the white mr. longfellow-第7章

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will　be　no　one　else　but　Greene　and　myself；　and　we　will　have　an　Italian
dinner。〃

Unhappily　I　had　accepted　a　dinner　in　Boston　for　that　night；　and　this
invitation　put　me　in　great　misery。　　I　must　keep　my　engagement；　but　how
could　I　bear　to　miss　meeting　Salvini　at　Longfellow's　table　on　terms　like
these？　　We　consulted　at　home　together　and　questioned　whether　I　might　not
rush　into　Boston；　seek　out　my　host　there；　possess　him　of　the　facts；　and
frankly　throw　myself　on　his　mercy。　　Then　a　sudden　thought　struck　us：
Go　to　Longfellow；　and　submit　the　case　to　him！　　I　went；　and　he　entered
with　delicate　sympathy　into　the　affair。　　But　he　decided　that；　taking　the
large　view　of　it；　I　must　keep　my　engagement；　lest　I　should　run　even　a
remote　risk　of　wounding　my　friend's　susceptibilities。　　I　obeyed；　and　I
had　a　very　good　time；　but　I　still　feel　that　I　missed　the　best　time　of　my
life；　and　that　I　ought　to　be　rewarded　for　my　sacrifice；　somewhere。

Longfellow　so　rarely　spoke　of　himself　in　any　way　that　one　heard　from　him
few　of　those　experiences　of　the　distinguished　man　in　contact　with　the
undistinguished；　which　he　must　have　had　so　abundantly。　　But　he　told；
while　it　was　fresh　in　his　mind；　an　incident　that　happened　to　him　one　day
in　Boston　at　a　tobacconist's；　where　a　certain　brand　of　cigars　was
recommended　to　him　as　the　kind　Longfellow　smoked。　　〃Ah；　then　I　must　have
some　of　them；　and　I　will　ask　you　to　send　me　a　box；〃　said　Longfellow；　and
he　wrote　down　his　name　and　address。　　The　cigar…dealer　read　it　with　the
smile　of　a　worsted　champion；　and　said；　〃Well；　I　guess　you　had　me；　that
time。〃　　At　a　funeral　a　mourner　wished　to　open　conversation；　and　by　way　of
suggesting　a　theme　of　common　interest；　began；　〃You've　buried；　I　believe？〃

Sometimes　people　were　shown　by　the　poet　through　Craigie　House　who　had　no
knowledge　of　it　except　that　it　had　been　Washington's　headquarters。　　Of
course　Longfellow　was　known　by　sight　to　every　one　in　Cambridge。　　He　was
daily　in　the　streets；　while　his　health　endured；　and　as　he　kept　no
carriage；　he　was　often　to　be　met　in　the　horse…cars；　which　were　such
common　ground　in　Cambridge　that　they　were　often　like　small　invited
parties　of　friends　when　they　left　Harvard　Square；　so　that　you　expected
the　gentlemen　to　jump　up　and　ask　the　ladies　whether　they　would　have
chicken　salad。　　In　civic　and　political　matters　he　mingled　so　far　as　to
vote　regularly；　and　he　voted　with　his　party；　trusting　it　for　a　general
regard　to　the　public　welfare。

I　fancy　he　was　somewhat　shy　of　his　fellow…men；　as　the　scholar　seems
always　to　be；　from　the　sequestered　habit　of　his　life；　but　I　think
Longfellow　was　incapable　of　marking　any　difference　between　himself　and
them。　　I　never　heard　from　him　anything　that　was　'de　haut　en　bas'；　when　he
spoke　of　people；　and　in　Cambridge；　where　there　was　a　good　deal　of
contempt　for　the　less　lettered；　and　we　liked　to　smile　though　we　did　not
like　to　sneer；　and　to　analyze　if　we　did　not　censure；　Longfellow　and
Longfellow's　house　were　free　of　all　that。　　Whatever　his　feeling　may　have
been　towards　other　sorts　and　conditions　of　men；　his　effect　was　of　an
entire　democracy。　　He　was　always　the　most　unassuming　person　in　any
company；　and　at　some　large　public　dinners　where　I　saw　him　I　found　him
patient　of　the　greater　attention　that　more　public　men　paid　themselves　and
one　another。　　He　was　not　a　speaker；　and　I　never　saw　him　on　his　feet　at
dinner；　except　once；　when　he　read　a　poem　for　Whittier；　who　was　absent。
He　disliked　after…dinner　speaking；　and　made　conditions　for　his　own
exemption　from　it。




