studies of lowell-第6章

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like　adjectives　in　defence　of　my　word；　but　still　he　found　an　affectation
in　it；　and　suffered　it　to　stand　with　extreme　reluctance。　　Another　line　of
another　piece：

　　　　　　　　　　〃And　what　she　would；　would　rather　that　she　would　not〃

he　would　by　no　means　suffer。　　He　said　that　the　stress　falling　on　the　last
word　made　it　〃public…school　English；〃　and　he　mocked　it　with　the　answer　a
maid　had　lately　given　him　when　he　asked　if　the　master　of　the　house　was　at
home。　　She　said；　〃　No；　sir；　he　is　not；〃　when　she　ought　to　have　said　〃　No；
sir；　he　isn't。〃　　He　was　appeased　when　I　came　back　the　next　day　with　the
stanza　amended　so　that　the　verse　could　read：

　　　　　　　　　　〃And　what　she　would；　would　rather　she　would　not　so〃

but　I　fancy　he　never　quite　forgave　my　word　silvern。　　Yet；　he　professed
not　to　have　prejudices　in　such　matters；　but　to　use　any　word　that　would
serve　his　turn；　without　wincing；　and　he　certainly　did　use　and　defend
words；　as　undisprivacied　and　disnatured；　that　made　others　wince。

He　was　otherwise　such　a　stickler　for　the　best　diction　that　he　would　not
have　had　me　use　slovenly　vernacular　even　in　the　dialogue　in　my　stories：
my　characters　must　not　say　they　wanted　to　do　so　and　so；　but　wished；　and
the　like。　　In　a　copy　of　one　of　my　books　which　I　found　him　reading；　I　saw
he　had　corrected　my　erring　Western　woulds　and　shoulds；　as　he　grew　old　he
was　less　and　less　able　to　restrain　himself　from　setting　people　right　to
their　faces。　　Once；　in　the　vast　area　of　my　ignorance；　he　specified　my
small　acquaintance　with　a　certain　period　of　English　poetry；　saying；
〃You're　rather　shady；　there；　old　fellow。〃　　But　he　would　not　have　had　me
too　learned；　holding　that　he　had　himself　been　hurt　for　literature　by　his
scholarship。

His　patience　in　analyzing　my　work　with　me　might　have　been　the　easy　effort
of　his　habit　of　teaching；　and　his　willingness　to　give　himself　and　his　own
was　no　doubt　more　signally　attested　in　his　asking　a　brother　man　of
letters　who　wished　to　work　up　a　subject　in　the　college　library；　to　stay　a
fortnight　in　his　house；　and　to　share　his　study；　his　beloved　study；　with
him。　　This　must　truly　have　cost　him　dear；　as　any　author　of　fixed　habits
will　understand。　　Happily　the　man　of　letters　was　a　good　fellow；　and　knew
how　to　prize　the　favor…done　him；　but　if　he　had　been　otherwise；　it　would
have　been　the　same　to　Lowell。　　He　not　only　endured；　but　did　many　things
for　the　weaker　brethren；　which　were　amusing　enough　to　one　in　the　secret
of　his　inward　revolt。　　Yet　in　these　things　he　was　considerate　also　of　the
editor　whom　he　might　have　made　the　sharer　of　his　self…sacrifice；　and　he
seldom　offered　me　manuscripts　for　others。　　The　only　real　burden　of　the
kind　that　he　put　upon　me　was　the　diary　of　a　Virginian　who　had　travelled
in　New　England　during　the　early　thirties；　and　had　set　down　his
impressions　of　men　and　manners　there。　　It　began　charmingly；　and　went　on
very　well　under　Lowell's　discreet　pruning；　but　after　a　while　he　seemed　to
fall　in　love　with　the　character　of　the　diarist　so　much　that　he　could　not
bear　to　cut　anything。



IX。

He　had　a　great　tenderness　for　the　broken　and　ruined　South；　whose　sins　he
felt　that　he　had　had　his　share　in　visiting　upon　her；　and　he　was　willing
to　do　what　he　could　to　ease　her　sorrows　in　the　case　of　any　particular
Southerner。　　He　could　not　help　looking　askance　upon　the　dramatic　shows　of
retribution　which　some　of　the　Northern　politicians　were　working；　but　with
all　his　misgivings　he　continued　to　act　with　the　Republican　party　until
after　the　election　of　Hayes；　he　was　away　from　the　country　during　the
Garfield　campaign。　　He　was　in　fact　one　of　the　Massachusetts　electors
chosen　by　the　Republican　majority　in　1816；　and　in　that　most　painful　hour
when　there　was　question　of　the　policy　and　justice　of　counting　Hayes　in
for　the　presidency；　it　was　suggested　by　some　of　Lowell's　friends　that　he
should　use　the　original　right　of　the　electors　under　the　constitution；
and　vote　for　Tilden；　whom　one　vote　would　have　chosen　president　over
Hayes。　　After　he　had　cast　his　vote　for　Hayes；　he　quietly　referred　to　the
matter　one　day；　in　the　moment　of　lighting　his　pipe；　with　perhaps　the
faintest　trace　of　indignation　in　his　tone。　　He　said　that　whatever　the
first　intent　of　the　constitution　was；　usage　had　made　the　presidential
electors　strictly　the　instruments　of　the　party　which　chose　them；　and　that
for　him　to　have　voted　for　Tilden　when　he　had　been　chosen　to　vote　for
Hayes　would　have…been　an　act　of　bad　faith。

