The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-03
A VISIT TO DIR. HOLMES.
ANNIE ISABEL WILLIS INTERVIEWS
THE AUToCRAT.
What Rs Has to Say of 1.-THE Opening of
tho Pfano''-He Is Not In Love with
the Autograph Huntes-"Dr. Merry
man" in the Flesh.
EspeciaI Correspondepca.l

the Autograph HunteE-"Dr. Merry.
man" in the Flesh.
Especial Correspondence
Boston, June 19.-Armed with let
ter of introduction to the ''Autocrat Of
the Breakfast Table, :" went one sunny
afternoon to his home on Beacon street.
| The letter was given to him as he sat at
lunch, and soon maid came into the
reception room, where two men were do
ing some decorating andearranging, te
request thenito leave thereon for a few
minutes, because the doctors coming
in here" she said, and herstone implied
that he could not on any account be
looked at by them. The menwithdrew,
and in momeutpa little white haired,
pleasant faced man entered, and bow
ing said with smile, "WiU you come
up to my study7'
Pleased at the prospect of seeing this
famous workshop of brains 1 followed
DR.. Holmes up one fight of stairs and
through folding doors into a spacious
room, whose entire side opposite the
door seemed filed by large bay win
| dow. It was a charming study.
DR.. Homes was in an after luncheon
mood, and he talked pleasantly to me
not much, but humorously and epigram-
matically. In reply to questions about
his poems he said but little. When
asked if the incident recorded in 1.-THE
Opening of the Piano" were true he
laughed and said: eve all lie some
times, but that was SO. The piano was
a Clement selected by DR.. G.. K. Jack
! son, famous musician of the day. The
incident Of the little girl, Catherine, was
! true" And he added: 81 remember the
| smell of the mastic varnish to this day.
| The memory of smells, you know, never
/ dies" He had alluded to it in the poem
/ speaking of:
When the wordrous box was opened that had
! come from over seas,
! With its smell OF nastic varnsh and its flash of
ivory keys
The story is pretty one. The "Clem-
emit" piano had just arrived and been I'M
! boxed, and
The children all grew fretul in the restlessncss Of
joy
when their mother asked her daughter
to play, and soon
Floating from lip and finger arose the ''vesper
hymn"
! A neighbours child heard the music
and crept up to the open door.
Just as the "Jubilate'' in threaded whisper dies
open il open it, LADY," the little maiden cries
Por she thought twas a-singing creature Gagged
IN a box she heard;
open it, open it, LADY! and let the birdr
DR.. Holmes thinks that, "Grandmoth-
ers Story Of the Battle of Bunker Hill"
is one of the best of his descriptive
pieces. THE Aviary," too, he regards as
a pretty good thing in the way of de-
scription. Then, lest he should be
thought praising his own works, he
added, Nobody understands a poem as
| itsauthor, and nobody cares for it half
| as much. So when father says he likes
his baby hedoesn't mean that it is the
finest baby that ever was"
DIR. Holmes is,an honorary member CT
Che class Of 81, Wellesley college, and
visited the college several times. He
spoke warmly of the institution, saying
that it was ''aldeligfrtful occasion to see
SO many young, women grow up to the
full stature of wonlaIfhood" He was
especially strucasswith' thetbotanicaI and
chemical departments gand their com
pleteness of apparatus, as well as with
the library prospects. But the sight
which most interested him was what he
termed the Village of trunks" upstairs.
The hundreds of trunks belonging TO fac
ulty and students in the main college
building are stored during term time IN
long lofts on its fifthhoor. The boards
of the roof slope down on either side and
the trunks are placed IN rows according
to the numbers Of the owners rooms,
leaving pathways between.
OF his present work DIR. Holmes said:
al ann particularly lazy Just now, but
hope 70 do a little more. like to write
after breakfast for about two or three
hours before noon" His DAYS are spent
in reading. writing and taking exercise,
both walking and driving. He does DOT
drive except in SIMMER, but patrcnizes
street cars in winter.
That On. Holmes has a great dislike Of
autograph hunters IS evident in his con-
versation. he spoke wTsshfully OF a
man who had just sent request. incios-
ing a stamped envelope and two cards |
for autographs. Il wrote On one said |
he, because the nan had made every /
thing ready and convenient, but would !
not write on the other, and l hope 1t viii |
be lesson TO him
Dr. Holmes saws that IN his poem called /
"ContAnt1nent" there Is q curious resem- |
blance to a piece entitled MY Wants
by John QaincE. Adams, who also quoted |
the lines at the beginning Of the piece. /
TO the best Of nv knoxiedCe.' SAID he, /
Il did not thinsc of that pSen while was 1
writing u7Ine. Its mood is entirely dif- 4
ferent.' II begins:
LtfIe Ssh r3y wazts are few;
Gag WISH Autot E1cGs.
ATey p&ata s7sS14czs~1n ID
Thas1 r.zy cal ny o1z:
Ar cAcs- .. Ex-Sd IS suscs o-e.
II Eozz1e- street t6zt tEsEEs he szz.
The Holmes residence n a hrownstcns 4
front, On Beacon stTeet. Bess1n TIE /
rear windows LOOK out upon the Charles 1
river, and for this reason the poess stady /
Is az re bsck OF the hous., eE;se apart i
FROM city sights and sounds imagine
II Is quite as machrfroEn kindly o~ars 4