New-York tribune., 1873-12-19

nv emharrassment greater was that had never seen
Sore' Ihu rescheS the brc no snd
was nshercd into IL. There were but q
few persons the room. and neither Mr. Coke Lady
Arson present. They soon came In and broke the
painful silence was constrained TO observe. We were
seated at table 10 the number Of fveandtwenty
dresses. Here felt little awkward, the table ar
rangoments very different from any had seen. In
which the company were seated, and sdeabies loaded
with cold meats and cold resoried to by any
that wished for flesh fowl. II struck al 1st
being queer sort Of hospitality I've asked 70
take this or that hut left to help self 20 without
Each calls for coffee, tea chocolate he ianccS,
without beug asked which he prefers After breaMas'
joined the shoongparty we set of in terrible airy,
mounted on horseback In the Of tue day sno'
about n dozen in a-pheasants partrdges. and naIes
to sumptuous dinner The men with whom had been
shooting and conversng frcoly all day bad 80 S
mens and putting on their 6nery. that hoy ;Ivcr
nsed single face at table. Every dish was o, e
on the the table OF corresponding cosDess Inc 'au
retired about eight. and the gentlemen; WIN ~, % mil
nine and then ioued the ladies and took coffee After
coffee OF the company retire TO thelf foos
else 10 do play hist or other game nhl
ten, when supper is served up on hey wsb
| the company Stand and eat or drink what tney "Isn
After supper after another calls for pea 1on S
| candle and goes to his room None stop later 'h"n
| eleven o'clock
After remaining three years in Earope Harding re-
turned 10 Boston where he formed an intimate acqnan
anee with Washington Alston His recoecnons of TINS
great artist will he read with bterest
This was very happy period of his life and he always
smoke gratitude OF Boston Tor ITS warm
appreciation OF his merits, and on account 0i thn np
friends he przed there in social i'e With WASH
ipgton Allson and n T. Willis he particularly in
mate. To the latter lie continued always warmly az
tached although by means bind 10 his faults white
OF Aston he never spoke hut with the greatest FeNe
ence Mr.. AlstOn, indeed was most remarkable III me-
character and appearanoe-less imhued probably, VITA
the commonplace worRing-day world than any artist
who ever lived iD America. His striking features, en-
kndled with genius and the most exquisite refinement
his musiug face suggested the thought that he bad sud
denly stepped into The nineteenth century from me
companionship of Raphael ana leonardo ua Nilc'' i,
Harding thus writes OF him in his autohographN or
he entitled 1t, my Egotieusraphy y " Hls habits
peculiar in many respects nc liVed aiohe aiuuE
Mt six o'clock. and sitting up far into the nsht. he
breakfasted at eleven or twelve. lie usually spent
three OF four evening" rather nights, al my house
every week; and greatly enjoyed hls CONVERSATIONS
which of tae most polished and refined order apd
always instructive sometimes calico az ms stulo. ~
old barn, very large ana as cherries -, any
aneaorite soud dese Me neTr n Gad dust
OF many years lnch deep. You
could track leading through 1t to some remo,e
He few friends iu his room lived almost in solitude
| with only his own great thougnts 20 sustain nun.
great picture of the Feast OF Belshazzar II was then
finished with the exception OF the hguIe of Daniel
Thought 1t wonderful picture. moi to spcak Of #
10 any one but Leslie During the three years Of my
and when l went 10 Washington. which did IN the
Winter ls2s, gave il to Mr. Allston 10 finish his
|
Winter, instead Oh landscape and when came nome
found he had wiped out his Winters work saving II
was not worthy Of him He smoked nccssdntly became
nervous and haunted by fears that MS great picture
would not NJ To the standard OF his high repui.
