St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-26

ilNe. anu IL there
IS river or any other body of water
near he wants to see it,
The amiahiiitY and general good ma
ture Of Sir Edwin Arnold has not been
exaggerated by his many admirers in
the newspapers Of the land. He is
delightful cOnYersationalst, and has a
fund of information upon any subject
that may be brought up. In appearance
he is much like the newspaper cuts that
have been printed, as far as his cOun-
tenance is concerned. In stature he is
of medium height. but is quite heavy.
an afternoon paper yesterday termed
him "a small man." and after reading
this the author of The Light Of Asia"
booked very much amused and said:
"W lille that may be true in one sense. |
believe that that editor would be sur
priSed if | told him my weight. l really
weigh twelve stone and six pounds, or
LIP pounds"
When Sir Edwin was in Philadelphia
he paid a visit TO the good. gray poet"
Walt Whitman, in Camden, and held
long conversation with him, telling him
how much he admired his poetry.
de enjoyed this visit greatly, and
Uas greatly exercised over the
reports in the papers yesterday regard
Jag the serious condition Of w hitman.
kThen he was seen shortly after dinner
last evening he had just sent telegram
20 Whitman. For long time he OBJ
sected TO making this public, on the
ground that it might appear egotiShc.
He was finally prevailed upon TO give 1t
20 the GLOBE, and it follows as it was
sent over the wires:
Walt Whitman, Camden, Y. j.:
~. From Sir Edwin Arnold, ST. Paul, Mimi.
All our hearts are with you, great and noble
friend
None of YOU know how great Walt
Whitman really is" said the poet, feel
iugly. He has written some of the
most beautiful things in the English
language, and it is maddening to think
that a man who has composed such
beautiful poem as his Ode to Death
should suffer-
Here Sir Edwin, as If in a reminiscent
mood, started in and quoted
The Entire Poem.
"Wnen / visited him a short time
ago" continued Sir Edwin, Il was sur
prised to find him so robust looking,
and | told him | would like to be his
physician for a tine and | would
have him trotting up and down
Chestnut street. Lord TennySOn.
Oliver Wendell Holmes and Whittier
are in their youth at eighty. | said, and
thinking Of your seventy-twO years.
Walt Whitman is a wonderful man. and
he will be appreciated later. When |
read of his sulTeringS think of q talk |
had with Lord TennysOn, when he was
suffering greatly. | remarked that it
seemed too bad to me that he should be
made to suffer.
- Sir Alfred ! said, st ought to be
with YOU as with King Arthur in your
beautiful poem. Three knights should
come and take you, as they did him,
down tn CamelOt.' "
Sir Edwin Arnold is great traveller
and a close observer. He has visited all
parts of the world, from India, Japan
and South Africa to America, and is
glad to discuss the new sections he
visits with those he chances to meet.
He regards America as a wonderful
country, or rather, in his own words.
"beauuful and glorious America"
But he has an objection to it which he
admits will wear away in time. 1t is
that all American cities are alike.
ut is impossible for me-" he said, "to
separate Cleveland, Syracuse, Buffalo,
Pittsburg, Cincinnati and others in
my mind. Now in England this is
not the case. Canterbury, Chester.
Lancaster and others all have points of
difference. and land an Englishman in
anV one of them and he will be able to
tell in just which one he is. This is not
the case i'm America. [ will wager
$1,000 TO s. that can take good Oh
servant American aDdrun him from one
place to another, keeping him in
ignorance OF direction ana country
through which he passes. ana land him
in any one of dozen cities and he will
be unable to tell in which one he is.
This Is all rirht America i Nicr n nd
rich that all these things do not count
so much. Really | do not see how
Americans can help becoming rich"
said Sit Edwin, changing the subject
suddenly.
Sir Edwin is an enthusiast on the sub
lect of Christmas. and his description of
the day as it is passed in Merry En-
gland IS very interesting. Always an
entertaining talker, he becomes more
than entertaining when he chats upon
a topic into. which he throws all the
force Of his poetic temperament. Ian
guage as beautiful as he uses in the
Light Of Asia rolls forth, and one
seems to be hearing
4 Polished Reciter
giving a poem rather than mere con-
versation. This was the manner in
which he chatted about Christmas last
evening.
I'VE make it great
family festival in England"
he said. at is day for the gathering
together of families, in which the stran-
ger meddleth not. 1t is the festival of
the household, and it has grown to be
the custom for the head of the house on
that day to gather about MN all mem
bers of his clan or family. 1t IS the
paradise of the children-the day upon
which they are privileged to sit up late,
receive presents aud eat roast of beet