Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-16
LoEGFELLow's QUEER VISITORS.

during the Centennial year we were cit
ting together, one beautiful afternoon, OF
his piazza smoking and talking. While W,
were in the midst of our conversation
observed two men and two women coming
toward us across the lawn. They were
obviously New England country folk.
returning from the Centennial Exhibition
lie men had the slow, deliberate, rustic
walk, and were dressed in ill.fitting black
broadcloth, the very look of which made
one perspire. The women, who were lead
ing the way, had an appearance of pluck
and enterprise, as if they were determined
to conquer the modest diffidence of thei,
companions Mr.. Longfellow was sitting
with his back to the street, and did no,
| observe them until they were within a
yard of the piazza. He looked little sur.
prised, but arose and saluted the intruders
with his wonted courtesy.
Be you the poet Longfellow % asked
one of the women, in voice that was in.
crediblyun melodious.
Yes, am Mr.. LongfeIlow," he al.
swered.
There was an awkward pause, during
which the visitors stared at the poet with
unabashed glances as if he had been Cen.
tennial relic on exhibition.
Now, how old man might you be 20
queried the other female abruptly.
| am sixty. nine years old, madam"
Pears to me you look consid ably old.
er, said one Of the men, looking up side
ways to Mr.. Longfellow' face with critical
air.
"My looks may belle me. l am no
Older
l could not but wonder at the extreme
urbanity 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 per.
sonal affairs which would have tried the
patience OF the archapgel Gabriel. When
at the end of half an hour he returned,
apologizing for his absence, I made a re.
mark which was perhaps little disrespect.
full to his late visitors.
They meant no disrespect to me by
their questions" he answered, with that
beautiful gentleness which was SO charac.
terlstlc OF his manner. sit is perfectly
proper, where they come from, to interest
ones self in the personal affairs of every.
body"
But it must be great inconvenience
to you, observed, g to be SO frequently
disturbed by such excursionists.
Well, during the present year l admit
it has been little trying. Nevertheless,
1 always dislike sending man or woman
away who has come out here for the pur.
pose of seeing me or my house. OF course,
| have to do it occasionally, but it ia al
ways disagreeable to me needlessly to dis
appoint anyone. Those women whom You
saw are q good stanch New England type,
and l like them in spite of their lack of
tact and their abrupt manners. They are
good, Woodworking women, who make
good wives and good mothers. And vet.
the other day, l was greatly amused al
one of the same class who came here with
large basket-whether she had anything
to sell did not ascertain-apparently 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 nerv-
GUS, and said what she did not mean to
say. l asked her if she had found the
reading of Evangeline such q dreadful
task. The question seemed to surprise
her; she grew embarrassed, and showed
plainly that she had no recollection of hay.
ing said anything uncomplimentary."
1t was, as far as can remember, on the
same occasion that Mr.. Longfellow told me
of young man from somewhere in New
England who wrote to him, saying that he
was in love with young lady whose name
was given, and description of whose APP.
pearance was also subjoined. The writer
had been devoting himself for long time
to the task of winning this young ladys
affection, but she had so far given him no
encouragement and he had arrived at the
conclusion that nothing but poetry would
fetch her." Now, would Mr.. Longfeilow,
whom he understood to be poet, write
some suitable stuff for him that would ap.
peal to the young lady's heart, and would
he first let him know how much he charged
for a poem of this kind? Whether Mr..
Longtellow burlesqued little this incident
in relating it am unable to say but from
the gravity of his manner, and still more
from his temperamental happiness for bur.
lesque exagerstion, concluded that the
incident had occurred exactly as he re-
ported it.--[Professor Boyesen, in Christian
Union.