Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-07-30
An Fditor's "reminiscences OF writers WV"
Have Made American Literature

An Editors "reminiscences OF writers WV"
unxs Made American Literature
I have personally known ana cor
responded with Longtellow. Emerson
Lowell. Holmes, Whittier. John Losn-
rop Motley. William Cullen BRYANT
George Bancroft, w. II. Prescott. f1tz-
Greene Halleck. Nathaniel Hawthorne,
Washington Irving. and score OF
writers who have given us an Ameri-
can literature,
Washington Irving remember very
well. His was not a face one readily
forgot. A kindly humorous man OF
big brain and heart | visited him
several times at "Sunnyside;' ne
would always go to sleep at dinner,
but his guests understood his physical
weakness and respected it. He was
very sensitive and nervous man. l
saw his desk piled up with papers the
last time | was there and remarked
that he seemed to have heavy mall
1t was shortly after the publication OF
the first volume of his Life of Wash h
tnQtOn. tS. uc "'th
the courage to look AT it; I'm afraid to
learn what the critics are saying OF my
book"
Hawthorne I shall always hold
wildly in remembrance. have the
original manuscript of his Consular
Experiences. and copy of the first
edition of the Scarlet Letter" brought
10 light so wonderfully by Mr.. Fields.
publication in 1851. that he was much
gratified by my favorble opinion of The
charming romance, and that l might
be interested To know that il was sc
far founded on fact that such symbol
as the Scarlet Letter was actually
worn by at least one woman in the
early times of New England" Whether
this parsonage. he added. resembled
Hester Prynne in any other circum
stances of her character he could mo-
say: nor whether this mode of igno
minious punishment was brought from
beyond the Atlantic or originated witt
the New England PuritanS. At any
rate, he said, the idea was so worth,
OF them that he felt "piously inclined
to allow them all the credit of it.
Longfellow | knew we'll and enter
tanned at my home. He was quiet
! gentle. admirable mana poet in al
/ his moods. We often correspondent
! and | remember how glad he wa
when he heard that had bought al
/ estate near the historic Church of ST
/ David's, Radnor. the resting place o
General Anthony Wayne, celebrate
by Longfellow in exquisite verse.
There is IL curious incident in m
acquaintance with james Russel
Lowell. 1t happened lately that h
was in Philadelphia while | was cor
fined to the house with a slight attac
| OF sickness. and he came prompt
and kindly to call upon me and pas
/ the afternoon. One of the treasure
of my library is the manuscript c
Lowell's poem Under the Willows.
which. according to marginal not,
was begun in 1850 and finished in 1861
We spent a quiet, pleasant afternoo
to YER. and he seemed to be niue
interested in my collection
original manuscripts, which il
cludes "Our Mutual Friend" b
Dickens, Poe's Murders in the Ri
Morgue," and many other precio,
writings, Finally | surprised hi
with glimpse of his own poem. +
had half forgotten it and at my r
quest took the volume away with hin
returning it in "a few days with tt
following explanatory note: "A pa
of this poem, as the note on the ma
gin opposite says, was written in Is.
as an introduction to the Morning
projected volume of tales in verse. I
changes and additions | tried to NAL
a self-subsidient poem out of materi
I already prepared for another purpos
, Old and new are so interviewer that
, can not now, after an interval
twenty years, distinguish betwe,
. them"
As | speak thousand faces pass b
fore me. None more gentle and XIII
than that of Emerson. He visited n
with his daughter, a tranquil, lovab
man. and he wrote me letters.
John Lothrop Motley. w. H. Pre-
I colt and George Bancroft We're valu,
friends. | remember Motley writir
me that he thought no history of o,
great civil war should be write
under fifty years. Prescott had t
last photograph of himself taken +,
me. He wrote to tell me so. and sal,
II shall never sit again for anoth
picture. unless it is taken from Il
back OF the head" Bancroft | am st
enabled to honor as one of nv olde
and most precious friends. &C. '
, Childs, in Lippincott's Magazine.
Care of Shade Trees.