New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-21

"
nate race, distinguished chiefly for beer, sausaees
and military drili-a race destitute ot courtiy man
ncrs and personal refinement, ana Nlthou' my r.
nown except in du'l ana ob,olrIe p,ninosoPng
and in the arts of war. German literature
was late pro uct-the latest OF the ageH III lorlh
and in spirit it was wholly a new deVelopnlehII,
without precedent. not indebted 70 cla'Slc mouolS
or 10 contemporaries. German ana Engllsh alke are
Goths; ami the blood of Goth IA stirrcd ny We
mighty ca'hedrals and by the longcherished ioK-
lore as II is never stirred ~ the ilghtcr anu IloIc
graceful forms OF architecture aHd by me poorly
that Is indigenous with the descendants oil tine Lat
IN race.
When English and American scholars first discoy-
cred fhr treasure. of German uoc.ry there was an
excitement like that winch led the rush 10 the new
continent of COlumbus. We know how Caryle was
cnthralled by his German masters; how Coierldge,
both az poet and tabe-talkcr, exhibited himself
stepped in German thought aud tradition now
HawthOrne's conceptions were Thought to be tlnged
with the mysticism of FOuque, and the subtlty OF
TIeck how Emerson got his ilr>t awakening IRON
the same Influences; and. later how the whole
Transcendental School serencly unconscious oi nm
itation, were talking German philosophy al second
have hean the first 10 acnOw edge the influence OF
those poets who are nearest in blood, and whose
tastes, feeling, and traditions we measuiaoy snaIe'
THE VOICES OF THE NIGHT
The fame of Longfellow is the growth of half
century. but his first volumes were decisive as 10
the place he was 10 mold. When the d" Voices OF the
Night IL 39 and Ballads" 1s41l had come to
the notice of the public there was an Impression as
was in the poems a soft radiance, serene and con-
soing. Ali classes felt il. The philosopher saw IN
their holy tranquility and perfect trust the equiv
alent for the best outcome of his learning; ana
the hearts of the unlettered poor We're
drawn uncOnsclously to the divine hafmo-
mes that made them forget their sor7
rows Whatever poetry had before this time dazzled
the world it may be questioned If ever in the same
space there had come 10 the hearts of men so many
sweet aud tender associations, so many lessons on
courage and patience, 80 many consolaIons ior the
stricken and afflicted. Ii Is NOT solely lhelr rare
poetic beauty, their melOdiOus flow, their perfect
expression that charm us; 1t Is their supreme ana
universal sway over the nobltst emotions There Is
not one Of the Voices OF the Night" that Is not
familiar household words. The lines and phrases
pass current in fragments of quotation. The Ideas
and metrcal forms are az uninlstakabe a. doNOio-
gies proverbs. the solemn monotone OF the
" Psalm of Life" heard around the world;
d" The Belcaguered City," Footsteps OF Angels,
&" The Light of Stars" aud Flowers" have
spiritual as well as earthly beauty They are
gospel of goodwill in music. 1T does not matter
how often they are sung OF intoned; IL does not
matter that the alert mind of the nearer flies before
the reader along The ellknOwn shining track OF the
These poems and others III the succeeding Foi
unleS Ike ncm, are our heart treasures we refuse
criticism and comparison with the works oil other
poets. They are and our chlldTen's inheritance
They are wholly without parallel III our day i'll
the quality of touching and eleyaung the moral
nature. 49,,
few striking Ballads the anne of almost any poet
might safely rest. They must appeal with uAdInln-
ished force 70 the coming generations; just as tle
vicIsSItuues of this mortal hfe,-marrage mother
mood death-thOugh forever repeated, yet touch
each soul when Its turn comes with rapture or an
agony as intense as the experience of the hour had
bclallen 1t first III the history OF creation.
TIE BUILDING OF THE SHIP.
