New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-09-12
TO LEIGH HUNT IN ELYSIUM.
A FAMILIAR EPIS1LE.
BY JAMES +. FIELDS.

UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY mrs. OwES's STUDY
or KEATS 7-sYMONDss STUDY OF THE GREEK
PoRrsD AND srFDMAN's "vrcrORr,v POETS"
-LoSGFELLoy TENNYsoN AND BBowNfSG.
Ny DEAR POET: A few days ago fell upon this
exquisite passage in one Of yOnr attractive volumes
How pleasant it ~ to reflect that all lovers o.
books have themselves become books. May 4
hope 10 become the meanest OF these existencesI
should like remain visible in this shape. The
little of myself that pleases myself could WISH 10
be accounted worth pleasing Others should ike 70
survive So were it only for the sake Of those who
love me in private knowing. az do. what treas
ure Is the possession OF a frlenGs MIND when ne IS
no more
Dear Friend. must always decline TO think Of
you al narticulate phantom, but persist IN re-
garding you habItually alert and active pres-
ence somewhere well employed. Nothing epicedian,
therefore, should ever cucumber any letters 70 %
Tonga bsent correspondent like yourself
Twenty years ago. when had the never-io-he-for-
gotten happiness OF spending delightful eYeningin
your cottage mt Hammersnith and you conhded TO
me so many sacred things about your
dead companions. john Keats and Percy Shelley.
you told me, remember that II
copy in your possession. 1t would have af-
forded Won much qualification 10 present me- with
your London Journal the original pnblicgton, just
as 10 was issued during the years or ls3i-io since
thar memorable evening In England under your
root lido YOU recall the long, calm twilight and
the m0on-rlse As we watched It glimmer Dg among
the poplar trees y | have sought IN vain for tho
treasure In London and American book shops. where
such priceless things are apt to Turk You can I'M
agne my exceptional pleasure, dear Trend, wnen
X. Z. nor wears knowing my necessity cam"
bounding into my summer cottaGe on the elf. only
last night with the coveted prze in his brawny York
shire fist jublantly shouting his fervld gadDess hat
last he had secured what had so loug desired to
possess. K. loves the volume Az much a. do, but
he cannot resist the noble rage. which dominates
his heart. FOR making other people happy onow
| avn actual owner OF the precious leaves abon6
which we dscOursed together sitting around your
jOcund table a score OF years ago.
cannot refrain from thanking you, as well as II.
G.. for the enchanting pages before me. There Isa
paper from your own pen III the first number or
journal
near us all. IL is that one In which you hope to
teach readers of nifty ago the art Of ex-
tTactIug peasurable ideas from the cOmmOuest OBJ
ect, and what gTaces lie III the direction of poetry
and the fine arts. II is where you lean your cheek
so lovingly toward those OF the young aud ardent
seekers after what Is uplifting aud Instructive.
Pleasure Is the business OF this journal, you say
often and often to your subscribers. The night
kind OF pleasure of course. And how exquIsitely
YOU explain what true pleasure Il =" innocent,
kindly, elevatlng consolIng. encouraging" Here
some of your magnetic words that i have read
more than once tO-dayi
foods the sky and the ocean, ana yet
lures the baby buds OF roses on the wall, go We
Of pleasure the nobIest that expands above us
the heavens ana the most familiar mat catches our
glance the homestead Man has not yes
armed to enjoyed the world he lives IN no. tho
luadred thousand-rull ionth part fu; aud wonli
tam be p him to render It 81 sin greater Joy We
would make adversely hopeful prosperity sympathec;
and all to be better, kinder, richer and happier
There scarcely single JOY sorrow within hc ex
perieuce Of our fellow creatures which we have not
tasted aud the oellet III the good am brauiul mas
never forsaken US IL has been medicine to Us In sick
ever de ighted us IN health or success . We would
say every " You can surely diminish pain
and increase pleasure the secret "a 10 know more and
TO know that there ~ more To love. Inc more msn
knows the he exists and the peasanter his knowi
"a incapable OF his own distress" man
NAV poor. even STRUGGLING. but not mnappy-the
cOmmOnest goods and chattels pregnant 20 nim
fairy tales or things IN pantomime HIS hat Ike For.
