Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-12

and ingenuities in conversation. What
wouldn't one give TO have him In a box and
take him out 10 talk. That was her criticism
OF him. and 1t was right good. bright ready
ard melodious talker. but in the end an incon-
elusive and long winded. One OF the smallest
man figures ever saw. shaped like pair OF
torgs, and hardly above five feet AT all. When
he safe you would have taken him. by candle
light, for the beautifullest little child: blue
eyed, sparkling face had there not been
something too which said, "Eccovi-thts child
never saw him, hardly ever heard of him. His
fate, owing to opium. etc. was hard and sore
poor hne-strung weak creature.
WORDSWORTH
Ii was perhaps about 1910 that first had any
decisive meeting with Wordsworth, or made
any really personal acquaintance with him. On
was apprised by Taylor that Wordsworth had
come TO town. and would meet a small party OF
us al certain tavern In St. James street, at
breakfast A fine. wholesome ruSticity fresh
as his mountain breeZes sat well on the stall
Wart veteran, and on all he said and did. You
would have said he was usually tacituTn man:
glad TO unlock himself 10 audience sympathetic
ana intelligent, when such offered Itself.
HIS lace bore marks Of much, not always
peaceful. meditation; the look OF IL not bland
or benevolent so much as close impregna-
Die and marc: man nultd tGcef'e I0QY(pe para
tbs in world where he had experienced no
lack OF contradictions 8s he strobe along! The
eyes were not very brilliant but they had a
quiet clearness; there was enough Of brow and
we'll shaped rather too much Of cheek ('horse
face" l have heard satirists saw; face OF
squarish shape and decidedly longish, as think
| the head Itself was dts length" going horizon
talD; he was large boned, lean, but stu firm
knit. tall and strong looking when he stood a
right good old steel-gray figure. with rustic
simplicity and dignity about him, and viva
cious strength looking through him which
might have suited one OF those old Steel-g
narkgrafs whom Henry the Fowler sent up to
| ward the marches" and do battle with the IN
trusive heather In stalwart and judicious
manner.
| ON this and other occasional visits Of his
saw wordsworth number OF times. at dinner,
| In evening parties; ard We grew little more
familiar, but without much Increase OF real In %
| tlmacy or anect1on spriDgng up between US.
| He was willing to talk with ME 10 a corner,
In noisy, extensive circles, having weak eyes.
| such places. one evening, probably about this
| time, got him upon the subject OF great poets.
who thought might be admirable equally 10
| us both; but was rather mistaken, as gradu-
| ally found. Pope's partial failure l was pre-
| pared for; less for the narrowfSh limits visible
| In Milton and Others tried him with Burns,
| OF whom he had sung tender recognition; but
Burns also turned out to be limited infe.
| for ones pathos rather; even Shakespeare him.
self had his blind sides, bis limitations grad
ualiy IL oeame apparent to me that OF tram
scendent unlimited there was, TO this critic,
probably but one specimen known, Wordsworth
| himself! He by no means said so, or limited So
| In words: but on the whole 1t was all / gath
cred from him In this considerable tete- a-tete
OF ours; and 1t was not an agreeable conquest.
New notion as to poetry or poet l had not In
| the smallest degree got; but nay insight into
the depths of Wordswofths pride IN himself
had considerably augmented; and it did not In
crease my love of him; though did not In the
| least hate it either, SO quiet was it, so fixed
unappealing, like a dim old lichened crag on
the wayside, the private meaning OF which, In
! contrast with any public meaning it had, you
! recognized with kind OF not wholly melan-
I choly gin.