1t is not only the technical perfection with which
the building and launching are descr bed-althOugh
he successive scenes are as vivid as instantaneous
photographs; it is not alone the pictures OF the
woods where the almost human pines are felled,
stripped of their green glorles, and dragged away
fnTt Is mis- :
the beauty, mystery and terror OF thu sea, full Oh
suggestion they are all these are parts, but the
whole il The human interest speedily be-
comes prominent We see the characteristics force
of the Old draughtsman and the pleasing uudercur-
rent of sentiment III the nuptals OF his daughter
and the apprentice. And meanwhile the skllIuilS
wrought analogy between the vessel and the Union,
scarcely suspected at first grows, page by page. AS
the work progresses, we see what keel and what
ribs meant, and III the blaze OF patriotic feeling
at the end we see what nomentous hopes are staKed
upon the vessel, and what flag II Is that nutterS at
the masthead So, after firm touches OF description
with lively associations OF coming pellls, WIN
light breath OF love in the sails, and with an over
flow of sacred emotion that carries all before It, the
noble poem comes 10 a close.
HE ATLANTIC DINNERS.
Mr. Underwood as already mentioned, was the
protector and first editor of The -4tiaHtic MONTHLY
He personally knew the whole group of the brill
liant New-Engand writers. This Is part OF his ac-
count OF the early days and memorable festivals Of
The atlantic:
Something has been already SAID of The hnick@-
booker aud the Philadelphia magazines PHtndms
NOBfhig had comparatively short but brilliant
and honorable career; of the purely literary maya
Zlues still existing We can remember only Hdrpers
that was successful then. But IN 1897, and before
articles and neither that nor any other literary
periodical was outspoken organ OF opinion. 1t
was then supposed necessary to avoid controverted
tones and epicene literature was mostly III vogue
Writers and thinkers might deplore tins, but pub
fishers were tlmid, and kept weather eye open to
watch the vanes OF pubic opinion.
The atlantic Monthly was started with the definite
purpose OF concentrating the Efforts OF the best
writer's upon literature and politics. under the light
of the highest morals. Mr. LongiellOw was one of
the first persons consulted and gave his hearty ap-
prevail to the plan. The success Oh the new magazine
is his orlcal. There seemed To have been wonder
full accumulation of fascinating articles waiting for
am outlet. The chief honor belongs 10 Holmes
whose " Autocrat of the Breakfast Table" was per-
hans the most brilliant series Of papers IN our tne
On either side OF the Atlantic. Much was due TO
the essays pOems and skillui leadership Of Low
ell and to the great name and characteristic verses
of emerson. And when LOngfellOw, gen, rally ad-
mtted to be the chief of American poets. contrib
med a poem to nearly every number, the pubic had
an assurance that the new magazine contained the
best results OF American authorship Among the
many beautiful poems OF Longicilow in The Atida-
tic nav be mentioned "SandaphOn," Santa Flo
meua"" The Golden Milestone, "Catawba Wine"
The Birds Of killingMorth" The, ChLdren's
Hour a. Paul Revere Rlde," and " The Bells OF
Lyuu.D Tie number OF his contributions was large,
and lie was in his best estate OF mind and body.
AS The atlantic was started at a dinner, 1t was
long a custom for the editor and chief contributors
to dine together month, Oh the last saturday,
when the number for the succeeding month was
out The attendance varied, OF course, buI the per
sons usually present for the first two years were
AgassIZ j. Eliot Cabot John ;. Dwight, Emerson,
FELTON,, Holmes, Judge L. X. Hoar. DR.. Estes
Howe, Longlcow, Lowell, Charles f. Norton and
Edmund Quincy. Motley the historian came TO the
rst dinner, picked man OF countries" the finest
specimen of manly intellectual beauty, probably,
that our time has known he left soon soon after
to pursue his studies abroad Whittier came
rarely HIS health was always delicate, his appetite
caprlcious and he evidently troubled by the
clouds OF smoke that succeeded the dinner. Occa-
sionally NhIpple and IrOwDridge came also
guests from ABROAD who CHANGED TO be III Town.
Once only the women contributors We're invited.
The ideal dinner, as 1t exists IN the mind of English