New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-09-28

| communicate to you, my irleid, W.til'u' l"',"S
time in tho hllluciuation that You will experience
n mud thrill of sympathctc interest. nav !l'
shcd my Picture of 81. John y Soon after WIIiIhB
10 yOu last. found the leading horse oi my iaurIn
! was running away with me. 80 cut loose from inc
| prose animal in the ths. jumped upon Pegasus
inst ms the wings W. re- rrown, ont of hs shoulders
and Hanks and of we went. ! WIS poSs'Ssc.l, ~
have not been for years.-uttcrlY absorbed, dSbdL
and lost for the material aspects of life. 80, by
August l. tho Third NOok-Which was barely com
mrnccd. you may I"incmorr-WaS hlsu,l' n,u VI
and | went on q ten days trlp to I'oudout lNcEn-
tees and Massachusetts,, spending day win dear
Oh hlttlcr at AnrsburN ana "a day WIN Long
fellow at Nallau6 We had charming httle Jour
ncy. but was pursued by " st. john and no
sooner had | returned home than RECOMMENDED.
with the same oycrpoworng possession. one day
wrolc nineteen staulaS! not because was hurried,
| but because i WAS impossible to drop the pen. 80,
a week AGO, the Fourth and last Book was finished
Then still unsatislicd. turned back and r. wrote
the first third of Book First. rounding and com
plotting the poem then the Introductory Proem; and
now, everything beng completed AT IaSt 2I lald
aside TO cool for the final revision behold the cK
plauaton Of the MoScllc! You cannot conceive how
| rejoice at having thus been forced To finish my
task, the last half Of which Is much better than the
first. The poem is the one good thing have done,
but | don't know whether relief or regret il my
predominant feeling now. For the first time M
many years feel my physical nature completely
bound and lollcn under foot by the INTELLECTUAL.
But il IL not altogether agreeable was fast losing
my appetite, my healthy sleep, and my delight IN
air and sunshine.
But there could be no better statement of the
place which The Picture of 81. John occupied in
the authors mrud than the following letter from
Taylor T., Longlcllow which seems to MS one of tho
most delightfully."- ingenious in the whole collection
tho perfect expression of nature too manly for
conccit and too sincere for false modcsty:
II has always been my rule TO obey genuine inn
pulse, and 80 strongly feel the desire 10 say few
words To you that do not ask myself whether you
will caro- To hear them. | could not tell YOU when
was at Cambridge how much. how very much, WAS
chccrod and strengthened 10y your praise of my
poem: nor could YOU wei understand the value of
kH0ffF ia fA q O
ic,son of my own. In the first place then. let me
cav that nearly everything which have published.
mp t. ll, year seems to me more or less crude ANA
unsatisfactory. My former work, are imply so
many phases of an education which circumstances
have compelled me 10 acquire m the sight of the
public. | had m fact very little carly education,
except that of travel ! began to publish NJ was m
cyItahlcl much too soon; and, moreover am de-
Srcndcd from two hundred years 81 Ri1hcr farmers,
whose transmitted sowucss of maturity have
hardly yet overcome The artistic sense was long
dormant. and IL only az present becoming iarly ac-
tive: am, perhaps. ten years behind II man who
has had moro favorable antc'cdcnts and oppor
tnitics. have worked earnestly and faithfully
during the past three or four years, and finally como
to look upon the ventures Oi tins year my story
OF Kenneth" and "Picturc of st. John y rs being
destined to decide the question whether | was 10
have any p ace M orr literature. Ihs poem; knew
could not be popular, and 50 looked oulN 10 the
verdict of the poets who should read H.. can write
for myself alone. ana should probably always
write, though no one should read but feel a thor
Oughly Joyous activity OF mind, and know that 90
better things when | am encouraged by the well !
done" of brother authors. Never before in my life
have received such hearty, substantial cheer aS
during my recent visit to Boston feel now as If I
had. at last. little solid ground under my fcet-aS
if the long jjWdpjIhrc were past, and could begin |
to bud house. have always estimated my |
former successes or what were considered such AT
their true value. and have waited patiently Tor |
twenty years for the welcome of the masters. |
When you praised the !cm for the very qualities |
aimed 10 reach, You confirmed the hopes OF my me-
There very serene literary atmosphere I'm New
York n, you doubtless know. and get little help |
or announcement there but do not need it now. |
DIAL ~ Ia ID hpf fer
new departure from this point. There is still time.
