New-York tribune., 1879-01-10

manned in Boston for ne ary years, when he mar
red the lady to whom he had long been engaged sser
OF the Rev. DR.. Claiming, and granddaughter ol VIZ
liam Ellery one of the gners OF the Declaration OF In
donendooce During tbs sojourn in America Mr. Allson
wrote some of the poems which were aherward pun
Ished in The sylphs OF the Seasons and III ISL he
delivered a poem before the Phi Beta Kappa society VI
Harvard College During the same year. he returned u
London where he engaged in the practice OF MS ar
with fresh enthusiasm His unremttins labors soon nc
gan 70 prey upon his health and after several noS Vi
great suffering he was obliged to seek relief by chaee
of mir His long convalescencc partly empIoSe"m W
the composition OF several poems when were ai'r""
published in separate volume soon aIter re'ulih"s
TO London the wife OF Mr.. Allson, whose heaith ha"
been impaired during the sickness Of her husband was
o,toclod with scrious illness from which she died III
few days In the Summer or ISIS, Mr. Alstonrcturheo
to America and in Boston and Cambridge passeu Tue IT,
maindcr of his life. In 1880 he married again. MS Sco
ond wife being the cousin OF his first ana the dauEci
of Francis Dana. the Chief Justice OF Massachuse''S
The following year he established himself ID
new painting room which he had built at Cambridge
mort in which place ne continued TO reside until his
death After leaving Boston he usually attend wha'
is called the Shepard Congregational Chlrch IN cam
bridge with which his wife and her family were cioSeN
connected, finding there strong defence oi the
Trinltarian doctrine in the Episcopal Church III
which he had been educated lie was fond OF reading
the Bible and the works OF the old Anglican dlynesahu
once wrote a long essay the adaptation OF ChrSuaT
iy to the inherent wants OF human nature lis appear
auce at this time ia described by James Russell L0wr
rs giving the impression OF one OF those ndlvdua's'
rarcr than great captains and almost as rare as great
poets whom Nature sends the word 10 Ill the ar
duous office OF gentleman" His cOuntcnancc, says Mt
Lowell, without any beauty OF feature WAS
very beautiful | have said that 1t looked Ike
flame, and can find no other words for the I'M
preston ii gave. Here was n man All hoaI
whose body seemed lump OF finest clay, whose service
md
waverins fire which hovcrcd over IT," The elements III
him " were massed ana haImOnzcd together into a
purity and depth of character INTO tone. which maze
the daily lie Of the the greatest masterpiece ot thc
artist" Nj Alstons life at Cam5ridCcport was one oI
great seclusio the life of scholar, an artist, ana an
invalid. He had small hut choice circle ot irIeh'@
and frequently welcomed artists and travellers to MS
studio But he generally declined the hosptatos
which were freely offered to him by the cultivated taln
lies Boston ana Cambridge, prccrriug To dcN"c MS
life to nobcr pursuits than those of social enjoyment
Ills high iguus nature aud his rcvcrcnt cousce
ton to the true and the beautiful attracted TO nm thc
mobiles minds of New England. lie won the admi"-
ton and homage Of the choicest men and women OF Ms
age and race; and passed through life with an earnest
love for his fellows and fearless faith in Cod
In the slight sketch Of the personal traits OF Mr. AIS
ton i'm which we have followed the dciiChtu narrative
Of his biOgraphcT no attempt has been MADE 10 give
even an outline of his career artist. MI Sweetscr
has treated subject with considerable deai put 10
most readers at the present day it is Aston the man.
rather than AstOn the painter, that affords the pFihc
pal source fattractIon. Since his time, American arr
has been developed in many admirable forms but there
has been no example Of he moral lovcness OF charac
ter of the daily beauty OF life to rival mat OF the
ustrious master. lie himself the type OF the Sr
tua noblenoSs and grandeur the ideal Of which inspired
the efforts OF his sublime pencil. The portrauTe eN
hbited III this volume furnishes an lnvauabc conllbu
1lou 10 ethical culture no than to artistic history