Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-09-08
AonrfeIIow's queer viai,or..

During the Centennial year we we're sitting
together, one beautiful afternoon, on his piaz-
"a, smoking and talking. While we we're in
the midst of our conversation l observed two
men and two women coming toward US across
the lawn. They were obviously New England
country folks returning from the Centennial
Exhibition. The men had the slow, deliber-
ate, rustic walk, and were dressed in fitting
black broadcloth, the very look Of which made
one perspre. The women, who were leading
the way, had an appearance of pluck and en-
terprise, a. if they were determined to con-
quer the modest difidence of their compan-
ions. Mr.. Longfellow was sitting with his
back to the street, and did not observe them
until they were within yard of the piazza.
He looked little surprised, but arose and
saluted the intruders with his wonted courtesy.
'Be you the poet Longfellow?" asked one
of the women, in a voice that was incredibly
unmelodious
''Yes, am Mr.. Longfellow," he answered.
There was an awkward pause, during which
the visitors stared at the poet with unabashed
glances as if he had been Centennial relic
on exhibition.
''Now how old a man might you be? que
ried the other female abruptly.
II am sixty nine years old, madam"
Pears to me you look considably older"
said one of the men, looking up sideways to
Mr.. Longfellow's face with critical air.
"My looks may belle me- am no older"
could not but wonder at the extreme ur-
banity with which he answered these blunt
questions, showing no annoyance in his face
and no resentment And when, finally, at
their request, he conducted the party through
his house, he submitted with the same gentle
courtesy to a cross examination regarding his
family and personal affairs which would have
tried the patience of the archangel Gabriel
When at the end of half an hour he returned,
apologizing for his absence, 1 made a remark
which was, perhaps, little disrespectful to
his late visitors
''They meant no disrespect to me by their
questions" he answered, with that beautiful
gentleness which was characteristic of his
manner. 1t is perfectly proper, where they
come from, to interest ones self in the per
sonal affairs of everybody"
but it must be a great inconvenience to
you," l observed, "to be so frequently dis
turbed by such excursionists"
"Well, during the present year 1 admit it
has boen little trying. Nevertheless, 1 al
ways dislike sending man or woman away
who has come out here for the purpose of see
ing me or my house. OF course, 1 have to
do it occasionally, but it is always disagreea-
ble to me to needlessly disappoint any one.
Those women whom you saw are a good,
staunch New England type, and like them
in spite of their lack of tact and their abrupt
manners. They are good, hard-working wo-
men, who make good wives and good moth
ers. Aud yet the other day 1 was greatly
amused at one of the same class who came
here with a large basket-whether she had
anything to sell did not ascertain-Rppar-
emily for the purpose of telling me that she
had read 'Evangeline' from beginning to end,
and she added, there bent many folks can
say that am convinced now that she had
no intention whatever of being rude to me
she was merely awkward and nervous, and
said what she did not mean to say. asked
her if she found the reading of 'Evangeline'
such a dreadful task. The question seemed
to surprise her she grew embarrassed, and
showed plainly that she had no recollection of
having said anything uncomplimentary."
1t was, as near as can remember, on the
same occasion that Mr.. Longfellow told me
of a young man from somewhere in New Eng
land who wrote to him, saying that he was in
love with a certain young lady, whose name
was given and description of whose appear
ance was also subjoined. The writer had been
devoting himself for long time to the task
of winning this young lady's affection, but she
had so far given him no encouragement, and
he had arrived at the conclusion that moth
ing but poetry would fetch her." Now,
Would MI LOuBIello", whom ne uuueisloou
to be poet, write some suitable stuff for him
that would appeal to the young lady's heart,
and would he first let him know how much he
charged for poem of this kind ? Whether
Mr.. Longfellow burlesqued a little this Incl
dent in relating it, 1 am unable to say but
from the gravity of his manner, and still more
from his temperamental inaptness for bur
lesque exaggeration, concluded that the in
oident had occurred exactly as he had report
ed.-Prof BOyeseR in the Christian Union.