with life and health. 10 atone for the mperlccuons
IF the past. shall never forget how much owe 10 |
you and 10 Lowell a $50 IN tins self appointed crisis
Bat enough of tins; ! am pIc,ummg good deal on |
your friendship to write 50 much. kept Your book |
Tor tie ChrStmaS-trre, where ly VIE had surprise
IS well "a, delight on finding IT. Sic bids me !
thank You most heartily for your kind remcm- |
brancc OF her Happy New Year to yoI all!
When lie next visited ENGLAND 500 he found
that ms recent work had earned him warm wei
come. He gave some admirable personal sketches |
IN letter to Stciman
We landed at southampton in heavenly May |
weather, and determined 10 visit Farrngiord be |
foio going on 70 London. 50 wrote at once 10 |
IcunysOu, proposing a visit of an hour or two. |
Next morning came friendly reply from Mrs. T.. /
saying that there was room ready for u-, and Wc /
must make longer visit. VI. and ! crossed To /
CoVoS and Newport, and took rs 10 Earring /
ford. distant twelve miles: glorious drive acrO>, /
thc Isle of Wight. between iyIcd hedges and past |
-arlcu, of laurel and luur.,tuus In blossom. Green
meadows. co,y,liYs lai,rs and hvacinths think of
That for February Fl, / found Farr.nctorj .
wonderfully improved: the littIe park is q gem of |
gardening apt. The magnificent Roman iIrNe' In /
We arri we'd u1out 3 o'cl0cl and were u,lcrcd into
the drlwln--ro' The house has been rcinnI,hri |
and great many pictures and .tatucS added since
was there. In "a minute IN came Icuuy>ou. cordial /
"a an old friend followed by h- wife. In l.uuy.on
himself could see no particular change. He did /
not s-em Older than when saw him last. We
t,rej to h. house q. l,ic he and ven, mn on tlc
d &. 1 Loo e. D 90
above the SEGA. llc WAS delightfully."- nc, and cone
nirutil. and wish coili wuto to yuu much of
philosophy and hronl YrV-o life that fragment
hrrc and 'her' would NOT fairly represent hmm llN
Nh" rest great stretch of wheat fields bought tor
him lt luoch Arl.u.' We du"d at in quaint
room lung with pictures and then went 10 th.
duNIug. room for dessert Icuuy-on and refined /
20 h- study nj the top of the house. ht pipes. and
talked Of poetry. lie asked me could read his
t liondicna." thoutht / could Lrll n and 10
ltt' answered. Ihrrupon hc did So, chanting tha
numbering lines with great nn,tlon ] spoke Tine
and said that | could not read n aloud without nay
yuicc breaking down at ccrtnu rnss1pcs. " Why.
uuphantly THIS doubted aud hc agreed to tfY
after We went down to our wives. Hui the inst
thug j." did was to prodn," m1gnnm of wonder.
ul sherry. thuty years olI which had horn sent
HIM by q pootir wine lo'lcr such wine mover
tasted cit was meant to %" drunk h Dr'rlirl
81 tafhlriuo ul Eua.l1' sail Ionntsnn We hW
two Hussoa apiece Whom ho siii. " lu.uitht tou
ahill help me drunk ono OFF the loW h1ttloa ul uf
Watolno -l@1n' llo hottie we htousht aud
" itlyla ut tho KING llia trtdua 30 attauun,
muuutunuu1 thnui with uurs po.i ri falling nurr
( on1 winch cannot dreUihu, hat can initiate rt.
p1h- Il In NrN mWoaaNr Ia apl""l myself !
hrrtme worry much rutri an leo went "n, FINALLY
Whrn Atthur iprsiNr7 tho Queen, lcunNaoua Noto
&c ill broke l"uhd Tears "h ihN thrrh7. ana VI !
and Mi, lruW son were cay nag, ono on either ndo
oi me-. lie m,do an EFFORT and went 9n To the end,
closing prmdlN How can lon saw asked lrc-
" that ANu nave