studies of lowell-第4节

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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　were　his　thick　eyebrows；
neither　hair　nor　beard　was　then　touched　with　gray；　as　I　now　remember。
When　he　uncovered；　his　straight；　wide；　white　forehead　showed　itself　one
of　the　most　beautiful　that　could　be；　his　eyes　were　gay　with　humor；　and
alert　with　all　intelligence。　　He　had　an　enchanting　smile；　a　laugh　that
was　full　of　friendly　joyousness；　and　a　voice　that　was　exquisite　music。
Everything　about　him　expressed　his　strenuous　physical　condition：　he　would
not　wear　an　overcoat　in　the　coldest　Cambridge　weather；　at　all　times　he
moved　vigorously；　and　walked　with　a　quick　step；　lifting　his　feet　well
from　the　ground。




VII。

It　gives　me　a　pleasure　which　I　am　afraid　I　cannot　impart；　to　linger　in
this　effort　to　materialize　his　presence　from　the　fading　memories　of　the
past。　　I　am　afraid　I　can　as　little　impart　a　due　sense　of　what　he
spiritually　was　to　my　knowledge。　　It　avails　nothing　for　me　to　say　that
I　think　no　man　of　my　years　and　desert　had　ever　so　true　and　constant　a
friend。　　He　was　both　younger　and　older　than　I　by　insomuch　as　he　was　a
poet　through　and　through；　and　had　been　out　of　college　before　I　was　born。
But　he　had　already　come　to　the　age　of　self…distrust　when　a　man　likes　to
take　counsel　with　his　juniors　as　with　his　elders；　and　fancies　he　can
correct　his　perspective　by　the　test　of　their　fresher　vision。　　Besides；
Lowell　was　most　simply　and　pathetically　reluctant　to　part　with　youth；
and　was　willing　to　cling　to　it　wherever　he　found　it。　　He　could　not　in　any
wise　bear　to　be　left…out。　　When　Mr。　Bret　Harte　came　to　Cambridge；　and　the
talk　was　all　of　the　brilliant　character…poems　with　which　he　had　then
first　dazzled　the　world；　Lowell　casually　said；　with　a　most　touching；
however　ungrounded　sense　of　obsolescence；　He　could　remember　when　the
'Biglow　Papers'　were　all　the　talk。　　I　need　not　declare　that　there　was
nothing　ungenerous　in　that。　　He　was　only　too　ready　to　hand　down　his
laurels　to　a　younger　man；　but　he　wished　to　do　it　himself。　　Through　the
modesty　that　is　always　a　quality　of　such　a　nature；　he　was　magnanimously
sensitive　to　the　appearance　of　fading　interest；　he　could　not　take　it
otherwise　than　as　a　proof　of　his　fading　power。　　I　had　a　curious　hint　of
this　when　one　year　in　making　up　the　prospectus　of　the　Magazine　for　the
next；　I　omitted　his　name　because　I　had　nothing　special　to　promise　from
him；　and　because　I　was　half　ashamed　to　be　always　flourishing　it　in　the
eyes　of　the　public。　　〃I　see　that　you　have　dropped　me　this　year；〃　he
wrote；　and　I　could　see　that　it　had　hurt；　and　I　knew　that　he　was　glad　to
believe　the　truth　when　I　told　him。

He　did　not　care　so　much　for　popularity　as　for　the　praise　of　his　friends。
If　he　liked　you　he　wished　you　not　only　to　like　what　he　wrote；　but　to　say
so。　　He　was　himself　most　cordial　in　his　recognition　of　the　things　that
pleased　him。　　What　happened　to　me　from　him；　happened　to　others；　and　I　am
only　describing　his　common　habit　when　I　say　that　nothing　I　did　to　his
liking　failed　to　bring　me　a　spoken　or　oftener　a　written　acknowledgment。
This　continued　to　the　latest　years　of　his　life　when　the　effort　even　to
give　such　pleasure　must　have　cost　him　a　physical　pang。

He　was　of　a　very　catholic　taste；　and　he　was　apt　to　be　carried　away　by　a
little　touch　of　life　or　humor；　and　to　overvalue　the　piece　in　which　he
found　it；　but；　mainly　his　judgments　of　letters　and　men　were　just。
One　of　the　dangers　of　scholarship　was　a　peculiar　danger　in　the　Cambridge
keeping；　but　Lowell　was　almost　as　averse　as　Longfellow　from　contempt。
He　could　snub；　and　pitilessly；　where　he　thought　there　was　presumption　and
apparently　sometimes　merely　because　he　was　in　the　mood；　but　I　cannot
remember　ever　to　have　heard　him　sneer。　　He　was　often　wonderfully　patient
of　tiresome　people；　and　sometimes　celestially　insensible　to　vulgarity。
In　spite　of　his　reserve；　he　really　wished　people　to　like　him；　he　was
keenly　alive　to　neighborly　good…will　or　ill…will；　and　when　there　was　a
question　of　widening　Elmwood　avenue　by　taking　part　of　his　grounds；　he　was
keenly　hurt　by　hearing　that