New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-08
GLITTER UENDELL HOLMES.

The death of Oliver Wendell Holmes natu
raj event mt his great age, but not the less
sorroWful bereavement, is the extinction, here
of one Of the most remarkable men OF thla
century Holmes may have been, In the char
acterstcs of humor and fastidous taste,
disciple of the wits Of the age Of Queen Anne
but in the essential fibre of his intcllcct.-its
calm courage its broad vision. its ample equip
ment, its eager, joyous, sanguine vtality,-he
was cmphatically Il man of the present day.
He sympathzed to the fullest extent with The
march Of thought and in every direction of adj
vance he stood in the front line. As Il writer
he ranged over many fields. aud in all of them
he manifested. not only copiOus and various
mental resources but two of the greatest quail
tiles that exist to dignity the human mind and
to help the human racc.-lucid perception ana
dauntless cheer He knew the world as il is;
he saw everything; and he was neither dis
mayed nor saddcncd At all times and under
all circumstances he spoke for the nobility that
is in man. and the spiritual grandeur To which
man is naturally destined: and his voice always
rang ont clearly and bravcly, the inspiring
watchWords OF labor and hope Whether Ill
ESSAY or novel. or poem. or treatise. or history,
or speech his indomitablc spirit was always
present: and thus. while dispensing the force
and beauty of thought, the pleasantness OF
mrth and the gentle light of humor he I'M
parted the benefit that is needed most OF all,
the blessing Of strength. The reader OF Holmes
receives n continual impulse toward the stead
fast. cheerful performance Of duty; continual
incentive 10 unqucstoning faith in the final
prevalence Of right; and therefore the world Is
better and happier because he has lived In It,
There WILL doubtless, be discussion. az time
flows on. with reference 10 the rank OF Holmes
as a man Of letters. but there will be no dis
cuSsion 10 Ihe influence that he exercised;
and perhaps no question Is OF much practical
importance, that can b. raised concerning any
writer who has helped his generation to bear
It's burdens and 10 do its work. The literature
that is permanently valuable 10 the world is
that which transcends personal expression ana
enters into the general life Holmes, by his
Autocrat alone reached thousands Of minds
filling them with liberal ideas and kindly views
stimulating their finer propensitics; aud gently
prompting them to look nj all things in n tOler-
ant mood TO be mcrciful as well as just. and
10 tighten the tolls and troubles Of This trans-
tory life with mirh and laughter. In this re
spect he did not leave his place 10 be deter
mined by controversy. but took il. and held il,
for himself He was, most Of all. humorist
and fIrthcrmorc-whichi is exceptional and cx
traordnary.-he was humorst in a new vcin
for he did not stop at character and manners,
but ranged through the whole wide realm OF
philosophy and, with the deepest appreciation
as well as the lveliest fancy and the most
genial pleasantly. played about the gravest sub
iccts that can occupy our thoughts. Born and
reared in the intellectual period Of Emerson,
he felt with that great spirit that :" the solar
system is not sensitive to criticism and, with
a spontaneous drift toward goodness and beau
ty, he neither darkened his vision, nor re-
strained his speculative faculties, nor put the
least curb upon his eXuberant humOr. His
Autocrat therefore, Is one Of the most natural
books ever writtcn-a book that teens with
stimulative suggestion, and one that has helped
in high degree TO cmancipate the age from
many fetters Of bigory, convcntonality, and
folly.
Holmes himself valued his humorous writ
ings less than he valued his poetry. In
deed, it was as Il poet that he chiefly desired
recognition and remembrance; for he was well
aware that all his powers derived their vital
ity, mcidily, and harmony from the poetic prn
cpe that vas at the basis OF his mind. To how
great an extent poetic emotion was controlled
in him by his very vigilant faculties OF sense
and humor, and by the circumstances OF his
conventional environment. ii would not, per-
haps be easy TO determine That II was so
controlled and that he often felt 1t To be So
is manifest No writer has suggested so sadly
so pathetcally, the strains, surprising all
earthly music, that die away unheard In the
viewless temple of the soul. The browning cx-
cellence of his verse is felicity. He had in
spiration,-as when he wrote The Chanbered
Nautilus" THE NOicelcss." The Iron Gate"
Under the Violets" Martha" Nearing the
Snow Line" and that exquisite tribute ~ Moore
which certainly is one of the best poems OF oc
casiOn that ever were written. His inspiration
however. does not seem to have been cOnstitu
tional. and perhaps he more poet by art
than by nature. He possessed. however pro
dicious moral fervor, combined with the torrd
glow of a brilliant intellect and with great
scnsibility, and he was supreme master OF
style No man has ever spoken better the word
that 1t was in him to speak
With the extinction Of Holmes almost the
last Of the literary lights Of Ncw-England has
disappeared. 1t was noble group. Dana
Percival, Emerson. Hawthorne. L0ngfcllow
Whittier. Willis, Curtis, and Holmcs-all sons
of Puritan commonwealth, all children Of the
MUSES., all famous. and all at rest. What
a wealth Of genius. Of aspiration Of beautiful
character, and Of noble living those names de-
note, and what a wonderful variety of faculties
and achievements! In all the luminous circle
there was no heart more true and tender than