The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-17
BY JAMES R. GILMORE.
("Edmund Kirke.")
Copyright 1885. by s. s. Mcclure. Linn
ited)

! ti4S Oiu OocHdSe place, IN Cam
prlege' Mass, saying. 81 ought to go ou
with me. half hour alone with hin
would deprive me of the power of sneecb
When can you so?
1t was about 10 o'clock on that mornino
"heii. opening low gateway and lass.
ING through IL prim, checker-board gar.
zen. we stood before the old oaken door
way way OF Mr.. Emersons residence in the
~ dlngy white with green blinds--one OF
nose unsightly, pacl1ing-box structures
H Shat are SO common throughout rural
New England; and if ones dwelling is an
index to ones character this hoIIse infi.
Gated that the poet philosopher was
much more of philosopher than a poet,
ioolxiS summons 1laG was answered by prim
IookI1g woman Who seemed a queer com
pound OF steel springs, Oswego starch
; ana the neatest OF Yankee calico She
inff rec us INTO broad rooEy hail. and
| away TO announce our arrival Then I
notced that the hall was lined with
iEisS paper, lhat IN 1t stood an old-fash-
ioied nat stand-garnished with a broad
pr1nimed beaver, and that wide, half
TAXED nan stairway was beyond, leading 20
me me second S story But soon the door into
me front haH opened and we were face
To lace. with the great eracular philoso-
Pher. smile was on his lips, pen be-
i hintob ms ear, aDd two or three great
myers; but he held out both his hands
TO us, saying, Come in, come right into
my Den. IN glad TO see you"
Emerson in His Den.
1t was a low-studded apartment, about
twenty feet square. with the same ugly
paper on the walls; but this was now
partly hidden by numerous paintings and
ehgravingS. In the center of the room
was d round table, on which We're some
PookS ana pamphlets. an ordinary ink
staEd. and II few quires of packet-post
paper Near the table was Il solid arm
chair, and scattered about on the floor
under the chair and the tableware about
twenty sheets of freshly-written manu-
scripts. Evidently he was at work, and
we should be an interruption to him.
was about TO say SO, when he motioned us
TO couple of chairs, and seating him.
self, said again. II am glad you have
come. Ny ideas flow slowly this MORN
in !sc, and little talk will brush me up
Then: | said, you do not always
write with the same facility"
oh, no; | am very, much subject to
moods. Often a month passes when l
don't put a thought upon paper"
ven, you have curious way of keep
ing YOUR manuscript"
Yes" he answered. "on the floor.
When L flnish page I'm apt to brush it
assoc to be rid of it; but 1 gather the
sheets up before leave the ROOM, and /
work no more today"
With this he stopped down and gath
his side of the table. while 1 aided him
by picking up the few that were out of
his reach, saying as 1 did so, i've often
wondered at your clear. beautiful hand
writing. An expert would be puzzled to.
detect in your regular, business-like Chi
regrapElhy anything of a poet or philoso-
He smiled, saying, "WelI, the first es-
sential in handwriting is legioility."
Emerson a LabOrious Reviser.
But I'm surprised to see in your manu-
script no erasures or interlineations. Mr..
FiGelow says you are terrible upon proof
c-t1f AfC hot cot anlr
yours where his bill for the plates was
only about S400. while for the proof alter
atoms it was more than 81, 9Oo."
Mr.. Emerson smiled again, and said,
| "Oh, yesi That was my second volume
of essays. 1 worked very hard over that
book. and it never did exactly suit me:
sheets, for L think no one should give
any but his most mature thought to the
public. But, tell me, have you not come
prepared to give me the day."
We would not interfere with your
work" said Wilson. but neither OF US
has anything pressing to call him home"
Wolden pond, or q chat with me till lin
ner time, and then the afternoon with
Hawthorne and Alcott. Wendell Holmes
has sent Hawthorne one of your poems,
he is delighted with it and would enjoy
";There are n great many ponds" said
Wilson ''but only one Emerson. A day
with you would be a red letter III my cal
endar.'
No Portrait Give n Complete Idea.
Then let us get out of this den." said
Emerson, rising and leading the way in
to a rear apartment" l have not at
tempted to Sketch his personal appear
ance, for l suppose every reader has
seen one or more OF his portraits. L
have myself seen at least twenty, no Two
of them alike, yet every one resembling
him in some particulars However, none
give any complete idea of the man-of
the serene benignity of his face, the UNI
fac-x of hi = n
unconscious power that seemed to en-
velop his. and to lift him far above or
binary humanity. He was nearer my
ideal of the Christ. as he must have ap-
peared when he lived among men, than
any other man 1 ever encountered.
The room into which he ushered us
It looked GUT upon green fields, and was
odorous with I variety Of summer
flowers. All sorts OF odd knick-knacks (
covered the walls, and on TWO of its
sides were open shelves filled with cur
ious volumes in antique bindings. or no
bindings at all CHANGING over them | /
saw they were rare old tomes-chronicles, !
remnants. quaint old divines. like Hooker f!
and Jeremy Taylor, and precious books /
IN black letter but there was scarcely a /
modern volume among among them. 20, AS we
Mr.. Emerson, that I have read every /
thing you have ever written"
The Slow Sale of EInerson's Books.
And you brought up at the west. /
You surprise me- said Emerson. MY /
books have never had large sale-it /
was all of ten years before Nature sold /
But it not so now said Wilson.
However your books have always been /
read by thinking men, who have taken /
your ideas and scattered Them.
YES" said Emerson, scattered them /
often by attempting to refute them. 1 !
think the world has not yet come to my
mo. perhaps not" said Wilson. THE
prophet is seldom prophet TO his own
century"
"And are not the reading minds of the
present time, Mr.. Emerson. incapable of
receiving your ideas?" 1 asked. II once
knew one of the great theological lights
OF New England who bewailed the ap-
pearance OF Nature as a fascinating
'Who was hep asked Emerson, with
some interest.
"Old Doctor Emmons found the
book on his table during the last year of
his life. and you know he lived till he
was past IS.
yves: and he was wonderful old
man. 1 remember the advice he once
applied to him for instruction about
writing his sermons: Have something
to say, and then say it What did he
II can't recall it all; but I distinctly
remember that he quoted against you
what Margaret said to Faust. What
you say sounds very fine, and is ,v&y
different words. For all that thou hast
no Christianity
'I suppose" answered Emerson. chat
Doctor Emmons never reflected that the
most effectual way to. preach Christ is
to say nothing about him Is there not
enough of scriptural cant already in the
world without my adding to it?'
Emerson's Charm in Conversation.
Then the talk drifted into other chan