New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-24
TennysOn and Andersen.

L
ter rides about Versailles hantic Monthly
Tennyson and Andersen.
Hans Christian Andersen gives, in thu
Scandinavian, Rerie,c, the folio wing account
OF recent visit to Alfred Tennyson:
That was melancholy meeting between
me and the great English poet, in his quiet
unpretending home on the Isle of Wight
Fifteen years before l had visited Alfred
Tennyson in company with Charles Dick
ems. Then we were in the bsst of humor
! Dickens sparkling wit carrying away with
1t, not only poor me, who have always had q
weakness for humor, but even the grave
Tennyson, who looks as if it cost him a la
Dor to smile.
At that time Tennyson was fine looking
| man, with black hair and beard, and hi.
face was hardly furrowed. l thought tina,
/ had greatly changed in those ffteer
years, but Tennyson had evidently grown
older much faster.
As we shook hands we looked in eacf
others eyes, ard his filled with tears
Why, don't exactly know; suppose i,
was tribute paid to the memory OF Charles
| Dickens. Indeed, the words uttered were
these:
'.Ah, this time you come alone, Mr.. An
| dersen. Do you remember the theatrical
| performance at Gadshlll !"
Why should ! not The play was Lon.
don Assurance" and the leading part was
given by Charles Dickens. That was in
1858, and in the audience we're Alfred Ten
nyson. Charles Reade, Goeschen, Delane
and others whose names have since become
| famous.
What time We had !" exclaimed Ten
nyson.
Yes" replied and do you remember
getting US out of bed at four o'clock in the
msrning SO that we might go with you to
the Isle of Wight2"
| OF course ne did, and he made me walk
with him through the. garden, as he had
done fifteen years before. There was the
tablet to the memory of young Hallam. Ii
| looked somewhat DINNER than in 1858, but
1t had been surrounded IN the most aesthetic
manner with the finest growth of ivy.
| Ivy seems to be your favorite plant" !
said to Tennyson.
ITO tell you the truth, it is," he replied
"Ivy needs 10 nursing. 1t knows neither
| cold nor heat 1t is the plant Of immortal.
| ity.'
! ''But what about laurel % rejoined.
| Laurel wreathes.' he said, playfully
| look well enough in pictures; but really,
| they wither too soon."
This was a golden saying. How many
| writers have / seen wreathed in laurel, and
how soon the laurel became dry and with
| cred.
We returned to Tennyson's library. He
showed me the manuscript of his first vol
| ume OF poems. / opened the first page
where Claribel low lieth."
To me there is in this quiet little poem
something indescribab bly, charming. The
small country graveyard is described in
few lines with such cOnsummate ability
that you actually believe yourself to be
there; and that, while You iDhale the fra
grant breeze famed by the branches of the
old tree. you seem to hear, as if coming
from far away, that ancient melody"
which will be sure to vibrate in your heart
when you read "Claribel," provided there
is poetical vein in your bosom.
Tell me about dear Scandinavia" said
Tennyson to me.
when l left tho Sound" l replied laugh
lashed into fury"
Now he rejoined, THAT Kattegat of
yours is horribly destructive OF shipping
craft, but l take it to be the most in terest-
ing sea in Europe. Old kanneguy, the
man eating giant, was buried in it, right of
the shores OF Jutland. kattegat, the young
hero, overpowered him, but when he himself
died OF broken heart on account of the fair
Sigrids faithlessness, he swore he never
would be at rest until the whole of Jutland
was Dai iOu III tuC UiuC NdltIS VI Inc sea,
anu so his spirit storms and raves incessant-
~, giving the sea painters sublime subjects,
travellers the sea sickness, and marine in,
surers the headache
The transition from the weird and sublime
to the laughable was so sudden and unex-
pected that we both burst into hearty mer-
riment. But this is the popularity of Ten
nysoT's genius, that he will suddenly con
trast the grandest flights of Ills magma
vrJf &t,ip Hppn
which will startle you at first, but ulti,
mately I'LL you with the more admiration
for him.
He asked me about my last writings. |
pointed to my eyes and exclaimed:
How can I he expected to do much when
my lights every moment threaten to go
OUT
Tennyson suggested an amanuensis.
No, no" / replied; Il can not dictate
original matter. am at a loss to account
for the faculty Of some writers to do SO. NJ.
Theirs told me the other day that he die
tated the whole of his History of the
Consulate and the Empire | was amazed
at this. j, for one, must be alone when [
write. The presence of secretary would
disturb me. Did you ever dictate any of
your works to secretary E.
No, no." he replied eagerly; 81 think
like you. Original composition through
another person seems to me impossible. All
the copy | ever sent to the printer was
written with nay own hand
When left him he said to me, "My old
friend, both CT us are past TIE meridian of
life: but believe there is still a great deal
OF work in us. You have eclipsed the
splendid imagery of the Arabian Nights"
interrupted with deprecating gesture
saying, And you have verified what Ma
caulav wrote about your splendid language,
that English, in the right hands, can sound
SPAIN"
- I'VE part. then, with compliments" said
Iennyson. 1T is good that both Of us are |
sincere"
l am sure | was.