New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-13
DR. HOLMES IN LONDON.
prv,NJsCENCEs OF HIS FIRST VISIT.

"REMINISCENCES OF HIS FIRST VISIT
From The london World
A. Nackellar was traveller and an artist before
NotnoL IN hotel keeping and the soft carpet ana
ta eisht-day clock IN his cntrance-ha.l SAVIOR more
If scme sleepy country house than OF flccadliy'
The suite of rooms to the right is al present ueu'
cated 10 Mars and Valentine Baker, While these 70
The left are tenanted by Literature and onver
Wendell Holmes. n lady secretary sits nara al
work at card table IN the little anti
chamber: her task is q formidable one nut she Is
dlicen, and mcihodical, and Is engaged Just now IN
sorting vast pile of letters ana arIang.ng ,nc"
IN drab paper nags neatly Labelled inVitauShs up
todate' congratulations" Autographs, New
paper cuttings. and "Miscel aneous' She smiies as
oueuter: pauses an instant from her aOorS assures
Won that the Doctor" will be at liberty aS soon as
an American lady-cOTespondcnt taxes her depart
me facetiOusly describes her servlceaoe alllie as
fackcloth trimmed with ashes. ana aooi0glzes iot
the nk-spots which are her appropriate oauees VI
Office The door of the adjoining room opens pres
emily, and Onver Wendell homes rse o T
adorned with Nfr Macke lars pictures OF itallan
scenery: Turkey carpet is spread over the Moor
great screen half hides the dlnlng-iaOiei the pea
cocl-hlue velvet upholstery is here and there con-
coaied by bright covers OF lowered chin'z ;
and Mrs. Sargent. DT. Holiness aaugn,er
h,ntercnps and bluebelIs amongst the
family photographs and imposing French
ornaments, which crown the monnmeutal mantle
piece of gray GTlotte marble. ne iaole III one
window has been appropriated by Mrs. sargent
here she keeps her own writing Materials, q portrait
of her brother already at forty judge OF the SUI
preme Court of Massachusetts, and neat volume
Inscribed Visits Pd and Reed; and it is here
(yhen she has done with the flowers she Will SIT
down to answer the notes winch nave JUST arri!ed
from Ladies Rosebery and HaIcourt ana MIS-. Max
Miller. wloker-wOrk Tyre hlled with primrose
roots a present from Chester hnds place on the
nclghbonng tabouret. and pots Of tulips offer
picturesque contrast to The Itmcs, Murray gudcs,
'The Indicator Map of London London OF To-
day. Tho Satche Guide to Europe" and dozen
kindred aids to travel.
We are almost at the end Of May the Derby car
nval is at hand, and the sunshine steals cheeriuly
through the panels of coorcd glass IN the windows;
but fire burns in the broad CRATE, and Dr Holmes
wears q thin OverCoat as lie sits and writes At a
Chlppendae table with flaps in the llghteSt cor
rcr OF the room. " One does not make blood quick
" at seveuty-slx," he remarks as he once more
sits down IN the vicinity of a heap OF uniathomaDe
correspondence which has not yet been passed
on 10 the lady secretary Close TO the INK
stand lies a god pen fastened firmly into giant
swans quill II attracts your attention, ana Inc
Auocrat tells that II Is his most priced pos
session, and that he has constantly used IL Tor
eight-aud-twenty years. 1t has only recently been
snpplanted Tor literary work by me 81 {lograrh,
writing his Life of Emerson aud believes to be the
greatest possible boon 10 authors and journalists
A we-won black notebook IN the half-open table
drawer claims also high place III It's owners alice
tons. in il Dr. Holmes has Tor many years Dcen
accustomed TO jot down analyses OF books worth
remembering. quaint epitaphs and impressions OF
Oliver Wendell Holmes Is soon in the midst of
narrative bristling With keen observation qalet
humOr and epl gram, and as he talks Ic reminds YOU
somewhat OF nlchaTd QuaIn. Il am now he
saws. with the falntest American accent, "oyer
here on a Rip Van Wrinkle experiment when re-
calls to my mind with mde>cr bable vividneSs the
incidents of my former visit 10 Europe. MY gonr-
neys IN the IN pima aud the Utica; the lOlS-
teious fun Of poor Ton Appleton, my travelling
Companion; the deep teeliug awakened IN my
breast by tho first sound of English church-bels;
my pilgrimage to the deck OF the Victory;
the venerable clceroue OF Carlsbrook;
tie stately spirc OF Salisbury; nv Sunday
reading OF Hannah More ON salisbury Plan; my
ha Ir,f prOVeucauY
Rocher III the Quarter LATIN; Mdle. Mars llSer,
Iemai.rc. Dcjazel, IaIllOnl. and AuuQI the clown;
Louis Philippe. io 10, Cit0yeR. with his pear-Ilke
countenance my vl>lt to switzerland; nv NOUS
ing for Old books on the quays; the ann Tenglous
hight Of - Etienne On Mont IN me Y4 ts
nous duet between Bugeaud and Dulong; and
nv trip to Holland, all come back with the
dlstlnctuess OF photograph 10 m mental picture
Iugland when the untlrng courier mald announces
that an unknown poet with a comp lnentary ode IS
poor fellow says Dr. Holmes; and in few
minutes he IS listening with the most charming
urbanity 10 Dear Autocrat from ger the ocean.
accept our kndred-blOOds DEVOTION" etc.
The author dismissed, the interrupted converse
ton Is again resumed " came over IRON Rotier-
dam IN 1884 in a small steamer, with two etters of
introduction in my pocket, which procured me nyi-
tations to four different meals. The windows of
Apslcy House were still boarded mp; ] was awe
struck by the solemn mdGnfcencc Of Westminster
Abbey at the Tower. big baboonxa quadIuma-
nous rOugh-strIpped my waIstcoat of It's buttons
and We went 10 NauxhaIl Gardens where we
saw polar panorama, and heard Mt. |
Collins. the English Paganini I'm the
bills the Collins was written very small
ard the PaGaninl very large, play on the violin. !
At The Kings Theatre. IN the Haymarket, we !
listen to Grisi William ". was there, aud 50 were |
the Princess Victoria aud her mother. ! can see |
his e,oved hand even now tapping applaudlngy |
on the ledge of the box We chartered a coach for !
the Derby Hering's picture is still OF my
household gods in Beaeon-st., Boston. never
enjoyed anything mOIe In my lite than the ex
citenent of the start, the hustle OF the ROAD.
the thimble-rigglng on the course, and
the prevailing confusion. We listened to the real
Paganim at morning concert. cried with laugh
ing over Llston III Paul Fry and admired the elder
Mathews IN a monologue. have no time TO tell
you of our pilgrimages to Windsor, Stratford-on-
Avon and York. The incompatible loneliness of
Edn burgh left lasting impression on my mind ; /
still remember the view from Arthur's Seat, and
Iny reurh only too soon, 10 CALAIS, when tried to
tread respectfully IN the footsteps of Sterne. and
studied his Preface written in a desObligednte
sitting in similar vehicle IN the historical stable
dnfN