studies of lowell-第6节

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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　worse　for　foliage　blighted　by　a
vile　easterly　storm　in　the　spring　of　that　year。　　The　tender　air；　the
delicate　veils　that　the　moisture　in　it　cast　about　all　objects　at　the
least　remove；　the　soft　colors　of　the　flowers；　the　dull　blue　of　the　low
sky　showing　through　the　rifts　of　the　dirty　white　clouds；　the　hovering
pall　of　London　smoke；　were　all　dear　to　him；　and　he　was　anxious　that　I
should　not　lose　anything　of　their　charm。

He　was　anxious　that　I　should　not　miss　the　value　of　anything　in　England；
and　while　he　volunteered　that　the　aristocracy　had　the　corruptions　of
aristocracies　everywhere；　he　insisted　upon　my　respectful　interest　in　it
because　it　was　so　historical。　　Perhaps　there　was　a　touch　of　irony　in　this
demand；　but　it　is　certain　that　he　was　very　happy　in　England。　　He　had　come
of　the　age　when　a　man　likes　smooth；　warm　keeping；　in　which　he　need　make
no　struggle　for　his　comfort；　disciplined　and　obsequious　service；　society；
perfectly　ascertained　within　the　larger　society　which　we　call
civilization；　and　in　an　alien　environment；　for　which　he　was　in　no　wise
responsible；　he　could　have　these　without　a　pang　of　the　self…reproach
which　at　home　makes　a　man　unhappy　amidst　his　luxuries；　when　he　considers
their　cost　to　others。　　He　had　a　position　which　forbade　thought　of
unfairness　in　the　conditions；　he　must　not　wake　because　of　the　slave；　it
was　his　duty　to　sleep。　　Besides；　at　that　time　Lowell　needed　all　the　rest
he　could　get；　for　he　had　lately　passed　through　trials　such　as　break　the
strength　of　men；　and　how　them　with　premature　age。　　He　was　living　alone　in
his　little　house　in　Lowndes　Square；　and　Mrs。　Lowell　was　in　the　country；
slowly　recovering　from　the　effects　of　the　terrible　typhus　which　she　had
barely　survived　in　Madrid。　　He　was　yet　so　near　the　anguish　of　that
experience　that　he　told　me　he　had　still　in　his　nerves　the　expectation　of
a　certain　agonized　cry　from　her　which　used　to　rend　them。　　But　he　said　he
had　adjusted　himself　to　this；　and　he　went　on　to　speak　with　a　patience
which　was　more　affecting　in　him　than　in　men　of　more　phlegmatic
temperament；　of　how　we　were　able　to　adjust　ourselves　to　all　our　trials
and　to　the　constant　presence　of　pain。　　He　said　he　was　never　free　of　a
certain　distress；　which　was　often　a　sharp　pang；　in　one　of　his　shoulders；
but　his　physique　had　established　such　relations　with　it　that；　though　he
was　never　unconscious　of　it；　he　was　able　to　endure　it　without　a
recognition　of　it　as　suffering。

He　seemed　to　me；　however；　very　well；　and　at　his　age　of　sixty…three；　I
could　not　see　that　he　was　less　alert　and　vigorous　than　he　was　when　I
first　knew　him　in　Cambridge。　　He　had　the　same　brisk；　light　step；　and
though　his　beard　was　well　whitened　and　his　auburn　hair　had　grown　ashen
through　the　red；　his　face　had　the　freshness　and　his　eyes　the　clearness　of
a　young　man's。　　I　suppose　the　novelty　of　his　life　kept　him　from　thinking
about　his　years；　or　perhaps　in　contact　with　those　great；　insenescent
Englishmen；　he　could　not　feel　himself　old。　　At　any　rate　he　did　not　once
speak　of　age；　as　he　used　to　do　ten　years　earlier；　and　I；　then　half
through　my　forties；　was　still　〃You　young　dog〃　to　him。　　It　was　a　bright
and　cheerful　renewal　of　the　early　kindliness　between　us；　on　which　indeed
there　had　never　been　a　shadow；　except　such　as　distance　throws。　　He　wished
apparently　to　do　everything　he　could　to　assure　us　of　his　personal
interest；　and　we　were　amused　to　find　him　nervously　apprehensive　of　any
purpose；　such　as　was　far　from　us；　to　profit　by　him　officially。　　He
betrayed　a　distinct　relief　when　he　found　we　were　not　going　to　come　upon
him　even　for　admissions　to　the　houses　of　parliament；　which　we　were　to　see
by　means　of　an　English　acquaintance。　　He　had　not　perhaps　found　some　other
fellow…citizens　so　considerate；　he　dreaded　the　half…duties　of　his　place；
like　presentations　to　the　queen；　and　complained　of　the　cheap　ambitions　he
had　to　gratify　in　that　way。

He　was　so　eager　to　have　me　like　England　in　every　way；　and　seemed　so　fond
of　the　English；　that　I　thought　it　best　to　ask　him　whether　he　minded　my
quoting；　in　a　paper　about　Lexington；　which　I　was　just　then　going　to　print
in　a　London　magazine；　some　humorous　lines　of　his　expressing　the　mounting
satisfaction　of　an　imaginary　Yankee　story…teller　who　has　the　old　fight
terminate　in　Lord　Percy's　coming

　　　　　　　　　　〃To　hammer　stone　for　life　in　Concord　jail。〃

It　had　occurred　to　me　that　it　might　possibly　embarrass　him　to　have　this
patriotic　picture　presented　to　a　public　which　could　not　take　our　Fourth
of　July　pleasure　in　it；　and　I　offered　to　suppress　it；　as　I　did　afterwards
quite　for　literary　reasons。　　He　said；　No；　let　it　stand；　and　let　them　make
the　worst　of　it；　and　I　fancy　that　much　of　his　success　with　a　people　who
are　not　gingerly　with　other　people's　sensibilities　came　from　the
frankness　with　which　he　trampled　on　their　prejudice　when　he　chose。
He　said　he　always　told　them；　when　there　was　question　of　such　things；
that　the　best　society　he　had　ever　known　was　in　Cambridge；　Massachusetts。
He　contended　that　the　best　English　was　spoken　there；　and　so　it　was；　when
he　spoke　it。

We　were　in　London　out　of　the　season；　and　he　was　sorry　that　he　could　not
have　me　meet　some　titles　who　he　declared　had　found　pleasure　in　my　books；
when　we　returned　from　Italy　in　the　following　June；　he　was　prompt　to　do　me
this　honor。　　I　dare　say　he　wished　me　to　feel　it　to　its　last　implication；
and　I　did　my　best；　but　there　was　nothing　in　the　evening　I　enjoyed　so　much
as　his　coming　up　to　Mrs。　Lowell；　at　the　close；　when　there　was　only　a
title　or　two　left；　and　saying　to　her　as　he　would　have　said　to　her　at
Elmwood；　where　she　would　have　personally　planned　it；　〃Fanny；　that　was　a
fine　dinner　you　gave　us。〃　　Of　course；　this　was　in　a　tender　burlesque；
but　it　remains　the　supreme　impression　of　what　seemed　to　me　a　cloudlessly
happy　period　for　Lowell。　　His　wife　was　quite　recovered　of　her　long
suffering；　and　was　again　at　the　head　of　his　house；　sharing　in　his
pleasures；　and　enjoying　his　successes　for　his　sake；　successes　so　great
that　people　spoke　of　him　seriously；　as　〃an　addition　to　society〃　in
London；　wh