The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-08-17

uLiN Eh " ANDALL hoLnEs field for m u Sc
ment The year he received his medical de-
gree 1890 he published book containing
his poems to that date This volume con-
tanned one of the best known as well as the
most delicate mixtures Of the comic and the
pathetic in all his pieces 1.-THE Last Leaf"
DR.. Holmes served for awhile as professor
of anatomy and physiology at Dartmouth,
and in lS49 filed the same chair in the medi-
cal school at Harvard While he is not known
to the public as a writer on medical topics,
he gained three Of the Boylston prizes for
! medical dissertations They were published
together in 1888 Besides these he has pub
lished half dozen books on medical science.
When in 1857 James Russell Lowell began
his work as editor Of a new magazine called
The Atlantic Monthly, Dr.. Holmes was called
upon to put d shoulder to the wheel and start
the new enterprise on the road to popular
favor He began with series OF papers
called the "Autocrat Of the Breakfast Table"
Twenty-Five years before he had begun a Sc
ries of articles with that title for The New
England Magazine. The papers not only sue
cessfully launched the magazine but when pub
lshed 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 The Professor at the Breakfast
| Table, and 1.-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 me poetic. He has written some
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
bered 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 cele-
brate their past in college, dinner of doc
tors, a 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 the 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 novels-"Elsie Ven
ner ~ study of heredity, and The Guardian
Angel ELSIE Venner" being a scientific
novel, its appreciation is limited, and the au-
thor succeeded in his novels rather in draw
ing character than for dramatic power.
Beyond his literary work Oliver Wendell
Holmes isknown among his friends as gen
ial companion and especially wit. One of
his witticisms, produced more than thirty
years ago, has crept into various forms AID
been attributed to others, but it was prpS
trated by the doctor himself. 1t Is this;
DR.. Holmes was one day standing about
an autopsy table. He is little man, and a
number of other physicians in attendance
were all exceptionally large men. Holmes
looked up at the massive frames about him
and for moment seemed to be impressed
with his own insignificance. But it did not
take him long to recover his equanimity.
l"Upon my word, gentlemen he exclaimed,
glancing with twinkle in his eye from one
to the other, II feel like three cent piece
ainnog II lot of penniesW
The doctor in his poetical works. best of
all American poets, touches the modern taste
Such poets as VIII Carleton, Lowell i'm his
1"Biclow Papers'1 and Bret Harte and John
Hay are Of this school, but Holmes overtops
them all; while the plane on which his poems
are written is far higher than theirs. In
some there is depth Of meaning unnoticed
by the casual reader, but what remains is so
good that it stands Of itself. The Wonder
Iui One Horse Shay" for instance, was writ
ten to show a collapse of logical reasoning
But few of those who have read it know this /;
vet the 'One Horse Shay" still lives, perhaps
The most popular Of all the doctors efforts
Fortunately for his admirers, the author also
TIN lives, and is honored not as poet, author,
Nit. humorist, alone, but as an original In all
these, and as the most genial and lovable Of
men.