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


lowed through le by love honor and troops OF
frcnds-how should any other fate indeed have
fllcn to 60 noble and 0fectonate man I-and II Is
,he crown of his good fortune that the story oil hl9
career has been recorded by a wife who understood
60 we'll both the beauty of his cha acter aud ;he
oaalty and measure of his intellect Personal at
tachment Is often iuSuperahic bar to true arpc-
citation: but IN this case the sympathy was COM
~ tc Mrs Tavlor's work is equally diStngu shed
ly icryor. moderation, taste and judgment, 1t very
properly avoids any criticism Of Bayard laylors
literary achievements. bat II sets forth with great
clearncss and acumen his literary purposes and
ideals and the changes which these underwent IN
the course of his mental development; and IN TINS
resp G. 1t has high value as a literary study. bu'
naturally its chef charm Is the cNmhlt"h oi
TaylnrS engaging personality. rms is accom-
llishcd IN The simplest and most satisfactory way ny
the publication of his private letters FROM INC
mass of his correspondence Mrs Taylor and hc' cN-
pcricuccd and udcious coaborcr have made 4 r''l
and comprehensive selection, covering every Per'o"
ofbs active nfc and all his important enterprises
and showing ak sides of hnn-the courageous ana
aspiring youth the tender son, the aicc'lona c
hrotlcr. the ar,lcut over the incompatible TREND
The con.ci. n ouS journalist and man of letters the
scholar the poet. the crti.. the traveller. the
patrot- ALWAYS the frank. generous. high minded,
traishtiorwlrd man, with HIS heart iuI OF sun
SHINE IIylor'> letters are clear reflections oi h'm-
set He wa, one oi the most ab,plu ely unaffected
md genuine mon we over knew. and We presume
that ne could not write to friend without opening
rs heart. There wcro several 10 whom MS conn
dcucc~ were very full and frequent; one or two like
George II. Boz, and K. H. Stoddard. were the IN
Inmates of almost lifetime; others, like l.. {.
Stcdnau and JcryjS Mcl,ntcc, especially close
& him i'm hi> ripcst and best years and IN reading
li> letters TO such as these easily fancy thai
v, hear the very tones of his voice and watch the
traces of feeling on his countcnance lie never
turned ms correspondence into literary exercise;
Lc could no moro have done that than NE could have
prepared his conversation: bat hc was one of the
most interesting of correspondents because his
letters were the easy and simple expression OF fun
mind.
Something Of Taylors early life has been publicly
Known ever snco the appearance of his " Views
Aioot" a volume whose continued popularity was
rather an annoyance TO him. An author is in-
cvtaby disappointed when people seem to prefer
his least serious work: but there were qualities IN
the famous story OF tie tramp through Europe
which Taylor himself did not fully appreciate.
People were attracted by the novelty OF the ven
turc and read with curiosity the narrative of di1-
,utics overcome and pcrpleXitics solved but there
j. a lasting charm in the sincerity, freshness. manl-
ness and opcnncsS of the book which survives Its
other attractions and this the author was the last
Il realize This is what gives it an interest 10 this
day although the journey itself has become a
familiar round. 1t was while TAYLOR was thus en-
gagged in the first of the many travels which ho was
destined to describe for TIE TRIBUNE that NE be-
came cnCrosscd in an attachment which filed his
most precious years of youth with romantic and
sorrow bearing passion. Among his ncighborN ana
schpol-fricnds at kcnnett was Mary Agncw, a beau
tiful Quaker girl whom he made the guiding STAR OF
lis Thought the centre of all his hopes and plans.
" Edwin BrosiuS Kenneth nci-hbor, speaking OF
the two at this tme says: remember him rs a
bright, buShinc difdcut youth, inst entering man
hood; and with him Away, associate that gentle
and beautiful girl, with matches eyes. who in
Spired many of his early lyrics and whose death
"fllcl the nest of love with >owow.'' Grace
Greenwood. recalling her presence, once wrote OF
her t. Bayarl:'A darl-cyed young girl with the
rose vet uubghtel ON check and lip, with soft |
brown, wayy hair, which, when blown by the wnd |
looked like the HAIR often given to angels by the old
masters producing sort of halo-l Ike elect about
lovely head" The letters of the two lovers printed
in these volumes bear ont all that is said in the text
Of the beauty of Mary Agnews character. Upon
Bayarts Youthful aIdor her love lc.l like % beuc-
dictiou 1t was with the ambition 10 make q home
for Hrr that Doc abandoned country journalism in
reuu,,Ndna Inc Lal started newspaper at
PhUr.,vlle which was much too eool for the
place. 5ll came in lol7 TO seek his fortune IN New
York. where Charles Fcuno Holman had offered
hun salary oi So week on Tie iUJNg UorId
To t.s was soon added an engagement on IHE
Tenr>r. and he wrote 10 Mary Auucy after busy
and l.rpy wr.k': "Io-lav. 20 crow" tho swan 90
my good .artlnc, came Gre lcr, and o' ors U.-
S,Yct . ..,H offered mr q situation 9s assistant
cl tor with 70 salary of -"2j yct. SPA w. b..
and prospect of 10, being soon raised 0. $500