New-York tribune., 1882-04-09
MEMORIES OF LONGFELLOW
AN EVENING IN THE OLD CRAIGIE HOUSE.

| AN EVENING IN THE OLD CRAIG1E HOUSE.
| AT DINNER WITH THE PoET-HIs "REMINISCENCES
| OF RUsKIN-vIEws OF POETS AND PoETRY-A
| SKETCH OF LoNGFELLow's HOME SURROUND
| INGS.
| To the Editor OF The Tribune
| SIR: No face was better known or loved IN cam
bridge alas that we must say was than the genial
foce of Americas best-known Ioet. Longfellow,
with its slyery crown Of radiant White hair Ills
brown overcoat too was as well known and almost as
bstorical though for far different reason as the
crav redingote of the first Napoleon. But all the
world has not been to Cambridge Though the Cah-
| tnbrigans seem to think otherwse and perhaps an
account of an evening with the poet may pass o'er
some ground hitherto untravclled
II was in the winter of 1850 that had the pleas
| ,re of first SEEING Longfelow in his own home
WAS stranger in Cambridge. but there Is nothing
more charming and delightful than CanDriuso
| hospitality In the old CIaigc Mansion on brattie
ST. used TO be free-heared hospitality ana that nos
pitality received fresh lease OF lie wheh the poet
took mn his home there. had been III Cambridge
| only n few weeks when with two friends was III
vitcd TO dine with Mr. Longfcllow and spend the
overi,z-tbe invitation was not for dinner party,
hut for n puroly informal meal and was all the
more welcome Ii was a moonlight night when we
| loft our houre and walked down Bratle-st. facing
tbe Charles: as we entered the gate the old mansion
stood transiigurcd in the moonlight thc rNc'
cleaned silver white, the sheltcrIng row. Oh Dare
lilac busheshad spectral effect which was ehhah5eu
bv the two tall poplarS, bare and straight stahdhg
| like sentinels in the quiet moonlight buI "hch
yo mounted the stems rang the bell of the old door
with Its quaint brass kn0ckcr, and stepped lnSiue
| the broad hail. there nothing unreal OF uhsuo-
| stantial III our welcome. The Dell was h"'uly
| topched when the door swung Open and we stepped
| L..
its wall, hung with paintings; facing the door was
tho oId-fasbioned broad staircase; halfway mp tho
stairs OH the first landing, stood the tall clock say
ing, .,,. nor.
Never. forever"
On the left Of the entrance the small reception
room. and back of it the dining room; on the o'her
side was the historic study which has been so many
times described. In the rear of this the large
| drawing-room or library, into which we were
ushered after LAYING aside our wraps. The drawing
| room was chcery with red hangngs; In the corner
stood large grand piano. the walls were literally
| lined with bookshelyes and in the centre oil the
room stood table bestrewn with books and papers.
| A CHEEKY omen fireplace whose yawning mouth was
encircled by "A row of quantity colored tiles, ana
which gave forth genial warmth from huge log
cracking on some curious brass andlrons, added
color and warmth to the home picture but why
linger on the mere outside shell
The door suddenly opened and Longfellow
walked in He was rather shorter in stature than
we had anticipated, but very erect and vigorous;
his frame was neither stout nor thin; ms lace was
rp1fv in complexion and surrounded by mass of
sivery white hair; the eyes surmounted by bushy
eyebrows were the chief charm of the mobile face;
they looked out so bright and keen that 1t was
difficult to tell their color though it appeared to be
blus: we were inclined to be struck by the brill
iarcv rather than the shade Around the eyes
were some ch lracteristc wrinkles which gave
genial aud happy expression to the face when the
noet smiled As he entered there was cordial
grace and ease in his manner which put everyone at
ease Ii is related that before lelne met Goethe lie
had prepared fine speech to deliver, but when he
saw the great man he could only stanmer Ah! the
plums are very line the road to Wemar| But
one needed not to prepare speech before meeting
Longfellow he himself was your inspiration.
When YOU met him you felt you were with friend;
Immediately your dumb devil took leave OF you
After shaking hands with us all, the poet laugh
ingly said: " 1t is an embarrassment of riches-Id
offer my arm to one of you, but ] don't know
whichr' So the six ladies went in arm-in.arm, Mr..
Longfellow followed and the company of seven sat
down at the cheerful round table On the wall at
the left of the pleasant dining-rO0m hung large
oil painting of the three daughters of the poet;
from this picture the photograph which is so popu-
| lar has been taken. All through dinner time the
poet chattcd and talked flying like bird lightly
| from branch to branch, and making whatever sub
iect he fingered on cheerful and bright lie spoke
| of CARLYLE who was still alive, and praised him in
very high terms. :" particularly admire his
| French Revolution and Frederick and Great"
he said; consider him one of the few writer's
who have made history really live. Carlyle saw
facts with his imagination"
Then the poet gave some "reminiscences of his
college days at BOwdom. The study that most
disiled was Forenscs." he continued. begged
tie president 10 excuse me- but to my surprise when
the class came up was the first one called upon TO
recite! | don't think the president was very fond
of me- Some of our professors too, were very anus
ing; one of them in Mental Science always began
questioning us in this manner: Now, young gentle
men, what is logic, or in the words OF the author,
logic is what did not care much for the mere
bare facts of Mental Science loved them clothed
| in appropriate words Do you remember this fine
quotation from John Locke: Thus the ideas, as
well as children, of our youth often die before us;
and our minds represent to Us those tombs to which
we are approaching where, thoughthe brass and
marble remain, yet the inscriptions are eiaced by
time and the imagery mOulders away" Then he
solemnly added: God grant that ] may be pre-
served from that The prayer has been granted,
and he has been taken from while still strong and
able to bear the poets message to humanity.
Soon after recting this passage the conversation
turned to poets and poetry. Dante is transcen-
dent poet - said his translator, and then recited in
Italian portion of the opening canto of the In
feno." Can anything he more simple and direct
| than that and yet musical and full of
| thought he asked. " 1t easy enough to be
simple at the expense OF beauty" he added, or to
he musical at the expense of thought; the great
poet is the man who at a white heat. YIELDS sim
| plicitv with beauty and thought with music"
| After dinner the ladies retired to the drawing
nlant LnIl Lnmr laier ON rtc INV