studies of lowell-第4章

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had　gone　on　for　some　time；　and　the　impartial　witness　must　have　owned　that
she　was　getting　the　better　of　him　he　closed　the　controversy　by　giving　her
a　great　kiss；　with　the　words；　〃You　are　a　very　good　girl；　my　dear；〃　and
practically　putting　her　out　of　the　room。　　As　to　women　of　the　flirtatious
type；　he　did　not　dislike　them；　no　man；　perhaps；　does；　but　he　feared　them；
and　he　said　that　with　them　there　was　but　one　way；　and　that　was　to　run。

I　have　a　notion　that　at　this　period　Lowell　was　more　freely　and　fully
himself　than　at　any　other。　　The　passions　and　impulses　of　his　younger
manhood　had　mellowed；　the　sorrows　of　that　time　had　softened；　he　could
blamelessly　live　to　himself　in　his　affections　and　his　sobered　ideals。
His　was　always　a　duteous　life；　but　he　had　pretty　well　given　up　making　man
over　in　his　own　image；　as　we　all　wish　some　time　to　do；　and　then　no　longer
wish　it。　　He　fulfilled　his　obligations　to　his　fellow…men　as　these　sought
him　out；　but　he　had　ceased　to　seek　them。　　He　loved　his　friends　and　their
love；　but　he　had　apparently　no　desire　to　enlarge　their　circle。　　It　was
that　hour　of　civic　suspense；　in　which　public　men　seemed　still　actuated　by
unselfish　aims；　and　one　not　essentially　a　politician　might　contentedly
wait　to　see　what　would　come　of　their　doing　their　best。　　At　any　rate；
without　occasionally　withholding　open　criticism　or　acclaim　Lowell　waited
among　his　books　for　the　wounds　of　the　war　to　heal　themselves；　and　the
nation　to　begin　her　healthfuller　and　nobler　life。　　With　slavery　gone；
what　might　not　one　expect　of　American　democracy！

His　life　at　Elmwood　was　of　an　entire　simplicity。　　In　the　old　colonial
mansion　in　which　he　was　born；　he　dwelt　in　the　embowering　leafage；　amid
the　quiet　of　lawns　and　garden…plots　broken　by　few　noises　ruder　than　those
from　the　elms　and　the　syringas　where

　　　　　　　　　　〃The　oriole　clattered　and　the　cat…bird　sang。〃

From　the　tracks　on　Brattle　Street；　came　the　drowsy　tinkle　of　horse…car
bells；　and　sometimes　a　funeral　trailed　its　black　length　past　the　corner
of　his　grounds；　and　lost　itself　from　sight　under　the　shadows　of　the
willows　that　hid　Mount　Auburn　from　his　study　windows。　　In　the　winter　the
deep　New　England　snows　kept　their　purity　in　the　stretch　of　meadow　behind
the　house；　which　a　double　row　of　pines　guarded　in　a　domestic　privacy。
All　was　of　a　modest　dignity　within　and　without　the　house；　which　Lowell
loved　but　did　not　imagine　of　a　manorial　presence；　and　he　could　not
conceal　his　annoyance　with　an　over…enthusiastic　account　of　his　home　in
which　the　simple　chiselling　of　some　panels　was　vaunted　as　rich　wood…
carving。　　There　was　a　graceful　staircase；　and　a　good　wide　hall；　from
which　the　dining…room　and　drawing…room　opened　by　opposite　doors；　behind
the　last；　in　the　southwest　corner　of　the　house；　was　his　study。

There；　literally；　he　lived　during　the　six　or　seven　years　in　which　I　knew
him　after　my　coming　to　Cambridge。　　Summer　and　winter　he　sat　there　among
his　books；　seldom　stirring　abroad　by　day　except　for　a　walk；　and　by　night
yet　more　rarely。　　He　went　to　the　monthly　mid…day　dinner　of　the　Saturday
Club　in　Boston；　he　was　very　constant　at　the　fortnightly　meetings　of　his
whist…club；　because　he　loved　the　old　friends　who　formed　it；　he　came
always　to　the　Dante　suppers　at　Longfellow's；　and　he　was　familiarly　in　and
out　at　Mr。　Norton's；　of　course。　　But；　otherwise；　he　kept　to　his　study；
except　for　some　rare　and　almost　unwilling　absences　upon　university
lecturing　at　Johns　Hopkins　or　at　Cornell。

