the white mr. longfellow-第6节

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had　a　greater　future　with　us。　　He　was　pleased　when　a　popular　singer
wished　to　produce　his　〃Masque　of　Pandora；〃　with　music；　and　he　was　patient
when　it　failed　of　the　effect　hoped　for　it　as　an　opera。　　When　the　late
Lawrence　Barrett；　in　the　enthusiasm　which　was　one　of　the　fine　traits　of
his　generous　character；　had　taken　my　play　of　〃A　Counterfeit　Presentment；〃
and　came　to　the　Boston　Museum　with　it；　Longfellow　could　not　apparently
have　been　more　zealous　for　its　popular　acceptance　if　it　had　been　his　own
work。　　He　invited　himself　to　one　of　the　rehearsals　with　me；　and　he　sat
with　me　on　the　stage　through　the　four　acts　with　a　fortitude　which　I　still
wonder　at；　and　with　the　keenest　zest　for　all　the　details　of　the
performance。　　No　finer　testimony　to　the　love　and　honor　which　all　kinds　of
people　had　for　him　could　have　been　given　than　that　shown　by　the　actors
and　employees　of　the　theatre；　high　and　low。　　They　thronged　the　scenery；
those　who　were　not　upon　the　stage；　and　at　the　edge　of　every　wing　were
faces　peering　round　at　the　poet；　who　sat　unconscious　of　their　adoration；
intent　upon　the　play。　　He　was　intercepted　at　every　step　in　going　out；　and
made　to　put　his　name　to　the　photographs　of　himself　which　his　worshippers
produced　from　their　persons。

He　came　to　the　first　night　of　the　piece；　and　when　it　seemed　to　be　finding
favor　with　the　public；　he　leaned　forward　out　of　his　line　to　nod　and　smile
at　the　author；　when　they；　had　the　author　up；　it　was　the　sweetest　flattery
of　the　applause　which　abused　his　fondness　that　Longfellow　clapped　first
and　loudest。

Where　once　he　had　given　his　kindness　he　could　not　again　withhold　it；　and
he　was　anxious　no　fact　should　be　interpreted　as　withdrawal。　　When　the
Emperor　Dom　Pedro　of　Brazil；　who　was　so　great　a　lover　of　Longfellow；
came　to　Boston；　he　asked　himself　out　to　dine　with　the　poet；　who　had
expected　to　offer　him　some　such　hospitality。　　Soon　after；　Longfellow　met
me；　and　as　if　eager　to　forestall　a　possible　feeling　in　me；　said；
〃I　wanted　to　ask　you　to　dinner　with　the　Emperor；　but　he　not　only　sent
word　he　was　coming；　he　named　his　fellow…guests！〃　　I　answered　that　though
I　should　probably　never　come　so　near　dining　with　an　emperor　again；　I
prized　his　wish　to　ask　me　much　more　than　the　chance　I　had　missed；　and
with　this　my　great　and　good　friend　seemed　a　little　consoled。　　I　believe
that　I　do　not　speak　too　confidently　of　our　relation。　　He　was　truly　the
friend　of　all　men；　but　I　had　certainly　the　advantage　of　my　propinquity。
We　were　near　neighbors；　as　the　pleonasm　has　it；　both　when　I　lived　on
Berkeley　Street　and　after　I　had　built　my　own　house　on　Concord　Avenue；
and　I　suppose　he　found　my　youthful　informality　convenient。　　He　always
asked　me　to　dinner　when　his　old　friend　Greene　came　to　visit　him；　and　then
we　had　an　Italian　time　together；　with　more　or　less　repetition　in　our
talk；　of　what　we　had　said　before　of　Italian　poetry　and　Italian　character。
One　day　there　came　a　note　from　him　saying；　in　effect；　〃Salvini　is　coming
out　to　dine　with　me　tomorrow　night；　and　I　want　you　to　come　too。　　There
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；