The Meeker herald., 1897-07-24
HOLMES AGAINST rsnNvsoN.

HOLMES AGAINST TENNYsoN.
Boys are reciting that most admira-
BILE and patriotic poem of oliver Wen
dell Holmes. "Old Ironsides." in school
to this day. az they ought to; and Cur
tbs Guild, journalist and man OF letters.
reminds the world In his recent book,
"a Chat About Celebrities" that he
was given . perfect mark for reciting
1t in defamation hours during his boy
hood, q performance repeated many
years later by his son. This is inter-
esting, but much more 80 10 Mr.. Guide
accounts of dinner given at the Fifth
Avenue hotel Just after the close Of the
civil war.
Not more than half dozen guest
were present. among them a we'll
known Englishman, Cassius NJ. Clay,
lately our minister at st. Petersburg
and that gallant sailor, Commodore
stroyed six Confederate gunboats, and
had his own. the Varuna. sunk under
him In Farrasut's attack on the Missis
sippi forts in April. 1861. but not until
he had driven his last opponent ashore
and aflre.
Some conversation was had regard
ing war poems. and the Englishman de-
clared himself in favor OF Tennyson'
Charge Of the Six Hundred" An en-
thusiastic admirer OF the laureate at al!
times did not hesitate to set this at the
very head OF all verse of its kind. This
fervent praise brought some amused
dissent from the others. one of them
remarking that the rhythm reminded
him of rolling pumpkins over barn
floor and laughing at the attempt to
rhyme the words "blundered'' and
hundred"
An attempt was made to retort by
defying the Americans present to name
anything written by fellow country
man which had half its spirit, to which
Mr.. Guild responded quickly by giving
the title OF "Old Ironsides." There
upon the question was asked II he
knew the verses and on being assured
that such was the fact the challenge
was Issued, the Englishman - recite
from Tennyson. the Americah from
Holmes. and the verdict of the company
to decide.
So the charge was rendered, and SO
we'll rendered that Mr.. Guild almost de-
SPARED. But he began with the little
"Metrical Essay" with which Dr.
Holmes prefaced his early work, in
which may be found that excellent
couplet:
There was an hour when patriots
dared profane
The mast that Britain stroye to bow in
vain"
Then he proceeded with the lines ev-
cry American should have close to his
heart, beginning:
"Ah, tear her tattered ensign down"
As the Boetonian went on he could
see the faces of the Americans light
ing up with the fires OF patriotism, un-
til he came to the triumphant lines:
"Oh, better that her shattered hulk
Should sink beneath the wave:
Her thunders shook the mighty deer.
And there should be her grave
But 1t was already foregone conclu-
sion. Commodore Boggs raised his fist
high in the air .and brought 1t down
with loud, That's so, by Jupiter"
and Minister Clay leaped to his feet,
shouting. "Hurrah for the American
fiag!" 1t was not long after that the
story was told to the genial "Autocrat," :"
and he repaid Mr.. Guild by sending him
an autograph copy Of the lines.
I've always said." Tennyson re-
marked upon occasion, that Maud
and 'Guinevere' were the finest things
I've written" Holmes liked THE
Chambered Nautilus" better than any
other Of his productions; while Mr..
Guild records that at a private reading
in 1886, when he heard both Dr. Holmes
and James Russell Lowell read their
own poems, 1t was the unanimous opin-
ion Of all those present after hearing
both THE Chambered Nautilus" and
How the Old Horse Won the Race"
that the latter was to be given the pref
erence. Hardly two critics can be found
to agree on a subject which is SO clear
ly one to be Influenced by individual
tastes; but 1t is worth while noting
here that no poet of modern times puts
his war melodies very high, Thomas
Campbell. whose Mariners of Eng
land" "Hohenlinden," and Battle of
the Baltic" are probably to be rated
even mose highly than the two efforts
spoken of In the earlier portion of this
paper. forming no exception to this
rule.
The differences between the English
laureate and the American scholar were
even greater than their writings would
indicate. The Briton was inaccessible
Is rule. not always genial, and much
given to solitude. The Yankee was the
most approachable of men. One OF
his pupils, a student in the Harvard