ton. one day ne went to his friend LjamiIi BALDWIN
and said, i have TO-DAY bloted out my years Work on
INV Handwriting on the Wall
He had discovered some little feec N tue pcrspec
tive which could not be corrected without euaing the
figures in the foreground Had he painted th' picture
IN London surrounded by the best works OF art and IN
daily intercourse with artists of his own stnilns his
picture would undoubtedly have taken & high rank
| iIn hest a
| only monument OF wasted genus oI the highest
| order"
During the visit 10 Washington. mentioned in the pre-
ceding extract, Mr. Harding painted number OF poT
traits OF distinguished men, Henry Gay. Charles Carroll
John Quincy Adams, ChiefJustce Marshall, and others
During hls stay AT the national capital IN the Winter
DassSSe of arms between Webster and layne on the
subject Of L" Foote'S Resolutions" All VINO heard the
scaIhng speech of the fiery south Carolina senator felt
convinced feared that Mr. Webster would he unable
| to answer HIM Harding went that night To pay "A
friendly visit the champion OF the North and greatly
| his daughter Julia and Mr Hardlngs daughter
Harding said he had expected 10 lind him in another
| room pointing the library. Time enough for That
memorable speech of the next day. Harding asked Mr.
Calhoun. who had ntmaed an opinion that Hayne iiad
anmhlated the great champion OF the North what he
Thought OF IT. lie SAID simply but very emphaucaliy
Mr. Webster is "A strong man Sra rcTy strong man
| In the Summer OF 1880, Mr.. Harding and his family
had established their residence III sprlngfcld which
remained his home until his death. thTly-sn years
aterward He lost his wife III Sij ana IN 1916 he again
! visited Europe, remaining abroad nearly wear. He
renewed his intimacy with Leslie and number OF ms
old friends and painted the portraits of Alison the his
torian, Rogers the poet, Lord Aberdeen and several
other noted men He also astonsned me scotch gentry
| by his great skill III sdlmOnislnng lie was indeed
| an adept at angling, catching a salmon AS readily
as he caught likeness. and tickling trout as happily
As a sitter. He spent the Winter immediately succeed
| ing his return III Washington. being fuDy employed
there with professional labors and sharing he intimate
| society of Mr.. Webster, with whom he aud the Hon
George Ashmun, and one or Two other gentlemen who
tb- times "a Eegk
were always charming We always found sumptuous
tSe iess woaid be chowder or dun-isb, OF which
| dishes he eXcelled in. one DAY i was admirng and
prisng the latter, aud asked him where he procured
| th%m, He said from his trend Charles Gutter OF
| Portsmouth, New Hampshire. said that got my fish
from the same gentleman hut they did not seem to be
of the same quality, but perhaps they were no; as skill
fully cooked Thereupon he gave detailed history of
the fish mode of curing DC. Then he entered into
minute description OF HE OF cooking IT, ending with
Have ready good mealy potatoes Deets ou"wh hhiei,
had few bottles of old Scotch whisky. such as
Wilson aud Scott mmoraiized under the name Of
mountain dew This beverage is always used with
hot water aud sugar. put bottle OF Tins whisky into
nv oycrcoat pocket day when was going tO dine
with Mr. Wooster thought before preseDuDei II 10
him would who was in the drswiDC-room. put
the bottle on the table, walked INTO the drawing
room and seeing but the familiar party said,
have taken the liberty 90 bring scotch gentleman 10
pariake OF your hospitality to-day am most happy,
su,' the reply j walked back 10 the entry ana
poiuied to the bottle Oh" sad he thai rs the geh-
/ tleman that batnes in hot water. y
! Mt. Tiffany gives an interesting account Of the per
-onai, OF Harding derived from bis own
! recOlcctlOns
NV acquaintance with Mr. Harding began N 1853 In
the early part oi hat wear went to Springfield and
suou de eTmned 10 make II my residence Our homes
were adjoining and during many winters night while
| he repairing MS fsnng-gear, and many summer
davas strOlled under tile naples, was charmed by
ms conversational powers and the remnlsceDces or his
eyeutfu hfe NV first interview with him was charac-
terjsfic He was. as have SAID hs ardent
s%po % h an al lTys ssoc,aied in nv MUD with woods
/ we'll l.St tne
standing on the pond about which Two OF ILLS
rrTnd,iildren were dsporting IN Duris pdt,Tahbns,
while entered into disqulsltiOn on silnon-tront
win NV friend the ntroducer. Deheld man OF giant
I frame noble and commanding presence, and with
manner indicating converse with polished society, cor
1aI without familiarity and digBiHcd without hauieur