New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-25
HONORING I. B. ALDRICH.
A DINNER FOR HIM AT THE ALDINE CLUB.


THE POETS MERITS sung BY WARM FRIENDS.
A notable affair in literary circles was the dinner
given at the Aldine Club last evening for Thomas
Bailey Aldrich. An unusually large number Of men
whose names are well known TO the reading public
gathered in the genial atmosphere Of the club paw
tribute TO the guest OF honor and the feast Of
and flow Of soul" which followed the feast and flow
OF other things were worthy of the wits assembled
Beside Mr. Aldrich there were present guests
William ID. IiOwes, Professor George +. Woodberry,
john Burroughs, F. lopknsOn smith, Charles :. Rein
hart. J. Appleton Brown James Whitcomb Riley.
Ripley Hitchcock, Charles Dudley Warner, Edmund
Clarence stedman. Edward Eggleston, Eugene Field.
Howard Pyle Joseph b. Glider. William T. Sm,dcy
John Reid, James 5. Greves and Frank Dcmp,ter
sherman.
only six invitations declined Those who
unable to be present DR.. oliver Wendell
Holmes, Edwin Booth, Horace T. scuddcr. Henry VI.
Alden. william H. McElroy and Joseph Jefferson.
Letters from all were read
Among the members Of The club present the
following: william W Appleton. Frank r. stockton.
Alfred C. Barnes. Frank II. Scott. GustaviIs :. Win
ston. Alexander W. Drake William b. Rowland.
Richard Watson Glider. Albert Shaw. Joseph J. Lit
tie, George p. Brett. Patrick Fnrrcny, Henry ii.
Bhdgeman. samuel VI. Jackson. Marshall II. Nal
Tory, John bmymour Wood, Gilman II. Tucker,
Charles H. Andrews. Frank II. Dodd, Henry b.
Barnes. Edward d. Appleton. Robert Howard Rus
T. Thomas. George 5. Edgell. John T. Wheeler.
Thomas II. Hamilton. Henry W. Cannon. Joseph I.
G. Clarke. Francis L. Ine Charles f.. Merrill. Collin
Armstrong. John A. Greene, Abraham G. Bernheim
John ). Clark. Nathan d. Bill. lIanford Crawford.
Everett Yeaw and william W. Ilcroy.
Hamilton W. Mabie chairman OF the entertainment
committee, presided. After happy speech OF vel
he proposed as the toast OF the evening: our
guest. Thomas Bailey Aldrich. the trne poet
Mr.. Aldrch replied thanking the club for the honor
and pleasure OF being its guest. Continuing he said
Even hardened speaker In my position would BE- en-
bnrrsssed. To accept the estimate of me which the
chairman has given would be immodes: to disagree
with il would not b. gracious. and heaven knows
don't want to be ungraclous In this piriicular The
manuscript hold In my hand Is not poem. II + an
mpromptu speech. QAughter) am the only man
in Boston who is moi born orator. | cannot remcm-
Der continental word Of my speech but will not
a,temp, read It. Here the publisher has come from
his office. writer from his article and the artist
from his picture. such company couf be assembled
nowhere else than In Ncwlorh In Boston W. are IL
lustrious but We are not ustratcd.'
Edmund Clarence stedman was the next speaker
lie sud In part :" | join with you In giving honor
where would most wish honor TO go. shall claim
Mr. Aldrich N~w-York poet In spite OF BIS fame
in Boston, because he passed the first ten years OF
his pocsy In this city. Living In great city makes
a man many sided and cosmopolitan. and Mr.. Al
drich had that disposition. which better for pros
perty When he went 10 Boston he took the love
Of all who knew him. His work may be summed up
In my favore cxpres-ion-'fneness and strength.
lie has honor, too, which Is hut the superiority Of
strength"
william Dean Howels said that he and Mr.. Adrich
had gone TO Boston together twenty eight or twenty
Zinc years ago. Twenty eight and a half sue
gescd Mr.. Aldrich Just the difference IN our
ages" Mr. Howells reIoincd. amid laughter. lie
said that 1t a pleasure 10 do honor To Mr.
Aldich. who had done honor 10 all. lie was poet
who spoke from hear, TO heart. from soul 10 soul
a real poet on all sides.
Charles Dudley Warner made witty speech. which
was frequently interrupted with applause. The
subjc& Of this brief sketch he began was born
we'll leave the date unsaid. IN order 10 keep him
always forty years old. (LaughicrJ | imagine that
when Mr.. Aldrich was getting along past his thirty
ninth birthday he looked in the mirror and said. as
his Maker once said 1t Is good and decided 10
grow no older. daughter and applau,eJ At any
rate he has preserved that immortal youth which
becomes a poet. God bless him and keep him with
u.s."
John Burroughs characterized Mr.. Aldfich as the
enamored architect OF ary rhyme His poetry Lad
the faculty Of stealing into the memory and ildins
there, almost withou, ones knQwledsc
Edward Egglesron said in part " IL Is exceedingly
to credit that We have come to rocoInn" arr -
arr. Perhaps of all our writers no man IN, :" con.
sistcn'y advocated art a. art beauty nS b'"nN' nr
saac Newton said after reading 'Farnhl,e Lost ~ -
all very well. but II DOESN'T prove anything Fer
hap, not OF Mr.. Aldrch's poems ever proved any
Thing. But they charm aud delight, ana have a neilt
ness Of ,onch and airfncss which giv"s ono IN"
weight Of the thought without burdening one with
The weight OF expression
F. Hopkinson smith said That Mr. Mdrch had
taught the Younger generation Of writers two thing,
10 get away from the demon Of hnstc and hurry
and never 10 allow anything 10 g. from their port
folOs until they could not max" II hnV better.
Eugene Field rcciicd :" our Two Opinions" "Dih-
din's Ghost" and other poem. Professor ',.o,e' T.
Charles :. Reinhart. James Whcomb
Riley an others also spoke.