Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-02-04
James Russell Lowell.

James Russell LOWell.
In person Lowell is OF medium
height, rather slender, but slnewy and
active. His movements are deliberate
rather than impulsive, indicating what
athletes call staying qualities. His
hair at maturity was dark auburn or
rudy chestnut in color, and his full
beard rather lighter and more glowing
in tint. The eyes of men of genius are
seldom to be classified i'll ordinary
terr.s, though it is said their prevailing
color is gray. G lionel Higginson
mentions Uawthorne's gray eyes; while
the present writer, who once stuffed
them attentively, found them mottled
gray and brown, and at that time H.
describably soft and winning. That
they were sometimes occ.pitf'l we can
readily believe. Lowell's eyes in re.
pose have clear blue and gray tones
with minute dark mottlings. In ex.
preston they are strongly indicative of
his moods. When fixed upon study,
or while listening to serious disco urse,
they are grave and penetrating; in or
binary conversation they are bright
and CHEEKY; in moments of excitement
they have wonderful lustre. Moth
ing could be finer than his facial ex-
preston while telling story or tossing
a repaitee. The features are alive
with intelligence, and eyes, looks, and
voice appear to be working up dazzling
effects in concert, like the finished
artists of the Coincide Franchise.
The wit of Hosea Biglow is the ma
90
lightning; and Hosea's common sense
is Lowells birthright too. When the
same man, however, can eXtellporize
chuckling puns, and blow out a breath
of political revere las naturally as the
smoke from his pipe, the combination
becomes almost startling. Other men
may have been as witty, though we re-
call but three or four in our day; some
may have had similar fund of wisdom
mellowed with humpr; others have
talked the staple of idyls, and let oil
metaphors like soap bubbles; but
Lowell combiGes in conversation the
varied powers of all. His resources are
iuexhaustible. 1t is no wonder that he
has been admired, for at his best he is
one Of the most fascinating OF men.
There is but one compeer-the immor
tai Autocrat and it would be diff
cult, and perhaps impossible, to draw Il
parallel between them.
Steele said of lady that to have
known and loved her was liberal edu-
cation. More than one man who en-
joyed Lowell's society found that the
wise and witty converse of years did
much to supply lamented defects in
his own study and training, and per-
haps warmed even late towering plants
into blossom and fruitage. This also
should be said, that every man who
has known Lowell well considers him
much greater than the aggregate Of
his works, He always gives the i'm.
preston of power in reserve.
He used to enter upon the long walks
which have aided in making him one of
the poets of nature with the keenest
zest. There was no quicker eye for a
bird or squirrel, a rare flower or bush,
and no more accurate ear for the songs
or the commoner sounds of the forest.
Evidences of this the reader will find
in the Window Study" But those who
have visited Fresh Pond, CIematis
Brook, Love Lane, or the Wayerly
Oaks. in his company remember an
acuteness of vision and delight in
every form OF beauty of which the
essay gives no conception.
His habits were scarcely methodical
reading, correspondence, compost
ton, exercise, and social converse
coming often hap-hazlrd; yet, being
incaplble # idleness, he accomplished
mucu. His works show the effective
use he has made of the intellectual
treasures of the world L. Ii. Under
wood, in Harper's.
Tie WoRLD's FAIR.-Although the
vexed question about the site of the
Worlds Fair of 1888 is settled and the