Morning journal and courier., 1890-09-15
DR.HOLMEs AT BEVERLY FARM.
How He spend. HI. Summer.

The anniversary or ms Dlrtn always finds Dr. Holmes at his summer home at Beverly Farms. His is pleasant home stead. The house is not large, but it is just large enough for the charming family which occupies it. It is back little way from the quiet road, and an elliptical driveway leads to and away from the door. A bed of blooming plants is surrounded by this drive. Beyond is a mass of pre- cipitous rock, which rises almost to the roof of the dwelling, and which affords a foothold here and there in the crevices for clambering vines and honeysuckles. Green grass closely clipped is all about. The porch and veranda are almost hidden among mass of vines, through whose festoons glimpse is had of the blue sea almost at the door, and the white walls of the lighthouse.
 Within is found not elegance, but sub stantial comfort, and everywhere the evil dence of rare taste. The floors are of pol ished oak, strewn with rugs. At the left of the entrance is Dr. Holmes library, or rather study, for he takes with him to his country seaside home but few of the many volumes which line the walls of his library in Beacon street. The room is ex-
 
 overlooks the tiny dooryard and the jas mine-covered rock Beside this window. where an excellent southern light comes from his left, is his writing desk. This is l not in the least the ideal escritoire of a poet, but a very prosaic roll-top desk of polished black walnut, kept with all the neatness and precision of the professional bookkeeper. Opposite is a broad. open fireplace, with andirons and fender bright ly polished. Before this is the poets fa- vorite chair, while at the opposite side sits another wide-armed chair. which smiles a welcome to the visitor.
 This great chair is often occupied, for Dr. Holmes entertains many visitors and l welcomes all. So many years has he occu- I pied this home by the sea that he has | warm friends in all the country round. \ Beside those who often call for few mo- ! ments' chat many pull his bell and sit for l a while in his easy chair who are to him ! strangers. but who have become familiar with him through his writings. He thus becomes accustomed to admiration, all I though sometimes he receives a surfeit of | it. Few of these transient admirers leave | without begging of him the favor of his | autograph, and the favor is always gra- \ ciously granted. No one who asks per
 sonally for specimen of his handwriting
 is ever refused.
 l large portion of Dr. Holmes time is
 consumed in examining his mail. This is
 always very large, and the majority of his correspondents are strangers. The letters
 are of all sorts. Many are requests for | autographs. When a neat card and a stamped and addressed return envelope
 are enclosed Dr. Holmes always complies
 with this request. Why does not every
 one who writes requesting autographs of famous men have the courtesy to inclose q
 stamped and addressed return envelope. l It is more or less of an annoyance to find
 writing materials and copy an address, | and to supply stamps to an army of auto graph collectors is in itself no small eX.
 pense. Formerly Dr. Holmes conducted
 all of his correspondence with his owr
 hand. But of late he has found it neces
 sary to employ a secretary. Although hi
 health is firm, his eye bright and his form
 upright, Dr. Holmes calls himself an old
 man. Neither is he one of the old men o
 whom we read so often, who are growing
 third set of teeth and can see to reaC
 fine print in the dark without spectacles
 He does not hesitate to confess to failing
 eyesight, and he is not at all ashamed tS
 admit that he cannot read manuscript a
 readily as he once could His amanuensi.
 then reads the majority of Dr. Holmes
 letters to him, and in many cases writes
 the reply, which, however, is alway.
 signed with the poets autograph. A.
 many of his correspondents are ladies, and
 as the modern style of chirography for tn,
 sex has not yet penetrated to all the cor
 ners which Dr. Holmes books hay,
 reached, he finds the assistance of his sec
 retary in reading their letters very grate
 full
 Autograph collectors do not comprise al
 of Dr. Holmes correspondents. Ere quently inquiries are made respecting pas
 sages in his works. Very often manu
 scripts are sent with the request that h
 shall read and pass upon their merits
 When these are short poems the poet usu , ally complies with the request; when the are lengthy manuscripts-which, by tn , way, do not come as frequently as former ly-they invariably are returned by tn , next mail. It is imposing upon an unusu ally sweet disposition too greatly to ask busy old man to wade through an intemir i able manuscript which cannot afford hiI any personal interest. The vast majorit of the manuscripts sent to Dr. Holme have proved upon examination to posses but little if any merit, and in many case I are the product of people who have greai . | ly overrated their literary powers. BJ [ now and then through the years he hI , been delighted to discover a gem which b = trayed the presence of unrecognized gel jus. Such people have never failed to r ', ceive that warm encouragement which D ' Holmes knows so well how to give. But the poets days are not fully occ-
 pied by his visitors and his correspol
 dence. His ''Over the Teacups" cha
 which is appearing monthly in the Atlal
 tic, has occupied much of his time and a
 tention. 'T enjoy the writing" he said n me the other day, ''but perhaps I have n' Y the enthusiasm which I had in writing Il
 Autocrat. It is, perhaps, natural thi n this should be so. I wrote the Autocrs s at forty seven; now I am eighty-one. BI |. yet the work is pleasing. There are or
 or two numbers more to appear, and the +- it will be published in book form. It '. easy enough to make a book" said Il i doctor, as his eye twinkled. ''All yo
 need is good thick paper and put in pleni
 of fat as the printers call it. do n, [. know what I shall busy myself abo' u next, ;" he added, in response to a quer. @ sI have no plans except for desultory lit rary work which suggests itself from tin
 to time."
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