The Hawaiian gazette., 1868-10-07


and on the precautions he mad to take in
ocier TO spare his feeble sight The rOom
in which be used TO work had two win
dowS. One Of them, in 3 corner. and in
the upper part Of the wall near the ceiling,
admitted the light; the other was covered
with three blue muslin curtains. super
posed, each loOped up with different
string. A lArse green screen was placed
against the wall. opposite this window.
The secnetAry's desk and char stood in
the hight, while PreseOit's burean. carefully
protected by screen from the blaze Of
the fire. occupied the centre Of the room.
There he used 10 Sit while listening to
the reading, taking notes. his back towards
the light, which fel on the paper in 4
softenei msnner, and when he lifted his
eyes frOm his notebook, they rested on
the green shade of the screen. When be
wanted 20 read by himself. (which was
very seldom the easel he would have his
chair near the muslin curtains. which he
would necessarily move, without interrupt
ing his occupation. He felt the least va
ration in the sky, and not cloud passed
over the sun thar did not require, on his
part, Modification Of the light 1t is no
wonder II he knew the strings of his cur
t2inS as well as 4 sailor the rigging Of his
ship.
He could not spend long time reading.
aud ~hen he had done be would go back
to the bureau, and. with pencil in his
hand aud the ingenious appAratus called
noctograph on his knee. be would listen
TO bis secretary and take notes, his eyes
being shut all the time
II Was IL this room. which nobody can
entes without a feeling Of respect and
emotion. that Prescott passed many long
sd IzboriOas days. methOdieaIly spent in
reading and eondenzing in his mind what
be had heard He used TO get up very
eS1iy in the morning. and take a ride. At
10 O'Clock his secretary would arrive, and
they woald be eloseted together till lunch
tine. az O'Clock After lunch, be would
retarn 10 his library, and review in his
mind the subjects Of his mornings study,
selecting what be deemed worth remem-
bering. and eASting aside what he thought
worthless He called that way Of en-
-pEcyiny his tine = his digestion At 8
O'elock. his secretary punctaslly returned,
and rezi 10 him til O'Clock. He never
worked sfter dinner, bat his wife, OF one
II his children whIIed away the evening
in reading the newspapers, or some work
pertaining to the subject Of his studies
His mind bad become so clear by this
oooslznt and meth0iiezl occupation. that
each 6zy. whea be resumed his work, ey-
srything that he h4d learned the day be
fo-e vas arranged and classified. ready to
appear when required in writing his books
Whea ke interrupted his reading be
Ezz perfectly absorbed II composing, do
ing and uDdOsng, mentally, the plzn and
style of one Of his historical masterpieces
He wO1ld avail himself Of every oppor-
tuaity. and vas combining and construct
ing il bis nIDd, Ehas dressing himself,
eating, OF sxzke in bed. and especially
during his long morning Edes in the
o5znir!. This would kst for two or three
days, s8d then he would write, when his
eyss z1Ozsd hin, q dictate to his seere-
tz-y. the chapter he had prepared in bis
mind II hlz muse we're slow, be would
resors to desperate remedy. and SOuId
h1m 10 himself = fsEorite song eOnnenc-
Ing ~iih thsse words:
"Oa. give ne ~ Arabian s.ee3 r.
Bat he sel50m had occasion to employ
those violent means. AID be doald dictate
o. vrte. viitoai interruption, some fifty
o. SKY pages, zs Il be we're reciting s les
soa- In the latter par. Of BIS life, he sid
thst his 0e1oEy VS. getting sou bseause
h eocd no. o0u6snse II his mind more
than foE1y pages st o1e=- TIE dictztion
b=i1Z co1s. lis secretary Eo1ld rad Il to
hin. and Prescott Eo1ld ooTeet L with
The uosz scrupzlOzs attention, shortening
and no6ifying according TO bis Judgment.
To give AZ idss Of bis e0oscie1ti91suess
Is : writer q the enzetness and depth
q his rssszrehzs: zod q the method with
shich Il accomplished his literary pr
szIts. Z I Only Bscsssz-y 70 state, il ref
ersoc= 20 his history q FerdiDzad and
Iszbellz- that BE Dot O1ly e0Dprisei IL his
progrzane Of ssady, al the Frsneh, Eng
Esh z9d Spanish hooks having any eon-
nectioa With his szhject, bat that ks had
the h0nox q being the 6rst sh0 deciphered
so7e Sls1isA Dzn1scripts unknown 70
Ihs Spanish IifsTEL
Nzry ysaz Afterwards. his secretary
eozH not spszk. Eitho1t horToE. of the
ek-oaicIs .of ee-tzia Bsrrzi9ez, shieh
Prescott I'd - q preei07= disc0Tsry. bzt
q -hirh his yOzng freed had FsEy dif-
fsrszt opsnio1- The Cd sczE1,T h
EozH szy, Es II greatest enemy. aid /
skzH BsTs- fo1Zst TIE tirss0ns k01rs /
hare spe8t EI.k Mr. Prescott, rszdisg L
over zo6 OFsr szzi1- In the beginning,
cozsi kz-5Iy dacspber Il. and Hade 50
Ez1y hlzo6=rz that / eza 1ot conceive
h0s L cozI5 zn6srz=znd Ne; bzt hs neTsr
slowed any i@pstisoez-
So1e ehzpzszz- znd e1ong then ths