The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-01-27
..EaDE4E WILD,

| Grace Greenwood thus pleasantly wri-
ties about n. P, Willis and bis home at
| Idlewild.
Owing to my illness we saw but little
of the charming literary society of Bos-
ton. We were once or twice at Ticknor's,
where the lions most do congregate,' but
only CHANGED to meet one or two of our
old friends. We caught glimpse of the
| still jaunty figure and Hyperion eurls' of
n. p. Willis, on the street one day, but
he did not come within haiGng distance.
| heard however from my friend, the
poet-publisher, J. 7. Fields, that he had
quite recovered his health. | am hearth
ly glad for one, and and only hope that
he will enjoy it as well as well as he en-
joved his long r otracted illness, and get
as much good out of it. Willis is a gen
uine philosopher, a poe.ical Mark Tap
ley; he is jolly under al circumstances,
and improves every stroke of fortune, be
it good or bad. l almost believe that
when the time comes (may it be far dis
tant) when he shall really be called up
on to pass through the dark valley, which
he has lately entered and explored to a
considerable distadce, that he will make
neutrality-suspicious. and send back
to the word a very pleasant record of
that last compulsory, companionloss jour
ney.
l wondered most at this cool and easy
philosophy, this familiar chat and daring
play of fancy in the very front and shad-
ow of advancing Death, when we were
visiting the poet at Idlewild, his charm
ing country seat on the Hudson. | have
never seen such a combination of lowell
ness, grandeur, and wild picturesqueness,
as this place presents. If one should
search our country over from sea to sea,
for fitting home for poet, do not be-
lieve that any thing finer than Idlewild
could be found. 1t is place for love MS
an absolute pass;on--to exalt the sense of
possession into a fine exultation - the
sweet home-feeling into a poets enthusi-
asln-a local attachment into the artists
worship Of nature and the beautiful.
Were my soul rooted and grounded
here, as | am sure it would be were the
place mine, it would take great wrench
to pail itup, even with the assurance Of a
heavenly transporting. I am afraid |
should say: Ike this earth, this air well
enough; this sky contents me; this river,
these waterfalls, fill my eye and ear with
brightness, movement, and melody; the
Highlands are Detachable Mountains G.
nough for me; this rural home IS for me
the House called Beautiful Here frosts
come and storms, but only to enhance
bloom and sunshine; blossoms and foil
age perish to outward seeming, but rise
from the dead every spring, proclaiming
new evangeIs Of beauty; and all winter
the faithful pines preserve the memory
Of verdure gone, their green tops, CHEEKY
landmarks amid binding storms, are like
sheltering arks for homeless birds, and
bear the hope Of the summer to come, &
bove dreary wastes and silent pillows Of
snow. Yes, am afraid that were mis-
tress of 1dlewild, should never feel quite
ready to depart from the known good, to
the unknown "better land;" and yet, |
doubt not that all Of beauty, all of grand
eur, we behold here, are but hints, but
pale shows and antit-pes of the things
which God has prepared for us in tie
new world, to which we are all voyagcing
with equal rapidity, whether dreading or
desring-that divine Ell DORADO in the
far seas OF His infinty, which every soul
must discover for itself,