Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-23

" ENlNG SIAR: w ASKING
relate numerous instances from the history Of
my own acquaintance with him, Illustrative Of
this peculiar and admirable trait In his charac-
ter; but the few that follow win SUFFICE For
several years before his death, enjoyed through
his kindness, the privilege Of taking books.from
the library Of the Boston AthenRum, in which
he owned share. Soon after Motley, the his
| tOrian had received, through his influence, the
appointment OF United States minister to Eng
land, he requested Mr.. Sumner TO give
M nim Tho an a.,.s order on the librarian
he needed. to aid him in the completion Of .
work on which he was engaged. To this re-
quest Mr.. Sumner replied by saying he would
see If he could grant it, and would give him an
answer In the course of a few days. He after.
ward called at the Athen@um and inquired Of
the librarian If he could give Mr.. Motley an Or
der for books without Interfering with the privi-
iege ne had already conferred on me. On being
told that he could. he requested the librarian to
| deliver to Mr.. Motley such books as he might
call for and charge them to his account. This
little incident having been related to me by
the assistant librarian l alluded to it the next
time l saw Mr.. Sumner, and thanked him for
his his kind regard for my interest, telling hum at
the same time, that as Mr.. Motley was probably
| in great need of the books asked for he should
| have granted the request at once without
thinking Of any interference with the privilege
| Iidu 50 long enjoyed. ''On, replied he.
Motley can buy books you can't"
entered MIR. Summers room in Washington
one morning just as he was sitting down to a
late breakfast, when he greeted me with more
than his usual cordially, and remarked, with
one of his happiest smiles: ''I've just been
rare and curious to show YOU" He then pro-
duced the album which have already described
and suggested that 1 have the autograph of
Milton copied by the Photographic process, as
4 n UQd hat Of s,rIk hoc <,lI
among collectors Of literary curiOsities.
gladly accepted his kind Offer and took the
precious volume to photographer, who repro
| duced the page on which Milton had written
with such accuracy that the difference between
the original and the copy was hardly percep-
| tible
The Photographic copies of this valuable auto
| graph met with ready sale, as Mr.. Sumner had
| predicted.
SUMNER IN HIS BOYIsH MOODS.
| Although there was not what might be called
a humorous vein in Mr.. Summers mental Or
ganlzation, and no one was more conscious of
its absence than himself, yet there were times
when, catching a little inspiration from his
social surroundings. he would become pleas
aptly excited in conversation, and indulge in a
strain of hilarity without compromising his
natural dignity of character, and be as playful
as aJOyOus-hearted boy. witnessed striking
|
one morning in the summer of 1867 when he
sat for the finishing touches to his portrait, to
an artist who had made striking picture of the
death of President Lincoln, which contained the
portraits of those who stood around his bed
during the last moments of his life. Most Of the
portraits IN the group were originally painted
from photographs. but as the artist wished to
strengthen the expression of each face and
make it as life-like as possible. he placed the
! picture in cOmmittee-rOOm at the Capitol to
| invited al yho y
| represented on his canvass. When Mr. Sumner
sat to him he was in one of his happiest moods.
he mad but recently returned from tour
through several of the western states, and he
| entertained the few friends who were present
with graphic and humorous accounts of his ex-
perlences in various portions of the country
through which he had passed. Some incidents
OF his travels he related with such dramatic eff
iect that he was frequently interrupted with
nearly laughter from his interested and de-
| hghted auditors, whose enjoyment in listening
was hardly greater than that which he seemed
to experience in the recital Of the stories of his
adventures.
In the pictorial group surrounding the death
bed of President Lincoln, Mr.. Summers figure
occupied very prominent place. He was rep
resented as looking anXiOusly and sOrrOwfullv
| upon The face of the dying man, while tears of
sorrow conrsed down his cheeks. How the artist
succeeded In painting face and figure so mourn
| ful in its attitude and expression from such
| cheerful and happy model, it ia hard to i'm
| agine. He doubtless studied only the ANATOMY
OF MS sltter's face and FORM and relied upon his
| imagination for the expression.
| saw Mr.. Sumner for the last time in the lat
ter part OF the year 1873. On several successive
days previous to his departure from Boston to
washington he visited the studio of Edgar Par
ker, in Lawrence Building, to sit for his por-
| trait which that artist had been commissioned
to paint. He sat by my invitation. and on the
day that he gave Mr.. Parker the first sitting
accompanied him from his lodgings in the Coo
| hdge House. to the artists studio Although
MS cOuntenanceO on that day wore the expression
| OF perfect health, and he was also in excellent
spirits, he walked through the streets with slow
! ana uncertain steps, which were in painful con-
trast to the rate of speed at which l had
Deen accustomed to see him move at an earlier
PERIOD OF our acquaintance, when, as walked
with him in Boston and Washington. 80 lengthy
were MS strides and SO rapid his gait, that |
1ound 1t no easy matter to keep my place by his
SIDE When he reached Lawrence Building he
seemed very weary, and hardly able to climb
the stairway. GraSping the baluster with his
right hand he laid his left hand upon nv shout
der for support, and we thus moved slowly up
ward till we reached the fourth story of the
building. and stood before the door of Mr.
Parkers ROOM Although our toilsome ascent
was painfully slow, and evidently heavy
tax upon the strength of Mr.. Sumner
he uttered no word Of complaint. but was un-
usually cheerful all the time, and as he sank al
most exhausted into an armchair on entering
tne room ne made pleasant remark, which
plainly showed that not his patience, but his
strength alone was exhausted
HIS Observation-Disclosures.
As soon as he had recovered from the fatigue
occasiOned by his walk up three flights of stairs
he took an elevated seat in position assigned
him by Mr.. Parker, who at once proceeded to
make sketch of him in outline; but it was not
many minutes before he seemed to forget for
what purpose he had come so far and climbed
so high, and drawing from his coat pocket a
large newspaper, he unfOlded it and began to
read it with an interest which soon became alb
sOrbing. For few minutes remained silent;
but finally becoming impressed with the udie-
rous aspect OF the scene before me, the artist
working vigorously in filling up the sketch
which he had previously outlined and Mr.
Summers face nearly hidden by the paper which
ne held in his hands, ii,voluntarly
Mr.; Parker to turns suddenly and
look upon his sitter, whom my laughter
had aroused to consciousness of the
situation, when he dropped the paper
eand joined in the laughter which his alb
straction had Occasioned When our merriment
had subsidized ventured to suggest that if he
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