Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-03-13
TennysOn at Home and Abroad.
London Truth.

Mr.. Tennyson's orders in reference
to the admission of visitors are Of the
strictest kind. He has more than
! WordswOrth's horror of tourists, and is
equally inaccessible to neighbors. The
| fact is, like other mortal men he pre-
fers to choose his own company, though
letter of introduction will always in
sure the most courteous of receptions.
But Mr.. Tennyson can be much more
than courteous with a sympathetic per-
son; he can be the most charming Of
companions. Lounging in a comforta
BILE armchair and smoking his pipe
he is a great smOker-the Laureate will
talk on any and every subject, and
equally we'll on all.
Generally speaking Mr.. Tennyson's
views are those Of a cultivated Liberal
of the school of Brooks, rather than of
Birmingham. Indeed, he is by birth
and training something of an aristocrat,
with a pedigree such as few members
of the House Of Lords could rival. The
Tennysons are, perhaps, the Oldest fam
! iiy in Lincolnshire, which is saying a
good deal. Besides being Liberal,
Mr.. Tennvson has good deal in COM
mon with the lingo, or rather, he under
stands and sympathiZes with the best
features of imperialism. He was one
of the promoters of the Crimean war,
and readers of "Maud" will remember
the passionate outburst Of exultatlon
with which he welcomed the COM
mencement of hOstilities. Again, when
the Times was coolly proposing, apropos
of nothing in particular, that we should
cut off Canada from the empire, it was
the Laureate who uttered the most elo-
quent protest against so fatal a policy.
In religion he may be described as a
Broad Churchman-very brOad-but
with the keenest sense of the beauty Of
what our German cousins would call the
Christian Mythus. Among the dearest
of his personal friends was Frederick
Maurice who stood godfather to one ofhis
boys. Apropos of friends, remember to
have heard an uncomfortable person
declare that Arthur Hallam was but
very slightly known to young Teuny-
son. The allegation is really too mon
strous to believe, for though it is easy
to overrate Gin Memoriam," the poem
certainly contains some of the finest
passages in the language, and one
would be keenly disappointed to learn
that it was founded on unsubstantial
fiction. In literature Mr.. Tennyson's
of many famous poets. He sincerely
loves the great masters, Shakespeare,
Milton, Scott. Among Greek poets, one
gathers that Homer is his favorite;
among Roman, Lucretius. For his po-
EN- on the latter in Macmillan he re-
ceived, | believe. a guinea line, or
some three hundred in all-not bit
too much. Albeit, Dryden was paid
but ESQ for 10000 lines. OF course he
has his literary aversions. Perhaps OF
living writers the less said the better; but
it was certainly unfortunate that Bulwer
Lytton should have talked of Mr.. Ten
nyson's being pensioned, and that Mr.
TennYson should have retOrted by call
ing the author of pelham" band-box.
In those days men were foolish enough
to say what they meant. The Laureate's
irritability, however, is generally of the
right kinda noble rage, because the
right thing is not being done or said
He is no respocter of persons. a lady
of very high rank indeed (almost the
l ulSutolJ hdo OllCO 1cduiiIS hOChoIoy
Hall' aloud in the presence of the
author, who suddenly jumped up I'M
patiently and snatched the book out OF
her hand, saying: That's not the way
to read it." He then declaimed the
verses himself. II call that shouting
it," was the lady's comment. In other
ways the Laureate asserts his indie
pendence of social restraints, and no
one dares gainsay him.
The curious may be interested to
learn that the Laureate is something oi
a bon uira1at, as indeed bard should be-
Perhaps it would be more correct to say
that ne like Macaulay) is an excellent
caterer for others, though now com.
paratively Indifferent to these things
himself. The reader who shall taste
J the Laureate's wine will be fortunate
) indeed. | am not referring to the offic-
ial Etsack" so much as to some marvel.
lous Amontillado, the price of which
am really afraid to state to an unbe-
lieving generation. Probably no such
Gift was ever made since Lord Nelson