The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-05

Columbia College, being also professor of
Germanic Language and Literature.
One day on entering the Harvard Library
at Cambridge Professor Ezra Abbott
handed Boyesen the registry in which to
write his name. When he read Hialmar
Hiorth Boyesen he said: what kind of a
name is that?" When told it was Scandi-
navian Professor Abbott told him that q
man had just left who would like to see
him; that this man was trying to trans
late some Norwegian dialect ballads. Could
Professor Boyesen read these dialects2 Of
course he could. He talked them and F.
J. Child was SO delighted with his assistant
that he begged him to come to Cam bridge
as his guest while they translated the
"Lanstads" or Norwegian ballads. This
was done and in acknowledgment of the
service rendered Professor Child, in order
to introduce this new friend to the literati
of Cam bridge, gave a dinner to his honor,
TO which Longellow, Henry James and
Howells were all invited.
Then began one of the warmest friend
ships between Howells and Boyesen,
which endured for more than twenty years
and ended only with life. When Mr..
Howells asked Professor Boyesen if he had
ever written anything the supreme
moment had come and "Gunnar" was
drawn from the depths of the trunk and
committed to Mr.. Howells for his criti-
cism.
At dinner given by Longfellow, Boye-
sen read the opening chapters of this
charming story and was begged by the
company to continue the reading. The
Monthly through the influence of Mr.
Howells and by its immense popularity
and success won for America a delightful
novelist and story-writer, who had until
now not adopted this country as his own
Professor Boyesen returned to Germany
and studied for two years in the univer-
sites there to fit himself for professor
ship in the Germanic languages and
philology. While abroad at this time
Boyesen visited Paris, where he met the
Russian realist, Tourguenieff For this
man the American novelist formed a
strong attachments friendship which
lasted until Tourguenieff passed away,
leaving two most sincere mourners in the
persons of Howells and Boyesen. When
"Gunnar" appeared in book form it was
dedicated to Tourguenieff, who had been
such an inspiration to its author
In the fall of 1874 Professor Boyesen was
called to chair in Cornell University. In
1878 his marriage to Philadelphian was
solemniZed and the bridal tour consisted of
a years travel in Italy. Professor Boyesen
left Cornell in 1880 and went to New York
to make literature his profession and de-
voted his whole time to bellies lettres. In
1881, however, he accepted a position in
Columbia College, where he became profess
sor of Germanic language and literature.
Some of Boyesen's novels are 'Tales of
Two Hemispheres, which is in its fifth
edition; GA Norseman's Pilgrimage, ;"
'Goethe and Shiller," with commentary
n Faust" "Falkenburg," "Idylls of
Norway" of which Little sweetbrier Rose
is one of the gems, and the "Mammon of
Unrighteousness, which the author con-
sidered his most finished work.
Boyesen had also written some ESSAYS
on German Literature" and the Golden
Calf" which is just published by Flood &
Vincent. Part of this story has appeared
in the Chautauquan during the past year.
Three years ago this popular lecturer
was at Chautauqua for the first time and
gave a course of six lectures on "The Mod
ern Novel," During the current season
he has given art criticisms on Modern
German and French Painters" These
lectures were illustrated by finely selected
and well-developed masterpieces of the
various artists. Shelley keats and
byron" were also themes for Professor
Boyesen's lectures.