The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-11-20

the company separated US just as l was expect
ing to hear sumo of 80 the latest advices from
heaven" to use phrase which Emerson had EN-
ployed in conversation with me upon a -preyious
occasion. When last saw the philosopher that
evening, he was eating n peach and conyersing
with DIR. Winslow, a gentleman who will be well
remembered in the Hawaiian Islands. DIR. Win
slow, by the wny is about to return, after spend
ing the summer in Boston, to Rome, for the
winter; where, now that his ppognumopus,
.s Force and Nature" Is published, he will re-
sumo the practice Of his profession until warm
weather comes around, where he will return to
the United States.
The speeches in the upper hall of the Horti-
cultural Society now finished, and the COM
paBy Of guests have descended fight Of stairs
To the supper room. The Chairman of the even
ing, VIM. Waterston, finds il necessary TO inform
even Boston audience that " there would be
enough to cat" Great n the clatter OF erockery
and silver, loud IL the voice of music and inces-
SAINT the undeFtone Of human voices, when the
Chairman takes the stand again and announces
that n distinguished Bostonian present, wit,
humOrIst. and wittal philosopher, will read an
original poem composed for the occasion.
Great applause follows; the walters are sup
pressed; and Ralph Waldo Emerson throws
away hIs peach-pit, and DIR. Winslow drops the
Universe. \ little man makes his way quickly
through the crowd, with rapid and imperious
gait and gesture; he springs upon the platform,
manuscript in hand, and explains with forcfble
and distinct articulation the drift Of the poem
which he is about to read. Evidently he is a man
ulfb bSlso IN nd in will
faith, indeed, how could he have called it tie
Hub Of the Universe? relicitous phrase, that
has done more for the fame OF both the write.
and Of the city than any other five words have
ever done. The impetuous doctor reads, throw
ing the whole power Of his lungs and his lips
into the elocutiOn; and his poem, which con-
trasts the charaeteh of Napoleon and of Hum
boldt, who were born within u few months of
each other, is well received. There is no fun in
it, however, and some of the audience look
little disappointed; for we are all reader to
laugh than to be instructed and Holmes, TO his
great annoyauce-for his is essentially scnsi-
tive and poetieal nature-is always expected to
be, in his own phrase, 80 as funny as he can"
DIR. Holmes is good elocutionist, and fastidious
to degree in his pronunciation. As he stood
with almost boyish expression and enthusiasm,
his whole look and mien 50 alert. blithe, youth
full, and completely of A.s hour, it hard to
realize that this was the Oliver Wendell Holmes
Of whom had heard ever since began to read,
and who, with other famous men there gathered,
ought, one would think, to be looking at least
thirty years older than they did. We somehow
attach the idea of great antiquity to persons of
whom we have heard from childhood, but have
never seem few years since i heard for the
first time Rev. DIR. Finney, the once famous
reviyalist pFeacher,-a man who belongs COM
pletely to past generation and was surprised
to see, instead Of the enthusiast had expected,
n quite commonplace and not very elderly-look-
ing person
Indeed. the only old looking eminent men that
l saw at the Humboldt reception were Josiah
Quincy, Professor Peirce of Cambridge, and
VIM. Lloyd Garrison. The former has n fine
crown of gray hair, and n rim Of silver beard
that fringes his massive features. The mathema-
tcian, Pcir>e, has lion-like old head, with long
flowing hair and determined eye. He IL n
pugnacious character, and finds opportunities for
controversy even in the pure mathematics. Ii is
fortunate that he eho@S no les definite science
career would have been one continual campaign.
lie Is tall, stalwart man, and looks, IN spite Of
his years, as If hs could square the circle with
his fist, If not with his formula.
= Col. Higginson, the writer for the Atlantic
Magazine" followed DIR. Holmes, during q
second luIl OF the supper; reading a poem by
Julia Ward HOwe-the gifted poetess who il not
content with her garands, but aspires to philoso-
ply also. / was once present at one Of her
philosophical readings; but it would have been
more properly called " "reminiscences OF Cole
ridge" The laurel is Mrs. Howe's mcst be
coming ornament
Higginson is q tall, raw-boncd man, apparently
n Yankee. He has long beard, but looks un-
like a literary character; he is q clear case Of
" Yankee colonel" Charles Sumner alone, OF
all in the room, surpassed him in stature. The
Senator has n stately form, and " on his brow
deep scars OF thunder are entrenched." He sat
in the rear Of the audience while Emerson, DIR.
Hedge, and others were speaking IN the upper
hall, and avoided making any answer to the calls
which are made upon him for q speech. Since
last saw Sumner before this occasion, three years
ago, he has apparently grown thinner, and seems
to have assumed something Of taciturn and
Indian look ; as if his, in common with other
Americans, was assimilating more and more to
the aboriginal North American type of express
sion which Foreigners say that they recognize in
the New England face. Sumner has a sort Of
barbaric air about him, and would be q marked
man in any company.
Longfellow attended the afternoon celebration,
but was not present in the evening, Agassiz was
noticeable among the company at the reception,
his face ever beaming with good-natured smile.
He has grown fat and jolly over his American
life and brilliant success,-a success which for
eign scientists say he could never have won in
Europe, so much higher is the foreign scientific
standard Of attainment than our own. Be that
as il may, Agassiz is n favorite Of fortune and
by his side stood q ulan who has achieved un-
Questionable triumph Of another sort,-William
Lloyd Garrison. There is something very pure