Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-24
The flood may bear me far,
hope to see my Pilot face to face
When l have crossed the bar.


When have crossed the bar.
Arnold Reciting whitman's Lines.
Sir Edwin referred to the profound
beauty of some of Whitman's own poems,
no clearer touch of genius since Homer.
Then to emphasize with an illustration he
leaned over, and resting his hand on the
old mans knee, recited these lines:
Come lovely and soothing death,
Undulate round the world, ,serenely arriving
arriving,
In the day. in the night, to all, to each,
Sooner or later delicate death.
Praised be the fathomless universe,
For life and joy, and for objects and knowl-
And for love, sweet Iove-bus praisel praisei
For the sure, enwinding arms of cool-enfold-
ing death.
Dark mother always, gliding near with sofs
Have none chanted for thee chant Of full
est welcome9
Then chant it for thee. glorify thee above
bring thee q song, that when thou must
indeed come, come unfalteringly.
Whitman heard the reading, which was
exquisite, with partly closed eyes, and
when Arnold had finished, simply said,
You ike those lines, DO you!
An allusion was made to the growing in
fuence of Poe, especially on the Continent.
Whitman said he had had one interview
with Poe, and the man was clearly before
him, gentlemanly, quiet, reserved, with q
tired aspect. Saw him on the streets again,
but remembered only one interview. He
was inclined to think better of Poe than he
had done in earlier years, although one
could see that Whitman had little sympathy
with the harmonies and rhythm and euphony
of the elder poet. An allusion to Emerson,
led among other things to an anecdote OF
the Concord seer, when he was once in
Philadelphia
A Philadelphian Lost to Fame.
'T want to know" Emerson said sud-
denly, something about Dorgan? who is
Dorgan?" There was silence. "John A.
Dorgan, of Philadelphia He sends me a
thin, almost shivering book of poems, with
some lines of fate which are Napoleonic:
These withered hands are weak,
But they shall do my bidding though SO frail;
These lips are white, but shsil noE TAIL
The appointed word 20 speak.
Thy sneer can forgive,
Because know the strength OF destiny,
Until my task Is done cannot die,
And then I would not live.
'T should like to know" continued EN-
erson as he concluded the recitation, what
Philadelphia has done for man who could
have written such lines?" The answer was
not only had Philadelphia done nothing for
Dorgan, but had never heard of him.
Whitman said, "And Emerson called them
Napoleonic lines. That is noble thought
especially at the end And did Emerson
ever find Dorgan?"
NV impression was that he never did. I
had q moderate acquaintance with Dorgan,
clear memory of him as a young convey
ancer's clerk, who died shortly after the
close of the war-at most year or two. I
recall him as a delicate, sensitive genius,
with sorrow in the way of personal suffering.
Much in its life, his promise, its cares and
its early effacement to recall Keats and
Henry Kirke White.
There was talk of Lowell, and especially
of what he had done in England as Minister,
and Whitman referred to his having had q
visit from Longfellow in this very home,
and of the warm personal regard. Long
fellow was the poet of gentleness, as Byron
was the poet of nature.
Sir Edwin's Taxing Leave.
Sir Edwin again invited whitman to
England. "Ah, my legs; look at my legs" I"
he said with half mournful smile. "Let
me have month of YOU, sir, said Arnold,
"and take you out of these rooms, and SUBJ
nit you to the treatment of some of the
skillful Japanese, who know the needs and
anatomies of the human body. I would
have you in the air, and again in the conf
pany of the sea, and you could take coun-
sci with Tennyson and the others, who may
keep their years and their genius for q GEN.
tury."
Then came gentle upbraiding of Whit
which the poet took in the best part, in
came to leave, Whitman took one of his
books, and said: "Arnold, this is all I in
tend to say to the fellows on the other side.
When you see them you will tell them it is
all here"
Sir Edwin asked him for his autograph
and line of remembrance.
"How shall 1 write it?" said Whitman;
ASir Edwin?"
'No, omit the sir-let it be Edwin Ar
nold."
Whitman slowly wrote the name and date
in clear, heavy-lined hand-and for mo-
ment paused. "I don't think" he con-
tinued, that shall add any inscription.
You know all I would say to you and to
Tennyson and all the other fine fellows, who
are so dear and kind to me. The inscrip-
tion is inside. And when you see them all,
you will give them my loving regards. I"
As we took our leave, which was affection
ate and cheerful, Sir Edwin, in accepting
the hand of the old man, reverently kissed
it, even as If Ii had been that of his soyer-
eign and queen.
JOHN RUSSELL YOUNG.