch　with　my
juniority　had　made　him　realize　how　near　he　was　to　fifty；　and　set　him
thinking　of　the　past　which　had　sorrows　in　it　to　age　him　beyond　his　years。
He　would　never　speak　of　these；　though　he　often　spoke　of　the　past。　　He
told　once　of　having　been　on　a　brief　journey　when　he　was　six　years　old；
with　his　father；　and　of　driving　up　to　the　gate　of　Elmwood　in　the　evening；
and　his　father　saying；　〃　Ah；　this　is　a　pleasant　place！　　I　wonder　who
lives　herewhat　little　boy？〃　　At　another　time　he　pointed　out　a　certain
window　in　his　study；　and　said　he　could　see　himself　standing　by　it　when　he
could　only　get　his　chin　on　the　window…sill。　　His　memories　of　the　house；
and　of　everything　belonging　to　it；　were　very　tender；　but　he　could　laugh
over　an　escapade　of　his　youth　when　he　helped　his　fellow…students　pull
down　his　father's　fences；　in　the　pure　zeal　of　good…comradeship。




III。

My　fortunes　took　me　to　New　York；　and　I　spent　most　of　the　winter　of　1865…6
writing　in　the　office　of　'The　Nation'。　　I　contributed　several　sketches　of
Italian　travel　to　that　paper；　and　one　of　these　brought　me　a　precious
letter　from　Lowell。　　He　praised　my　sketch；　which　he　said　he　had　read
without　the　least　notion　who　had　written　it；　and　he　wanted　me　to　feel　the
full　value　of　such　an　impersonal　pleasure　in　it。　　At　the　same　time　he　did
not　fail　to　tell　me　that　he　disliked　some　pseudo…cynical　verses　of　mine
which　he　had　read　in　another　place；　and　I　believe　it　was　then　that　he
bade　me　〃sweat　the　Heine　out　of〃　me；　〃as　men　sweat　the　mercury　out　of
their　bones。〃

When　I　was　asked　to　be　assistant　editor　of　the　Atlantic　Monthly；　and　came
on　to　Boston　to　talk　the　matter　over　with　the　publishers；　I　went　out　to
Cambridge　and　consulted　Lowell。　　He　strongly　urged　me　to　take　the
position　（I　thought　myself　hopefully　placed　in　New　York　on　The　Nation）；
and　at　the　same　time　he　seemed　to　have　it　on　his　heart　to　say　that　he　had
recommended　some　one　else　for　it；　never；　he　owned；　having　thought　of　me。

He　was　most　cordial；　but　after　I　came　to　live　in　Cambridge　（where　the
magazine　was　printed；　and　I　could　more　conveniently　look　over　the
proofs）；　he　did　not　call　on　me　for　more　than　a　month；　and　seemed　quite　to
have　forgotten　me。　　We　met　one　night　at　Mr。　Norton's；　for　one　of　the
Dante　readings；　and　he　took　no　special　notice　of　me　till　I　happened　to
say　something　that　offered　him　a　chance　to　give　me　a　little　humorous
snub。　　I　was　speaking　of　a　paper　in　the　Magazine　on　the　〃Claudian
Emissary；〃　and　I　demanded　（no　doubt　a　little　too　airily）　something　like
〃Who　in　the　world　ever　heard　of　the　Claudian　Emissar