, 1881-01-23
s. THE HUB"


- A*ScS4 1ake10fy RFAAvn
In an evil hour ar. George Lathrco >,
nished for tile February HarDer u' ~ n, aa''
trated article on. "Literary and soc;a, ~ 'aus' y
ton." His sketch included portra;ta ta =. nSs' ~
D. Howeils, E. ?. Whipple, I. B. sHLs. u. v.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, c. +. Norton ~,ten. = y.
Fields, E. E. Hale, ]. B. O'Rellly, anf s.a :.
Ward Howe, and rather poor renresant,.1s saas
OF Wendell Phillips, DR.. Bartol r%aoas rraHs
Holmes, Weiss, James, Senior, Whittfer ttSasa' us
glnson, and Sargent, assembled Az na,.nl ,us~
Of the Radical Club at Mr.. Sarrent's bausss s
There wee also pictures OF the {ns,ds ".
outside Of the residence Of tile late Ceosaa w
Tichnor, and one or two other don,eaIs.s
views. The foregoing constituted se nrs..N
good array Of portraits, and quite nnrshs' s
Of men were mentioned whose ifkanassst
were not given; but, as might be -
q good many more were omitted, soma ~
whom were as much entitled to notice = w. w.
majority of those favored. 3fr. r,th,.s,8 W.
general conclusion is that Boston has ss cl,;..
to be regarded as centre OF "cnltnrs s4s ~.
that the pride Of purse aud family often r;tS' Sb'
holds recognition from deserving anthans ha,a
He tells how 2 young aristrocrats whan ~
ting for his portrait to young artist nj e~aas ~
talent, said IL him, with charming ronSa SSs'
scension, You're getting on now 70 a paSs- ne;ss
where yoa ought to marry. Ishould tkinss ttk1i,ds'
you'd look around for some young woma" ."Is =
your own walk Of life aud settle down ,s,te q
her" He also asserts that the father ~ f"tta ~
late Margaret Fuller made O long and das Isa
perate push to get into Society. rasnss
gained to the full extent only after bis danuht
ter had beeoine DISTINGUISHED. On the wh9is
the Boston social world is divided into n",s'
Der Of alr-tight compartments. Aospita1ityIs
lacking. An accomplished gentleman. who
had accepted many ravors fnr fr{anaA {n
abroad, on meeting the lady. Of the houss
years af1erNagA Ia Boston, showpd 'ia Is.
houndless gratitude and cordially BY inrttin9,
her to call at his house on Sunday eypn;ss
after tea. when his wife and hitrseIf wnoH
20 with her to church and give hera nisre;r
tleir pew. Or the late George Tickpor Ia
friend Of Prescott. and author OF \ UstoTs
Of Spanish Literature, and of yery intrrst
estlng diary ut Residence In Europe. fnli ~
anecdotes OF celebrities, 1r. Lath1up says.
~ 1t Is only about ten Years since Tickhor
ceased to walk the streets,-a tall Stately
figure, instinct with this Boston dignity
dignity which there IS a local tendency IN
make an ircu1nbrance." Most people, IL ajI
places, are sensitive to social opinion; they
. are to some extent afrNld Of Others But ia
Bostonial goes further than this; he i
afraid of himself.
Mr.. Lathrop's article, the spirit Of which
we hare pretty faithfully reproduced ADORE.
has created quite 4 stir. The 1ranscript
more than insinuates that alr. Lathrop has
never been Admitted into the society he
clains to describe. An anonymous friend ot
the Fuilers denies, in the Aarertiser, int
they were quite the obscure people fepre-
sented by the author, while Mr.. F. Il. Under
wood, literary gentleman, who was noz
duly noticed, has addressed an lndignau,
''open letter to the unlucky magazlc.a
writer. He weakens Ills, own cause b r,a-
being the Oldest surviving Presiden. Of ths
papyrns Club, " the only one who held L5a
place three years. and doing mare III III.
erary way than any OF its member n,ensipueJ
with one exception. As a ,ecturer.n ia
mottestly adds, II Illaye had uns olicitel pralsa
in every city where l have :ppeared." 4
suppose You can not be ignorant; lam will
nothing as unfrlendly without proot, bur I
must say the forgetfulness none the less giyes
pain-'
This is enough for Nm Underwood himself.
