The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1889-08-23


OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES field for amuse-
lncnt. Tie year he received his medical de-
gree QS3l he published Il book containing
bis poems 10 that date. THIS volume con-
tainc one of the best known rs well as the
most delicate mixtures of the comic and the
patnctit. in all his pieces: "1'he Inst Leaf"
Dr. Holmes serva! for awhile. rs professor
Of anatomy and physiology at Dartmouth.
and in 1919 filed the sume chair III tho netii-
cal school ct Harvard. While lie is not known
to the public Us u writer on medical topics,
he gained three of the Boy!sron prizes for
medical dissertations. They We're published
together in 1888. Besides thest. he has pub
lished half !, dozen books on medical science.
When in 1857 james Russell Lowell began
his work as editor of new magazine called
The Atlantic Monthly, Dr. Holmes was called
upon to put /, shoulder to the wheel and start
the new enterprise on the road to popular
favor He began with series Of papers
called the s'Autocrat of the Breakfast Table"
Twcnt r-hye years before he had begun a Sc
ries of articles with that title for The New
England Magazine. The papers not only sue
cessfullv launched the magazine but when pub
lished in book form became the most popular
piece of literary work bearing the authors
name, not only then but ever afterwards.
Indeed they were so fascinating that the pub
lie eagerly absorbed everybody at the break
fast table, that DR., Holmes would write
about 1.-The Professor at the Breakfast
Table, and "The Poet at the Breakfast
Table" followed the ''.Autocrat" and are still
regarded among the doctors best works
In verse Dr. Holmes has touched very little
that is not especially noted for the sparkling
rather than tile poetic. He has written somo
pieces, however, in which there is the true
poetic ring Perhaps the best specimen Of
this kind OF verse in his works is The Cham
bercd Nautilus" The most marvellous fea-
ture, however, about him, is the work which
he has been able to do upon occasion. Let
there be meeting of his classmates to celc-
brate their past in college, dinner of doc
tors, supper of authors; DR.. Holmes would
be called upon to cook up something choice in
verse to grace the literary menu. And when
the feast was set tho doctors dish would not
only be devoured by the classmates or doctors
| or authors, but would be seized upon by the
whole public. Indeed many of his choicest
| pieces were produced in this way.
DR.. Holmes during his long life in lit
erature wrote only two novcls-''Elsie Ven
ner,na study of heredity, and THE Guardian
| Angel" ELSIE Venner" being scientific
| novel, its appreciation is limited, and the
thor succeeded in his novels rather in draw
| ing character than for dramatic power.
Beyond his literary work Oliver Wendell
| Holmes is known among his friends ms gen
ial companion and especially wit. One of
| his witticislns, produced more than thirty
years ago, has crcpt into various forms and
| been attributed to others, but it was pcrpe-
! trated by the doctor himself. 1t is this:
| DR.. Holmes was one day standing about
| an autopsy table. He is Il little man, and
number Of other physicians il attendance
were all exceptionally large men Holmes
looked up at tho massive frames about him
and for moment seemed to be impressed
with his own insigniRcance. But it did not
take him long to recover his equanimity,
Upon my word, gentlemen!' he exclaimed,
glancing with twinkle in his eye from one
to tho other, II feel like a three cent piece
amnog lot OF pennies!'
The doctor i'll his poetical works. best Of
| all American poets, touches the modern taste.
Such poets ns Win Carleton, Lowell lin his
"Biglow Papers'') and Bret Harte and John
Hay are of this school, but Holmes ovcrtops
them all; while the plane on which his poems
are written is far higher than theirs. In
some there is q depth Of meaning unnoticed
by the casual reader but what remains is so
good that it stands Of itself. The "Wonder-
full One Horse Shay" for instance, was writ
ten to show collapse of logical reasoning.
But few of those who have read it know this;
yet tho "One Horse Shay" still lives, perhaps
the most popular of all tho DOCTORS efforts.
Fortunately for his admirers, tho author nlso
still lives, and is honored not as poet, author,
wit, humorist, alone, but as an original in all
these, and as the most genial and iovable of
men.