The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-17
euro WIS XII.

VA EVON imb WIN LhC BShbASh~A w AAh
spent several hours with Gurowski on tbi
occasion, and as we both at that time ha
ample leisure, we soon grew intimate. an
the day together. For a long period
was accustomed to visist him every day a
his lodgings, generally In the moNuing
while ne came almost every afternoon to M
humor, and did not relish Dadinaee His chic
delight was in serious discussions on questions
of politics, history, or theology, on which he
would talk all day with immense erudition and
wonderful flow of "the best broken Fnplisb
that ever was spoken" He was we'll read in
EgyptOlogy and in medieval history and had a
wide general knowledge of the sciences, without
special familiarity with any except iurlsnru
dence. He disdained the details of the natural
sciences and despised their professors whose mr.
suits seemed to him frivolous. He was ieaions
OF Agassiz, and OF the fame and influence he
had attained In this country, and was i'm the
habit OF spltefully asserting that the Professor
spoke bad French, and was a mere icthvolopist
who would not dare in Europe to set up as an
Even the amiable Professor Guyot, the moe,
unassuming man in the world, who ten Iived
IN Cambridge, was also an object of
this paltry jealousy. ''How finely Guyot hum.
bugs you Americans with his slops," Gurowsk
sala @ 70 IN me cone one oay. | replied that "slopsn was
q very unworthy and offensive word to apply to
the productions of man like Guyot, who cer-
talnly Wes OF very respectable standing in his
department of physical geography. 80 bah
bahi you do not understand" exclaimed Gu
rowski. 81 do not mean the slops of the kitchen.
but the slops of the continent-the slops and
indentations which he talks so much about"
Slopes was, of course, the word he meant TO use;
and the incident may serve as good lllustra-
tion of the curious infelicities OF English with
which his conversation teemed.
But the truth is that Gurowski spared nobody
or scarcely anybody, in his personal criticisms
Of all his vast range OF acquaintance in New
England, FELTON,, LOngfelloW, and Lowell were
the only persons of note of whom he SPOKE
with uniform respect. 1t was really painful to
see how utterly his vast knowledge and his
great powers OF mind were rendered worthless
by chlldishness of temper and habit of con-
tradiction which made it almost impossible for
him to speak of anybody with moderation and
justice. lie had also sort of Internal delight
in detecting the weak points of his acquaint-
ances, which he did with fearful quickuess and
penetration. The slightest hint was sufficient
He saw at glance the trail spot, and
directed his spear against it. Faiiings the
most secret, peculiarities the most subtle,
which had, perhaps, been hidden from the
acquaintance of years, seemed to reveal them
selves at the first glance of his single eye.
be was very fond of controversy, and would
prolong discussion from day to day with appa-
rently unabated interest. remember once we
had discussion about some point of medieval
history OF which knew little, but about which
j feigned to be very positive, in order to draw
out the stores of his knowledge. which was
really immense in that direction. After a hot
dispute OF several hours we parted, leaving the
question as unsettled as ever. The next day
called at his lodgings early in the afternoon |
knocked at the door of his room He shouted
Come in; but as opened the door | heard
him retreating into his adjacent bedroom. He
thrust his head out, and seeing who it was came
back into the parlor, absolutely in a state of
nature. He had not even his spectacles on. In
his hand he held pair of drawers, which he had
apparently been about to assume when arrived.
Shaking this garment vehemently with one hand
While with the other he gave piuor hp hrpka
ont at once in torrent of argument on the topic
OF the preceding day. made no reply but at the
hrst pause suggested that he had better dress
himself, To this he paid no attention, but
stamped round the room, continuing his argu-
ment with his usual vehemence and velubility.
Half an hour had elapsed, when some one
knocked. Gurowsd roared, "Come in ~ A
maid-serVant opened the door, and of course
instantly retreated. | turned the KEY and
again enrreated the Count to pat on his clothes.
He ldid not comply, but kept on with his argu
mt ment. n presently some one else raped. 1T
10 Desor," said the Count 81 know his
knock let him i'm Desor was a Swiss,
scientific man, who lodged in the ada
cent house. Gurowski apparently was in.
vowed IN a dispute with him also, which
he Immediately took up: ON some ques-
ton OF natural history. The Swiss how
ever, did not seem to care to contest the point
whatever It was, and soou went away. On his
departure Guro%skl again began his medi@va
argument; but | positively refused TO stay un
less he put on his clothes. He reluctantly com
Piled and went into his bedroom, while took
up book. Every now and then, however he
Wo9lo sally out to argue some fresh point which
had suggested itself to him; and his toilet was
not falrly completed till, at the end of the third
nour, the announcement OF dinner put an end
to the discussion.
Disappointed in his hopes of getting employ
ment as alecturer or teacher, on which he had
rehed for subsistence, euro wski felt himself grow
ing poorer and poorer the little stock of money
ne had brought from Europe wasted away. The
Hiscomforts OF poverty did not tend to sweeten
ms temper nor TO abate his savage independence
lie grew prouder and fercer as he grew poorer
he was very economical, and INDUCED in no
uXurles except cigars, of which, however he
was not great consumer, seldom smoking more
tnan three or four day. But with all his care
his money was at length exhausted his last
dollar gone. He had expected remittances from
Poland which did not come; and he now
learned that from some cause which have for
gotten, nothing would be sent him for that wear
at least. He used to tell me from dav to dav
Of the progress OF his decline and fall - as
he called it, remarkng occasionally that, when
the worst came to the worst, he could turn him.
self into an Irishman, and work for his iving
paid little attention to this talk for really the
idea of Gurowski and manual labor was SO rldi
culously incongruous that could not form anv
definite conception of it. But he was more in
earnest than | supposed.
Going one day at my usual hour TO his lodg-
lngs, found him absent. | called again in the
course OF the day, but he was still not at home,
and the people of the house informed me that
he mad been absent since early morning. The
next day II was the same. On the third day
lay in wait for him at evening at his lodgings
10 which he came about dark, in most forlorn
condition, with his hands blisiered, his clothes
dusty, and exhibiting himself every mark of
extreme fatigue. He was cheerful however
and very cordial, and gave me an animated
account OF his adventures in his "Irish
life" as he called it, 1t seems he had formed
an acquaintance with Mr.. Hovey, the
81 fhn -