Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-03-12
TennysOn at Home and Abroad.
London Truth.

SlTlCteSt kluu. nc Has HlOlc tudl
Wordsworth's horror Of tourists, and is
equally inaccessible TO neighbors. The
fact is, like other mortal mea he pre-
fers to choose his own company, though
a letter of introduction will always in
sure the most courteous of receptions.
But Mr.. Tennyson can be much more
than courteous with sympathetic per-
son. he can be the most charming of
companions. Lounging in a comforta,
bic armchair and smoking his pipe
he is 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 arlstocrat,
with pedigree such as few members
of the House of Lords could rival. The
Tennysons are, perhaps, the Oldest fam
lily in Lincolnshire, which Is saying a
good deal Besides being Liberal,
Mr.. Tennyson has a good deal in COM
mon with the lingo, or rather, ne under
stands and sympathizes with the best
features of imperialism. He was one
of the promoters Of the Crlmean war,
and readers Of MAUD" will remember
the passionate outburst of EMULATION
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 n 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 of his
boys. Apropos of friends, remember to
have heard an uncomfortable person
declare that Arthur Hallam was but
very slightly known to young Tenny
son. The allegation is really too mon
strous to believe, for though it is easy
to overrate ain 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
tastes are far more correct than those
Of many famous poets. He sincerely
loves the great masters, Shakespeare,
Milton, Scott. Among Greek poets, one
gathers that Homer is his fayorite;
among Roman, Lucretius. For his po-
EN- on the latter in Macmillan he re-
celved, | believe, guinea line, or
,ome three hundred in all--not bit
90 much. Albeit, Dryden was paid
out $3.50 for 10000 lines. Of course he
las his literary aversions. Perhaps of
living writers the less said the better; but
it was certainly unfortunate that Bulwer
lLytton should have talked of Mr.. Ten
nyson's being pensioned, and that Mr.
rennyson should have retorted by call
ng the author of pelham a handbook.
IN those days men were foolish enough
o say what they meant. The Laureate's
however, is generally of the
light kinda noble rage, because the
light thing is not being done or said.
lie is no respocter of persons. a lady
If very high rank indeed almost the
lighest) was once reading "Locksley
1all' aloud in the presence of the
.uthor, who suddenly jumped up inn
and snatched the book out of
Ter hand, saying: CHATS not the way
o read it, He then acclaimed the
yerses himself. 81 call that shouting
t." was the lady's comment. In other
Ways the Laureate asserts his indie
,endence of social restraints, and no
me dares gainsay him.
The curious may be interested to
earn that the Laureate is something of
, bon audat as indeed bard should be.
Perhaps it would be more correct to say
hat ne (ike Macaulay) is an excellent
caterer for others, though now COM
Indifferent to these things
himself. The reader who shall taste
Ihe Laureate'S vine will be fortunate
indeed. am not referring to the otlic-
-! "sack' so much as to some marvel
|ouF Amontillado, tie price of which |
am really afraid to state to an unbe-
Iieying generation. Probably no such
Gift was ever made since Lord Nelson
received, in 1900, dozen bottles of the
vintage of 1925.
Mr.. Tennyson is of course power in
society, not the less so because the man
las distinguished from the poet is so
little heard of. Having nothing to ask
for, and having declined all favors that
the Crown could bestoN, he can, with
good grace, ask something for others or
plead fayorte cause. His one inter-
yention, however,in the political history