tunato's wshingcaD, him into the American
solitude among where he IN thought,
looking a. them doing heir work ana ns5I,ns 90" ma.
that are everlastingly breaking the ssence IN
those widernes-es. hundred agreeable thoughts
e Sr i Snd. sDd elegance and sausemsnt Of
ttortoises and books OF travels and tae comb IN
tans silver-uunes or Potosi with al the won
IT'S sky that smallest key shall pick the lock OF
tue greatest treasures, thus opening To the showing
now for upward OF thirty years and We have same
hope the The same faith in the beauty aud
In time could almost add rBe same youth. We
have had much sorrow, ana yet are capable OF 20
much iOy aud receive pleasure from many familiar
obects that sometimes think we should baye had an
unfair portion hsppiness our life had NOT been one
OF more tIan ordinary trial
Thanks dear friend for these noble. self-sustain-
ing words, and for the permanent comfort we all
find in your other heath-gving writings. have
for Il long tine noticed the sweet influences, tho
almost immediate effect Of several of your essays
and poems many dOwnoast look and iaborIhg
breast here in America. Your charming philosophy
has often recalled 70 me the Passage which
Cervantes has emphasized 10 Don QuixoteI
As to being tossed IN blanket, l
s s %snaps and II they do come there is
nothing to be done but 10 wait hold ones breath
and submit 10 20 whittier fortune and the blanket
In your writings there is nothing morbid. nothing
depressing, 10 "perllous stun that weighs upon the
heart You have taught us IN various ways thatt
every man has plastic gift OF happiness which VIII
become stronger with Use. Ii was said 81 the Able
de Lille 10y Madame du Mole, that ms body was
seventy-tOuT, and his soul only hfteen and when
used to your face brighten up 40 the SIGHT Of
htte children | knew the meaning OF such an
encOmlum.
In your character as Indicator you have done
immeasurabe service 10 young people especially.
You seem To have been sent into the world ona
special mission TO point out whatever : best IN
many lteratures. Ii * said there b rd IA the in
terror Of Africa which indicates 10 honey-huniers
where the nests of wild bees are 10 be found by
calling out 10 them with % cheerful cIy o. hudIng
itself recognized the bind flies and hovrrs over
hollow tree containing the honey. lhither the
CATERERS go and collect the sweet treasure while
the bard tiles 10 little distance observing all that
passes When the hunters have helped themselves
they take care always 10 leave a portion tor the
bird that has 80 kindly indicated 10 them where tho
honey lay concealed. | cannot help thinking OF
yourself OF the hOney-ludlcatOrs or Liter
AZURE calling out 10 all readers in sweet persuasive
morsels in English prose and poetry, the honeyed
words of wit and wisdom, infinite riches IN
little ROOM TO employ your own words, you have
always seemed to me
One OF the spirit, chosen BY Heaven TO turn
The sunny side VI things TO human eyes.
You once said remember, that B rth had made
Won a Royallst but that no man respected an honest
Republican more than Yourself or yeneiated HIM
more If he were truly great. ! also remember You
SAID that the idea Of a war between England and
America was thing alike monstrous aud Imposs-
bic. / recall with special pleasure your assertion
that you would rs soon think OF quarrel between
two guardian angels of mankind IL the heavens
that overlook Us, as rupture between the two
countries. Most earnestly and deyoutly yOu thought
the welfare Of the earth committed to the keeping
of the two nations. Both your fathers aud
mothers side You are fully American, ami closely
related BY blood to all of this slice ot tho
water. ioul heart readily turned to America from
early bOyhOod, that your book both IN prose
and verse. seem very much at home among tEs
people.
1t will not disturb you, perhaps, TO hear that your