Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-04-29
awth0rne on Leigh Hunt-A Personal
= "Reminiscences.

q = g s 3 Reminiscence.
In the May number of the Atlantic
sAontAly, Mr. HAWTHORNE concludes his
article called "Up the Thames With the
following sketch of his first interview
with LEIGH HUNT:
"He was then at Hammers.fii;ssh, occu.
pying very plain and shabby little house,
in contiguous range of others like it,
with no prospect bnt that Of an ugly viii
lage street, and certainly nothing to crafty
his craving for a tasteful environment, in
side or out. A slatternly maid servant
opened the door for US, and he himself
stood in the entry, beautiful and venera-
BILE old man, buttoned to the chin In a
black dress coat, tall and slender, with a
countenance quietly alive all over, and the
gentlest and most naturally courteous
manner. He ushered us into his little
study OR parlOr, or both-a very forlorn
room, with poor paper-hangings and car
pet, few books, no pictures that l remem
Der, and an awful lack of upholstery. |
touch distinctly upon these external blem-
ishes and this nudity of adornment, not
that they wonld be worth mentioning in
q sketch of other remarkable persons, but
because Leigh Hunt was born with such
a faculty of enjoying all beautiful things
that it seemed as il fortune did him as
much wrong IN not supplying them as III
Withholding satficiency OF vital breath
from ordinary men. Ali kinds of mild
magni6cence. tempered by his taste, would
have become him well; but he had not
the grim dignity that assumes nakedness
as the better robe.
Z" have said that he was beautiful old
man. In truth, [ never saw g finer coun-
tenance, either as to the mould of features
or the expression, nor any that showed
the play OF feeling so perfectly without
the slightest theatrical emphasis 1t was
like chlld's lace In this respect. At my
first glimpse OF him, when he met US in
The entry, dlscerned that ne was old. his
long hair being white and his wrinkles
many; 1t was an aged visage, in short,
such as had not at all expected to see, in
spite of dates, because his books talk to
the reader with the tender vivaclty of
youth. But when he began to speak, and
as he grew more earnest in conversation,
/ ceased to be sensible of his age: some
times, indeed, its dusky shadow darkened
through the CLEAN which his sprightly
thoughts ditfnsed about his face, but then
another flash of youth came out OF his
eyes and made an illumination again. |
never witnessed such wonderfully illu-
slve transformation. before or since; and,
to this day, trusting only to my recollec-
ton / should find it difficult to decide
which, was the genuine or stable predica
ment-youth or age. | have met no Eng
lishman whose manners seemed to me SO
agreeable, soft, rather than polished,
wholly UNCONVENTIONAL, the natural growth
q U nd 81
out any reference to rule, or else obedtent
to some rule SO subtitle that the incest OBJ
server could not detect the application of
it.
"His eyes were dark and very fine, and
his delightful voice accompanied their
visible language like music. He appeared
to be exceedingly appreciative of whatever
was passing among those who surrounded
him, and especially of the vicssitudes in
the CONSCIOUSNESS OF the person TO whom
he happened to be addressing himself al
the moment. L felt that no effect upon
my mind OF what he uttered, no emotion,
however transItory, in myself, escaped his
notice, though not from any positive vigi-
lance on his part, but because his faculty
OF observation was SO penetragive and
delicate and to say the truth, il {, little
confused me to discern always a ripple Oh
has mobile face, responsive TO any slight.
est breeze that passed over the inner res
ervoir OF my sentiments and seemed
thence 10 extend to similar reservoir
within himself. On matters of feeling
and within q certain depth, you might
spare yourself the trouble of utterauce
because he already knew what you wanted
to say, and perhaps a little more than you
would have spoken. His figure was ful
OF gentle movement, though, somehow,
without disturbing its quietude; and as
he talked, he kept folding his hands ner-
vously, and betokened in many WAYS a fine
and immediate sensibility, quick to feel
pleasure or pain, though scarcely capable,
L should imagine, OF passionate expert
ence In either direction. There was not
an English trait In him from head TO foot.
morally, intellectually or physically. Beef,
ale or stout, brandy or port wine entered
not at al into his composition. In his
carrier lie he appears to have given evil
dences OF courage and sturdy principle.
and OF tendency to fling himself into the
rough struggle of humanity on the liberal
side. 1t would be taking too much unon
myself to affirm that this was merely a
projection OF his fancy world into the
actual, and that he never. could have hit q
downright blow, and was altogether an
unsuitable person to receive one / beheld
him not in his armor, but in his peaceful
lest robes. Nevertheless, drawing nv
conclusion merely from what | saw, it
would have occurred to me that his main
denciency was lack of grit. Though
anything but timid man, the comtative
and defensive elements were not promi =
nently developed in his character, and
could have been made available only when
ne put an unnatural force upon his in
s'lnc's. 1t was on this account, and also
oeosuse or the tineness of his nature gem
sraily, that the English appreciated him
uo better, and left this sweet and delicate
soen poor, and with scanty laureis in his
declining age. 4A0ieis III his
1T was not, think, from, bis a-;
blood that Leigh Hunt derived ~ -e.iI h.l
amiability or his peaceful ipc,ir et;net us
least, do not see how We csn -i raaon at
claim the former quality as no,ia
characteristic, though the latter - 80.
have been fairly inherited from his ane So
torson the mothers side, who were Penn
sylvania Quskers. But the kind of ex-
cellenco that distinguished him - his
nnenese, subtilty and grace-was ths.
winch the richest cultivation has hereto
lore tended to develop in the happier sx-