He　would　have　resumed　for　me　all　the　old　kindness　of　our　relations　before
the　recent　year　of　his　absence；　but　this　had　inevitably　worked　a　little
estrangement。　　He　had　at　least　lost　the　habit　of　me；　and　that　says　much
in　such　matters。　　He　was　not　so　perfectly　at　rest　in　the　Cambridge
environment；　in　certain　indefinable　ways　it　did　not　so　entirely　suffice
him；　though　he　would　have　been　then　and　always　the　last　to　allow　this。
I　imagine　his　friends　realized　more　than　he；　that　certain　delicate　but
vital　filaments　of　attachment　had　frayed　and　parted　in　alien　air；　and
left　him　heart…loose　as　he　had　not　been　before。

I　do　not　know　whether　it　crossed　his　mind　after　the　election　of　Hayes
that　he　might　be　offered　some　place　abroad；　but　it　certainly　crossed　the
minds　of　some　of　his　friends；　and　I　could　not　feel　that　I　was　acting　for
myself　alone　when　I　used　a　family　connection　with　the　President；　very
early　in　his　term；　to　let　him　know　that　I　believed　Lowell　would　accept　a
diplomatic　mission。　　I　could　assure　him　that　I　was　writing　wholly　without
Lowell's　privity　or　authority；　and　I　got　back　such　a　letter　as　I　could
wish　in　its　delicate　sense　of　the　situation。　　The　President　said　that　he
had　already　thought　of　offering　Lowell　something；　and　he　gave　me　the
pleasure；　a　pleasure　beyond　any　other　I　could　imagine；　of　asking　Lowell
whether　he　would　accept　the　mission　to　Austria。　　I　lost　no　time　carrying
his　letter　to　Elmwood；　where　I　found　Lowell　over　his　coffee　at　dinner。
He　saw　me　at　the　threshold；　and　called　to　me　through　the　open　door　to
come　in；　and　I　handed　him　the　letter；　and　sat　down　at　table　while　he　ran
it　through。　　When　he　had　read　it；　he　gave　a　quick　〃　Ah！〃　and　threw　it
over　the　length　of　the　table　to　Mrs。　Lowell。　　She　read　it　in　a　smiling
and　loyal　reticence；　as　if　she　would　not　say　one　word　of　all　she　might
wish　to　say　in　urging　his　acceptance；　though　I　could　see　that　she　was
intensely　eager　for　it。　　The　whole　situation　was　of　a　perfect　New　England
character　in　its　tacit　significance；　after　Lowell　had　taken　his　coffee　we
turned　into　his　study　without　further　allusion　to　the　matter。

A　day　or　two　later　he　came　to　my　house　to　say　that　he　could　not　accept
the　Austrian　mission；　and　to　ask　me　to　tell　the　President　so　for　him；　and
make　his　acknowledgments；　which　he　would　also　write　himself。　　He　remained
talking　a　little　while　of　other　things；　and　when　he　rose　to　go；　he　said
with　a　sigh　of　vague　reluctance；　〃I　should　like　to　see　a　play　of
Calderon；〃　as　if　it　had　nothing　to　do　with　any　wish　of　his　that　could
still　be　fulfilled。　　〃Upon　this　hint　I　acted；〃　and　in　due　time　it　was
found　in　Washington；　that　the　gentleman　who　had　been　offered　the　Spanish
mission　would　as　lief　go　to　Austria；　and　Lowell　was　sent　to　Madrid。




X。

When　we　met　in　London；　some　years　later；　he　came　almost　every　afternoon
to　my　lodging；　and　the　story　of　our　old…time　Cambridge　walks　began　again
in　London　phrases。　　There　were　not　the　vacant　lots　and　outlying　fields　of
his　native　place；　but　we　made　shift　with　the　vast；　simple　parks；　and　we
walked　on　the　grass　as　we　could　not　have　done　in　an　American　park；　and
were　glad　to　feel　the　earth　under　our　feet。　　I　said　how　much　it　was　like
those　earlier　tramps；　and　that　pleased　him；　for　he　wished；　whenever　a
thing　delighted　him；　to　find　a　Cambridge　quality　in　it。

But　he　was　in　love　with　everything　English；　and　was　determined　I　should
be　so　too；　beginning　with　the　English　weather；　which　in　summer　cannot　be
overpraised。　　He　carried；　of　course；　an　umbrella；　but　he　would　not　put　it
up　in　the　light　showers　that　caught　us　at　times；　saying　that　the　English
rain　never　wetted　you。　　The　thick　short　turf　delighted　him；　he　would
scarcely　allow　that　the　trees　were　the