Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-11-01
En- arson on Everett,

All his auditors felt the extreme
beauty and dignity of the manner, and
even the cOarsest were contented to 90
punctuallY to listen for the manner.
when they had found out that the sub
iect matter was not for them. In the
lecture-rocm he abstained from all or
nament, and pleased himself with the
play of detailing crudition in style of
perfect simplicity. In the pulpit (for
he was then 4 clergyman he made
amends to himself and his auditor for
the self-denial of the professors chair,
and, still with an infantine simplicity
of manner, he gave the reihs to his
tlorid, quaint and affiuent fancy.
Then was exhibited all the richness
of rhetoric which we have never seen
rivaled in this country. Wonderful
how memorable were words made
which were only pleasing pictures, and
covered no new or valid<thou0hts! He
abOunded in sentences, in wit, in satire,
in splendid allusion, in quotation i'm
possible to forget, in daring imagery,
in parable, and even i'll Il sort of defy
inc experiment. of his own wit and skill
In giving an oracular weight to Hebrew
or Rabbinical words, -feats which no
man could better accomplish, such was
his self-cOmmand and the security of
his manner. All lis speech was music,
and with such variety and invention
that the ear was never tired. Especial
ly beautiful were his poetic quotations.
He delighted in quoting Milton, and
with such sweet meditation that he
seemed to give rs much beauty rs he
borrowed; and whatever he has quoted
will be remembered by any who heard
him with inseparable association with
his voice and genius. He had nothing
in common with vulgarity and inirmi-
ty, but speaking. walking, sitting, was
as much alOOf and uncommon as a star
The smallest anecdOte of his behavior
or conversation was eagerly caught and
repeated, and every young scholar
could recite brilliant sentences from his
sermons, with mimicry, good OF bad, of
his voice. This influence went much
farther, for he who was heard with
such thrObbin9 hearts and sparkling
eyes in the lighted and crowded church
cS did not let 60 his hearers when the
church was dismissed, but the bright
image of that eloquent form followed
the boy home to his bed-chamber; and
not a sentence was written in academic
exercises. not q defamation attempted
in the college chapel, but showed the
omnIPreSence of his genius to youthful
heads. This made every youth his de-
fender, and the boys filled their mouths
with arguments TO prove that the ora
tor had q heart. This was a triumph
of rhetoric. 1t was not the intellectual
or moral principles which he had to
teach. 1t was not thoughts. When
Massachusetts was full of his fame it
was not cOntended that he had thrown
any truths into circulation. But his
power lay in the magic of form; it was
in the graces of manner, in a new per-
ception of Grecian beauty, to which he
had opened our eyes. There was that
finish about this person which is about
women, and which distinguishes every
piece Of genius from the works Of
talent; these last are more or less ma
tured in every degree of completeness
according to the time bestowed on
them, but works OF genius III their first
and slightest form are still wholes. In
every public discourse there was moth
ing left for the indulgence of his hear
ers, no marks Of late hours and anxious,
unfinished study; but the goddess of
grace had breathed on the work last
fragrancy and glitter Waldo
Emerson IN October atlantic.
When q hen retires for the night, it
is quite proper to speak of her as a
rooster.