He is equally dissatisfied with Mr. Lathrpps
estimate of others. Neouote:
"Your mistakes, as | view themt begin
with your treatlnetE .0f Ticknor. Some an-
lie was a rich man, a t1lft-hunter, and :
sulemn snob, as became the son OF a retired :
grocer. In his time 4 wealthy professor and
dabbler III letters in Boston was as rare a. =:
dodo, and he was made much Of. His house
was the resort Of literary ,uen FROM the Old
world. and for such OF the new world IS
fashion approved. To al Aboliiionist, a pht-
When Richard II. Dana sided with Charles
Sumner, the awfnl mandate was Issued tnss
Dana was 10 more to taste the Ticknor Ma
deira. Later, when truth came TO the top
and Ticknor wanted Dana back again, thas
sturdy Republican aristocrat retnsed. honor
to him! You are at fault as to sour recoE.
lections Of Mr. Ticknor. He was not ta!l MI
rather below the medium hight, and hl$ ,
only fine features were lis full brow ard bis
black and steadfast eyes. I used to think Ra
wore his dignity, putting it on and Of after
the old custom in Boston, like sun:
day clothes Ticknor never made an acuso
observation, upon letters or art; be neEeE
showed 4 gleam of wit or scintllla 01 In
aginati0n, and his writing was devoid evea
Of the most obvious sraces Of style. ! delg
a man to lind Il respectable Qu0table passasb
in his History Of Spanish Literature,
book that no mortal ever read except lsom
compulsion. But while he l1obnoobed Win
the great he was shrewd enough to Keep =
was worth more than the body it enshIouued,
ING. / am rot unmindfal Of his, ha!1dsoma ;
bequest to the Public Library. It Is tot nun
lasting monunent. 1t was far dt6eEa<
with the learned Bancroft, with the esesant
Prescott, and the fiery Motley, his conRhW
rafies, MI of whom wrote enduring hr9oD
bered, and about wboEl you have lHte s.et o.
nothing to say. The LITTLE finger Of eltoee
ITO use the smile Of SsriptNre) was 'tLcza 4 ;:na
than the loins' Of Ticknor. This Is uas,
not only III respect to literary wore; ous =
personal character. Ticknor was selt-sesAi1
ing and adroit, and have Dse1 anlo,us1t Ihat
that he made oyertures which ShoWea .aaa. ans'
bought the right to put his name as }, autaoH
upon the historical work OF another. ~;
Again lie says: ,,Sr1 -
As I am mentioning historians, + WI W.
venture to express surprise at y0aI mae aaa&,
quatc treatment OF Parkman, an aos ,,s m'. 4
full Of energy and ire, aud worth uoze1Hs e.. =.
haps you are not to be blamed for 14st 9le men
tioning Sumner, Everett, Winthrop t1nas}}c' n0s}s
Choate, and the Adanises- They ale mV,us ~
politicians, to be sure, but each OF taem naS
written more real literature than the mTa. m;as
bers 1T the Papyrus Club. perhaps. s.M
tETop is the first living orator, unless I.So nS
are not all OF tleul the most agreeaole msp;f y
IRE probably as able as the sonnet maAels ~ =,
the Atlantic. There can be no 1esl1s e1stds ~
pluck leaf FROM the brow OF MF. fssaMI} IN
but 1t is proper to state that the AudntN t;s. Hs
character bad been estabfss.haee s.a
and its name became household woF4;5. 45.t,,, :.
The OMISSION of the names Of John faaf fSnsf
" who has more brains and mare poWeaSan
expression than any ialf dozen OF tne tps III.
t3lers OF the Concord school," OF o1 49,. ~
Sq;'fsa s1Sw 1S Of PailllRs ff9S ch a