Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-04-02


ley throughout life was twtted with his
slovenliness Of person, and many people
were made to believe that he incurred the
risk of being sold for bag of ancient
rags whenever he passed into Ann Street.
The fit and quality of his clothes were not
what Grammo,t or D'Orsay would have
recommended; but he was always scru-
pulously neat-Beethoven himself having
no greater passion for the bath. His
linen was ever immaculate; his boots,
though often coarse, we'll BACKED; his
face carefully shaven. and his hands as
daintily kept as those Of fine woman
His cravat had a tendency, it is true, to
assume the shape of hangman's knot,
and his trowsers were often suggestive OF
required continuance but that he was
really sovenly was palpably false. The
idle tales that he disarrangcd his toilet be-
fore the looking glass, and carefully
squeezed his pantaloons into the leg of his
boot ere he appeared on the street, we're
purPosely told to annoy him, and strange
to say, they had the effect intended. He
and seldom received advice thereupon with
becoming equanimity. Oddly enough, he
believed himself very well-attired per
son, and that few men in his station went
better clad. Sartorial comments were
wont to draw from him sharp and stinging
replies.
When j city editor Of the Tri6te,se once
suggested the reformation of his neck-tie
Mr.. Greeley answered, &" You don't like
my dress, and II don't like your depart
ment. If you have any improvements tc
make, please begin at home''
James Watson Webb, while editor o.
the Courier and Enquirer, was fond o.
criticising the costume of his neighbor
who, referring to the fact that Mr.. Webt
has been sentenced to the State-prison
and pardoned, for lighting duel with
Thomas f. Marshall, made this extinguish
ing rejoinder "Assuredly no costume il
which the editor of the Tribune has evel
appeared would create such a sensation il
Broadway as that James Watson Webt
would have worn but for the clemency oi
Governor Seward
To another journalist, noted for his
untidiness, and his ridicule Of Mr.. Greeley,
the latter responded, " If our friend of the
-, who wears mourning for his depart
ed veraclty under his tinger-nails, viii
agree to surprise his system with bath
we may attempt clean discussion with
him."
The iIustrious editor was simply care.
less of his attire, though fastidiously neat
He was always SO busy that, when he rost
in the morning, he put on the first thing
he found, and sometimes he did not put II
half on. His clothes never seemed to fiji
him. or, rather, he never seemed to fit hl:
clothes. The wonder with many of his
acquaintance was where he bought them
or whether they did not grow, SO unique
often were their cut and pattern. Clothes
[ repeat, were a tender theme with him
and he displayed the highest breeding by
never alluding to what he wore. 1t i:
supposed he got his garments ready-made
q have been told his wife was in the habit
of purchasing them), and, to save time
he took the first articles offered. He was
the only New Yorker of note who repeat
edly appeared in the street in the morning
IN dress-coat But he made amp.t
atonement for this by presenting himsel
up town at formal dinners in paletot, OF
some peculiar garment that defed identi
fication. Whatever may be thought Of
MIR. Greeley's quaint raiment, be was ex
cellently dressed according to the Brum
mel canon, because after being with ant
listening to him one could not remember
what he had on. He could talk away hi
clothes in the briefest space.-JuNIu'
HENRI Browne, in Harper zine fol
AwI.