VIII。

Once　your　friend；　Longfellow　was　always　your　friend；　he　would　not　think
evil　of　you；　and　if　he　knew　evil　of　you；　he　would　be　the　last　of　all　that
knew　it　to　judge　you　for　it。　　This　may　have　been　from　the　impersonal
habit　of　his　mind；　but　I　believe　it　was　also　the　effect　of　principle；　for
he　would　do　what　he　could　to　arrest　the　delivery　of　judgment　from　others；
and　would　soften　the　sentences　passed　in　his　presence。　　Naturally　this
brought　him　under　some　condemnation　with　those　of　a　severer　cast；　and　I
have　heard　him　criticised　for　his　benevolence　towards　all；　and　his
constancy　to　some　who　were　not　quite　so　true　to　themselves；　perhaps。
But　this　leniency　of　Longfellow's　was　what　constituted　him　great　as　well
as　good；　for　it　is　not　our　wisdom　that　censures　others。　　As　for　his
goodness；　I　never　saw　a　fault　in　him。　　I　do　not　mean　to　say　that　he　had
no　faults；　or　that　there　were　no　better　men；　but　only　to　give　the　witness
of　my　knowledge　concerning　him。　　I　claim　in　no　wise　to　have　been　his
intimate；　such　a　thing　was　not　possible　in　my　case　for　quite　apparent
reasons；　and　I　doubt　if　Longfellow　was　capable　of　intimacy　in　the　sense
we　mostly　attach　to　the　word。　　Something　more　of　egotism　than　I　ever
found　in　him　must　go　to　the　making　of　any　intimacy　which　did　not　come
from　the　tenderest　affections　of　his　heart。　　But　as　a　man　shows　himself
to　those　often　with　him；　and　in　his　noted　relations　with　other　men；　he
showed　himself　without　blame。　　All　men　that　I　have　known；　besides；　have
had　some　foible　（it　often　endeared　them　the　more）；　or　some　meanness；　or
pettiness；　or　bitterness；　but　Longfellow　had　none；　nor　the　suggestion　of
any。　　No　breath　of　evil　ever　touched　his　name；　he　went　in　and　out　among
his　fellow…men　without　the　reproach　that　follows　wrong；　the　worst　thing　I
ever　heard　said　of　him　was　that　he　had　'gene'；　and　this　was　said　by　one
of　those　difficult　Cambridge　men　who　would　have　found　'gene'　in　a
celestial　angel。　　Something　that　Bjornstjerne　Bjornson　wrote　to　me　when
he　was　leaving　America　after　a　winter　in　Cambridge；　comes　nearer
suggesting　Longfellow　than　all　my　talk。　　The　Norsemen；　in　the　days　of
their　stormy　and　reluctant　conversion；　used　always　to　speak　of　Christ　as
the　White　Christ；　and　Bjornson　said　in　his　letter；　〃Give　my　love　to　the
White　Mr。　Longfellow。〃

A　good　many；　years　before　Longfellow's　death　he　began　to　be　sleepless；
and　he　suffered　greatly。　　He　said　to　me　once　that　he　felt　as　if　he　were
going　about　with　his　heart　in　a　kind　of　mist。　　The　whole　night　through　he
would　not　be　aware　of　having　slept。　　〃　But；〃　he　would　add；　with　his
heavenly　patience；　〃I　always　get　a　good　deal　of　rest　from　lying　down　so
long。〃　　I　cannot　say　whether　these　conditions　persisted；　or　how　much　his
insomnia　had　to　do　with　his　breaking　health；　three　or　four　years　before
the　end　came；　we　left　Cambridge　for　a　house　farther　in　the　country；　and　I
saw　him　less　frequently　than　before。　　He　did　not　allow　our　meetings　to
cease；　he　asked　me　to　dinner　from　time　to　time；　as　if　to　keep　them　up；
but　it　could　not　be　with　the　old　frequency。　　Once　he　made　a　point　of
coming　to　see　us　in　our　cottage　on　the　hill　west　of　Cambridge；　but　it　was
with　an　effort　not　visible　in　the　days　when　he　could　end　one　of　his　brief
walks　at　our　house　on　Concord　Avenue；　he　never　came　but　he　left　our　house
more　luminous　for　his　having　been　there。　　Once　he　came　to　supper　there　to
meet　Garfield　（an　old　family　friend　of　mine　in　Ohio）；　and　though　he　was
suffering　from　a　heavy　cold；　he　would　not　scant　us　in　his　stay。　　I　had
some　very　bad　sherry　which　he　drank　with　the　serenity　of　a　martyr；　and　I
shudder　to　this　day　to　think　what　his　kindness　must　have　cost　him。　　He
told　his　story　of　the　clothes…line　ghost；　and　Garfield　matched　it　with
the　story　of　an　umbrella　ghost　who　sheltered　a　friend　of　his　through　a
midnight　storm；　but　was　not　cheerful　company　to　his　beneficiary；　who
passed　his　hand　through　him　at　one　point　in　the　effort　to　take　his　arm。

After　the　end　of　four　years　I　came　to　Cambridge　to　be　treated　for　a　long
sickness；　which　had　nearly　been　my　last；　and　when　I　could　get　about　I
returned　the　visit　Longfellow　had　not　failed　to　pay　me。　　But　I　did　not
find　him；　and　I　never　saw　him　again　in　life。　　I　went　into　Boston　to
finish　the　winter　of　1881…2；　and　from　time　to　time　I　heard　that　the　poet
was　failing　in　health。　　As　soon　as　I　felt　able　to　bear　the　horse…car
journey　I　went　out　to　Cambridge　to　see　him。　　I　had　knocked　once　at　his
door；　the　friendly　door　that　had　so　often　opened　to　his　welcome；　and
stood　with　the　knocker　in　my　hand　when　the　door　was　suddenly　set　ajar；
and　a　maid　showed　her　face　wet　with　tears。　　〃How