The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-07-14

dinner given by some distinguished gem
tiemen in New York in honor of Dickens,
who was then on visit to this country.
l was not distinguished gentleman but
some of us ladies heard the speeches at
the dinner from an adjoining room, after
a custom that was prevalent at that
time Irving was a very t,mid man and
he disliked very much being called upon
to preside over the dinner. When the
speechmalpng rolled around he started
to say something, but very soon re-
marked, I can't go on and took his
seat. The trouble was that he hadn't
learned to speak his piece, trouble
that-a of you can overcome early in life
II you'll only try Charles Dickens COW
cred up Irving's failure by getting up
and telling how much the American
writer was loved in England.
Dickens visit to this country was not
because he wanted to see us. Anybody
who has read his american Notes. can
see that he did not think much of us.
He only came over here because he
thought that by coming he could pro-
cure copyrights on his books. 1t is need
less to say that he didl not get them.
International copyright did not come for
years afterward."
his appearance" she went on. "He was
scarcely as tall as his name indicated,
and 1 remember "a story which Is told
about a visit he paid for the purpose
of being introduced to lady by Charles
Sumner. Sumner was an astonishingly
tall man, and when he said to the lady,
Mr.. Longfellow' she looked straight at
the speaker and said, Very much, in
deed, SIR
IT met Longfellow when he was young
man-not what you girls would call a
young man, but what considered young.
NV brother was instrumental In the writ
ipg of hts poem, which you all know,
The Skeleton in Armour We always
spent the summer at Newport, and
Iongfellow was invited to come down
and pay us a visit. My brother had just
seen a skeleton In queer armour in a
museum at FAN River, and he wrote to
Longfellow advising him to stop and see
1t en- his way to us, as he might get
a, poem out of 1t. Some time after the
poem was written the museum was
burned down, and all its contents were
destroyed. So you see that If Longfellow
hadn't promptly taken the advice of my
brother, the poem would never have been
known.
Emerson became acquainted with at
the time when the world scoffed a great
deal ait him, and said that he worshipped
strange gods. own that l was bit
irreverent with regard to him, but
learned to respect him after foolishly
entered into theological discussion with
him and got worsted. The first time
ever visited his house-so I afterwards
learned-he went to Mrs Emerson and
said:
My dear, Mrs. Howe is coming down
to stay with us tomorrow
"'But she can't replied his wife,
William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell
Phillips and other people are going to
be here, and there isn't any room for
Mrs. Howe
"'There must be room said the phil
osopher at which, I am told, his wife
tainted dead away. ] hope, for her sake,
that she didn't"
OF her first visit to Nathaniel Haw-
thorne's famous home, the Old Manse,
Mrs. Howe said:
'The first time went to see Hawthorne
1 didn't see him. just got glimpse OF
him. His wife received us in the parlor,
and presently heard a slight noise, and
saw slim figure coming down the stairs.
Husband, husband Mrs. Hawthorne
called. DR.. Howe and Mrs. Howe are
herer Hawthorne bolted across the hall
and out through the door, without even
SO much as looking in our direction. He
was savagely shy at the time"