For　four　years　I　did　not　take　any　summer　outing　from　Cambridge　myself；
and　my　associations　with　Elmwood　and　with　Lowell　are　more　of　summer　than
of　winter　weather　meetings。　　But　often　we　went　our　walks　through　the
snows；　trudging　along　between　the　horsecar　tracks　which　enclosed　the　only
well…broken…out　paths　in　that　simple　old　Cambridge。　　I　date　one　memorable
expression　of　his　from　such　a　walk；　when；　as　we　were　passing　Longfellow's
house；　in　mid…street；　he　came　as　near　the　declaration　of　his　religious
faith　as　he　ever　did　in　my　presence。　　He　was　speaking　of　the　New
Testament；　and　he　said；　The　truth　was　in　it；　but　they　had　covered　it　up
with　their　hagiology。　　Though　he　had　been　bred　a　Unitarian；　and　had　more
and　more　liberated　himself　from　all　creeds；　he　humorously　affected　an
abiding　belief　in　hell；　and　similarly　contended　for　the　eternal
punishment　of　the　wicked。　　He　was　of　a　religious　nature；　and　he　was　very
reverent　of　other　people's　religious　feelings。　　He　expressed　a　special
tolerance　for　my　own　inherited　faith；　no　doubt　because　Mrs。　Lowell　was
also　a　Swedenborgian；　but　I　do　not　think　he　was　interested　in　it；　and　I
suspect　that　all　religious　formulations　bored　him。　　In　his　earlier　poems
are　many　intimations　and　affirmations　of　belief　in　an　overruling
providence；　and　especially　in　the　God　who　declares　vengeance　His　and　will
repay　men　for　their　evil　deeds；　and　will　right　the　weak　against　the
strong。　　I　think　he　never　quite　lost　this；　though　when；　in　the　last　years
of　his　life；　I　asked　him　if　he　believed　there　was　a　moral　government　of
the　universe；　he　answered　gravely　and　with　a　sort　of　pain；　The　scale　was
so　vast；　and　we　saw　such　a　little　part　of　it。

As　to　tine　notion　of　a　life　after　death；　I　never　had　any　direct　or
indirect　expression　from　him；　but　I　incline　to　the　opinion　that　his　hold
upon　this　weakened　with　his　years；　as　it　is　sadly　apt　to　do　with　men　who
have　read　much　and　thought　much：　they　have　apparently　exhausted　their
potentialities　of　psychological　life。　　Mystical　Lowell　was；　as　every　poet
must　be；　but　I　do　not　think　he　liked　mystery。　　One　morning　he　told　me
that　when　he　came　home　the　night　before　he　had　seen　the　Doppelganger　of
one　of　his　household：　though；　as　he　joked；　he　was　not　in　a　state　to　see
double。

He　then　said　he　used　often　to　see　people's　Doppelganger；　at　another　time；
as　to　ghosts；　he　said；　He　was　like　Coleridge：　he　had　seen　too　many　of
'em。　　Lest　any　weaker　brethren　should　be　caused　to　offend　by　the
restricted　oath　which　I　have　reported　him　using　in　a　moment　of　transport
it　may　be　best　to　note　here　that　I　never　heard　him　use　any　other
imprecation；　and　this　one　seldom。

Any　grossness　of　speech　was　inconceivable　of　him；　now　and　then；　but　only
very　rarely；　the　human　nature　of　some　story　〃unmeet　for　ladies〃　was　too
much　for　his　sense　of　humor；　and　overcame　him　with　amusement　which　he　was
willing　to　impart；　and　did　impart；　but　so　that　mainly　the　human　nature　of
it　reached　you。　　In　this　he　was　like　the　other　great　Cambridge　men；
though　he　was　opener　than　the　others　to　contact　with　the　commoner　life。
He　keenly　delighted　in　every　native　and　novel　turn　of　phrase；　and　he
would　not　undervalue　a　vital　word　or　a　notion　picked　up　out　of　the　road
even　if　it　had　some　dirt　sticking　to　it。

He　kept　as　close　to　the　common　life　as　a　man　of　his　patrician　instincts
and　cloistered　habits　could。　　I　could　go　to　him　with　any　new　find　about
it　and　be　sure　of　delighting　him；　after　I　began　making　my　involuntary　and
all　but　unconscious　studies　of　Yankee　character；　especially　in　the
country；　he　was　always　glad　to　talk　them　over　with　me。　　Still；　when　I　had
discovered　a　new　accent　or　turn　of　speech　in　the　fields　he　had
cultivated；　I　was　aware　of　a　subtle　grudge　mingling　with　his　pleasure；
but　this　was　after　all　less　envy　than　a　fine　regret。

At　the　time　I　speak　of　there　was　certainly　nothing　in　Lowell's　dress　or
bearing　that　would　have　kept　the　common　life　aloof　from　him；　if　that　life
were　not　always　too　proud　to　make　advances　to　any　one。　　In　this
retrospect；　I　see　him　in　the　sack　coat　and　rough　suit　which　he　wore　upon
all　out…door　occasions；　with　heavy　shoes；　and　a　round　hat。　　I　never　saw
him　with　a　high　hat　on　till　he　came　home　after　his　diplomatic　stay　in
London；　then　he　had　become　rather　rigorously　correct　in　his　costume；　and
as　conventional　as　he　had　formerly　been　indifferent。　　In　both　epochs　he
was　apt　to　be　gloved；　and　the　strong；　broad　hands；　which　left　the
sensation　of　their　vigor　for　some　time　after　they　had　clasped　yours；
were　notably　white。　　At　the　earlier　period；　he　still　wore　his　auburn　hair
somewhat　long；　it　was　darker　than　his　beard；　which　was　branching　and
full；　and　more　straw…colored　than　auburn；　as