New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-13

Wi
~ .,I az comnlc,cly sink TO the bottom a. 10 "
,n,tsino Bat that though the 1ul gment Oh
.a,ano. 10 mot oue In which the hardened coiiioiS-
| sour can lie expected TO concur 1900,
| We need not take part in the critlcl'tns upon
Tcnuysons liking for solitude II any ma" -
| entitled 10 Indigo for himself how much lie VIII
| coo Of other men, surely the poet H. ne -"
| ~ moo, only on his own conditions ana knows
| !, what circumstances he can think ana wri'c'
| and IN what others he cannot. Nor, may au''
| hoe tho notion that the private life OF pubic
man is public property ever got solid ioo'"o' IL
,h,. country. The interviewer exists In England,
| I'M, ne has not yet become an integral p'It o'
The social fabric The better journals VIII nave
,,.,o or rothinq 10 do with him. The tourist anu
| ,ho sightscer have no doubt. pretty free ways
| Tbcv uscd 70 dog the poets footsteps ana to enter
| 49, trv to enter where the interviewer would hot'
| knowing he had no chance. There was an awk-
vorl poragraph In "1he Times" about his nation
atty Referring 10 the pertinacity OF eNcur'loh-
lists bent on a glimpse Of Tennyson that journal
| says
appointment among these during the summer
months, when the poet made Aldworh his home
vere Americans. some of whom have been known
70 make a fortnight's sojourn In the nelshborhoou
with the sole object Of seeing him"
That Is not agreeable reading for u.s. nor DO
| think IL fair 10 imputr this sort OF morplu
CURIOSITY 10 Americans especially. The English
tourist. from ATTY upward, is apt TO take large
views Of his privileges The American is Iruch
lose intrusive and at least as likely as his Eng
usb cousin 70 think himself in need OF credeh-
tiols: which. indeed q particular class OF tray
oilers considers ought to be forthcoming when ask'i
for. whether from friend or STRANGER. ii 'ahe'
time for the arriving American OF TINS CLASS "
GRASP the fact that letters Of Introduction a''
here given sparingl, The rule is never 10 glVe
sucb letter uness the giver has some clam
upon him 10 whom the introduction L soneh''
| I knew a cas-. not long since which may serve
ms n specimen. \ man Of som" distinction III I'S
profession called upon one of his counrym'h IA
| London lie said: Il know YOU are busy ana
will take more Of your time. nor as! You any favor
which will give Y II trouble All want Is letters
IN Salisbury Gladstone and T,nnyson. II was
useless 70 try to persuade him that IT was I'M
n,ssibe 10 give such letters. He d"parteI con-
WINGED that his friend not disposed 10 o"il-r
! him.
II the letter to Tennyson had boon written II
would not have srrvci his purpose: nor - t''
Others Things are rot here done in tiIli wa.
! But | suppose 70 day passes when Ia" America
| Minister is not pstcrci with similar d"mAh'9
1ennvsor protected himself rs best b" ml%ht
against these as against other hrro-w"fShipp"r@'
and WIS able 10 I've his own il" when one" ~
had established a reputation for moros'nc-~; II
was a fixed resolve that he would not suffer hI'
life to le fritterci nway in mere cvn'7
Tcnnyson's mpn,lcncc of criticism lasted lons
after his immons" success might hay" made Inn M
dirercn. To- individual censur"s II" never over
cam, his dislike 10 IL il IL never shook his -'li"l
| I'm himself and bis work. IL annoyed him lie was
contcnt with nothing shor; Of universal appro-
| he.
revenge on those who presumed 70 Judge INN.
4 writer Of the critical kind once assure, him
that he could AWAY. tell what lines wrot" them
solves from pure inspiration and what Others had
| been lahorch In response 70 Tenny sons InVl-
| fation he quoted famous verse as An instan'"
| Of poetic spontan"ity. Al, yes, rJon"d IA"
poet. smolS,- a dozen pipes over that line.
| II was not difficult to induce Icnnysor 10 read
| his own poems 10 select circl" The poem he
preferred Maud or perhaps he only pre-
fcrrcd II for reading aloud 1t was, AT any rate
the one he most often chose when asked 10 rc-
cite. He read with enthusiasm. Whether III"
poems really gained much from the authors
delivery Of them Is an open question. His voice
WINS deep rather than musical, and his "ocutlon
peculiar 20 himself Still. these audiences wcr"
always interesting. and an" Of them was NOR"
interesting than all IN" others
1ennyson was one Of the party invited some
gears since by Sir Donald Currc on n yachting
trip; the Yacht provided being an ocean
steamer Of the South Africa line known as the
Pembroke Castle Mr. Gladstone wa, another
guest | thnk-certainly lr on one of the
TWO or three trips then taken There was on
board young English girl. since married and
dead whose beauty and Intelligence and charm
were all remarkable. Tcnnyson attached himself
to this brilliant and sympathetic creature. II"
Ill. nj /. L.on bplt
10 read holding her hnud. which. in the fcryor of
recitation, he often pressed.
The ship put in at Copenhagen. and the Prin-
cess Of Wales and the Empress Of RuNsio then on
visit to Der old home, cam on board. There
was luncheon. and after luncheon Tennysop
asked 10 read, and did, sitting between the
| Empress on one sid" and the English girl on
the other. When 1t was over and they had gone
up on deck lie asked the girl whether she thought
the Empress liked it.
well" answered she, her Majesty must have
thought it little unuNal
What do you mean
"I mean that don't think the Empress is in
the habit OF having her hand squeezed in public
even by poets
IL seemed proper 10 1cnnysor 10 oner TO the
Empress his most humble apologies for his mis-
take The Empress laughed, and told him she
had enjoyed the reading extremely.
OF Tennyson. as OF Victor Hugo, it has been
said that he avenged the author upon the pub
Usher. Both good men of business, with
an adequate sense Of the money value of their
writings, and both capable of driving "A
bargain. don't know that Tennyson has ever
had the credit as HUGO had Of running his
| publishers. Ii was, | believe. true that the
tremendous prices Hugo was in a position IN
obtain brought one, more than one, of these
| gentlemen 10 bankruptcy. IL is certainly true
| that, after his fame established. Tennysol
was able TO exact large sums, and that either
becausc the terms were more profitable on one