Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-11-10
A Literary Veteran.

Correspondence Boston Adyertiser.l
The Rev. VIM. Harness is repeatedly referred
10 in the letters of authors of this century,
though when he died two years ago, in his SD
year, comparatively few of our public writers
even seemed to know anything of him. A no.
tice in one of our daily papers has already given
you some of the sailant parts of his memoir
from the pen of friend and brother clergyman,
the Rev. A. G. EEstrange, but there are other
passages not vet noticed which are equally n-
tcresting. "Hhe Kembles in America" is the
title of one of the chapters. Charles Kemble
writing 10 Mr.. Harness, refers to Dr. Vain.
wright aud DIR. Charming as "lcarned men and
pious Christians" and he adds: - "Wain-
wright, with whom am better acquainted than
am with Charming, seems to me more ofu man
Of the world; he mixes with general society, and
is n wellhTed, liberal clergyman; an EpiSCopa
liam, and likely 10 become the next bishop of
Boston. Charming, we know, is a Unitarian
mild, engaging person in discourse, an
eloquent and impressive preacher in the
pulpit. Wainwright is good preach
er TOO; he has much more physical
power than Claiming, bur, in my opinion, is far
his inferior in point of intellect" OF Forrest
Mr., Kembe speaks diSparagingly: Gle is Il
person of Helculean proportions; filter, in APP
pearance, for a drayman or a porter than an aC-
tor have seen him in but two parts, -Pierre,
which be acted indifierently WELL the other Or
lOosa, an Indian, in the representation of which
II.
was an American of the name OF Scott, whom
| preferred, in the same tragedy; but he is
thought by his countrymen very inferior to For
rest" In noticing American phraseolOgy, Mr..
Harness said that one day at dinner Daniel
Webster, in referring to DeyOnshire, in which
he had been travelling, described its scenery in
the concise words, "Cever country" Shortly
afterwards he asked MIR. Harness whether he
had heard Sydney Smith preach. Handsome
preacher" remarked Webster. Miss Scdgwck
was one OF Mr.. Harnesses correspondents. 1t is
said that she alludeS to him in the following
passage, though only an initial is given. She
came late 10 dinner party:
10 my surprise, she writes, "and in spite of
my proteStationS Mrs. - insisted on rebegin.
ming at the alpha of the dinner; the guests had
reached the omega. The soup was brought
back. II averred that it was most fortunate for
him; be had been kept talking and had eaten
half dinner; so he started fresh with me and
went bona .fde through, covering me with his
aTiS as | run my gauntlet through the courses.
The age of chivalry is not past Match this
deed of courtesy, if you can, from the lives of
the preuT chevallers, taken from their Sun-riS-
ing to their sun-setting."
Harness used to stay with "Anastatius" Hope
at Deep Dene, and the tone of the conversation
sometimes amused him; as when Rothschild oh.
served to Hope that a man must be "poor
scoundrel who couldnot afford to lose two mil
lions or replied to a nobleman who said he
must be supremacy happy man: 81 happy,
when only this morning received letter from
man to-day, that if | did not send him $500
he would blow out my brainsI Mr.. Hope had
a tutor for his sons at the Deep Dene. One day
when Mr. Harness was staying there he found
this gentleman pacing up and down the room in
the most distressing agitation Of mind. "lS there
ANYTHING the mateTP inquired Mr.. Harness anX-
iously. The matterp he replied 81 should
think there was Three of the worst things
that can possibly happen to a man-I'm in love
Pm in debt-and Eve doubts about the doc
trine Of the trinity p One of the good stories
in the memoir is in the substance of state
ment made to MIR. Harness Icy prison chaplain.
to the effect that prisoner under sentence of
death had shown such an edilying sense of re-
lgiOn that the chaplain eXerted himself success
fully to procure n communication of the sentence.
81 called, said the chaplain $50 inform him Of
my success. His gratitude knew no bounds.
He said | was his preserver; his deliverer.
And here the prisoner added, as he grasped
my hand in parting, here is your Bible. | may
as well return it TO you, for hope shat Re0er
1cdnt ii again." Here is a sketch by Harness
of the Prince Tecl, the husband of the Princess
Mary of Cambridge:
"IIe is really very good looking, and he has
wonderful thing in German-good prominent
features and white teeth, bright, expressive dark
eyes, pleasant smile, graceful bearing, neat,
straight, slim figure, and is rather tall; but he
looks quite IL boy. He may look younger than
he is, but making all due allowance for that in
the present instance incOnvenient advantage, he
can't be above twenty-five. Written i'm 1866
She looks charmed with him, herself and her
situation. But, as she stood near him-or rath-
er he near her-in the ample bloom of her per.
son and her crinoline, she seemed completely to
eclipse him. lie has a deficiency, craniologi-
cal deficiency; his head wants back to it. This,
to me, is unpleasant. 1t argues want of power
a ~ a wit in,
a cloister, and become very bright saint with
out it in Paradise; but IN this world of strife
and struggle | should be afraid lest he would
suecUmb before the slightest opposition, and be
unable to maintain his own opinion.
Mr.. Harness had a great personal regard for
Charles Kean, and was deeply affected when he
was sent for to attend his friend in his last hours
Referring to the kindness of Mrs. Charles kean,
he said that she took great interest in the little
children who came to act in the pantomimes
and that she used to teach them their catcchism
between the pieces. Mr.. Harnesses schools, like
many Others in London, suffered much from the
withdrawal OF little pupils i'll the winter On
first entering his schools at Knightsbridge, after
the Christmas holidays, he inquired why the at
tendance was so small. because, sir" replied
the teacher, $50 many Of the children have gone
TO be angels" Mr.. Harness preserved his facu-
ties unmpaired. His hair, though changed in
color, was as thick as ever, and clustered in
curls as in his early youth; his complexion at
eighty-One was clear and fresh; his teeth beauti-
fully white and perfect; and he could see so well
as to be able to read newspaper without glasses
lie retained to the last remnants of that beauty
which Sir Thomas Lawrence had admired in his
childhood Old age had no winter for his ge-
NAL nature. Indeed, he used to say that the old
er he grew the happier he become. In one of
his sermons, written after he had passed his
seventh decade he observes; "There is one time
when the age Of even three score years and ten
seems by no means great; and that is when you
have reached it yourself"