The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-08-02
An Editors "reminiscences Of Writers Who
Have Made American Literature.

An Editors "reminiscences Of Writers Who
Have Made American Literature.
have personally known and cor
responded with Longfellow, Emerson,
Lowell. Holmes. Whittier. John 10th
rop Motley, William Cullen Bryant,
George Bancroft. w. H. Prescott, Fitz-
Greene Halleck, Nathaniel Haw thorne,
Washington Irving, and score oil
writer's who have given us an Ameri-
can literature.
Washington Irving I remember very
well. His was not face one readily
forgot A kindly humorous man OF
big brain and heart l visited him
several times at ''Sunnyside;" he
would always go to sleep at dinner,
but his guests understood his physical
weakness and respected it. He was a
very sensitive and nervous man.
saw his desk piled up with papers the
last time l was there and remarked
that he seemed to have heavy mail.
1t was shortly after the publication OF
the first volume of his Life of Wash
ington." YES" he said, 81 haven't
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. l 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.
Hawthorne wrote me, soon after it's
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 it was so
far founded on fact that such a symbol
as the Scarlet Letter was actually
worn by at least one woman in the
early times ofNew England" Whether
this parsonage. he added, resembled
Hester Prynne in any other circum-
stances of her character he could not
say; nor whether this mode of igno-
minious punishment was brought from
beyond the Atlantic or originated with
the New England Puritans. At any
rate. he said, the idea was so worthy
of them that he felt ''piously inclined"
to allow them all the credit of it.
Longfellow L knew we'll and enter
tanned at my home. He was quiet.
gentle, admirable mana poet in all
his moods. We often corresponded,
and l remember how glad he was
when he heard that l had bought an
estate near the historic Church of St.
David's. Radnor. the resting-place of
General Anthony Wayne, celebrated
by Longfellow in exquisite verse.
There is curious incident in my
acquaintance with James Russell
Lowell. 1t happened lately that he
was in Philadelphia while l was con-
fined to the house with slight attack
of sickness, and he came promptly
and kindly to call upon me and pass
the afternoon. One of the treasures
of my library is the manuscript OF
Lowell's poem Under the Willows"
which, according to a marginal note,
was begun in 1850 and finished in 1868.
We spent a quiet, pleasant afternoon
to- Ter, and he seemed to be much
interested in my collection OF
original manuscripts, which in.
cludes sour Mutual Friend" by
Dickens, POe's Murders in the Rue
Morgue." and many other precious
writings. Finally I surprised him
with a glimpse of his own poem. He
had half forgotten it and at my re-.
quest took the volume away with him,
returning it in a few days with the
following explanatory note: "a part
OF this poem, as the note on the mar
gin opposite says, was written in 1850
as an Introduction to the Morning. a
projected volume of tales in verse. BY
changes and additions l tried to make
self-subsidient poem out of material
already prepared for another purpose.
Old and new are so interviewer that ]
can not now, after an interval of
twenty years, distinguish between
them"
AS speak thousand faces pass be-
fore me. None more gentle and kind
than that of Emerson. He visited me
with his daughter, a tranquil, lovable
man. and he wrote me letters.
John Lothrop Motley. w. H. Pres
colt and George Bancroft were valued
friends. l remember Motley writing
me that he thought no history of our
great civil war should be written
under fifty years. Prescott had the
last photograph of himself taken for
me. He wrote to tell me so, and said:
81 shall never sit again for another
picture, unless it is taken from the
back of the head" Bancroft am still
enabled to honor as one of my Oldest
and most precious friends. w.
Childs, in Lippincott's Magazine.