The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-03-27

cerning them, especially when pre-
pairing them for new editions,-as
who does not? He was very happy
while writing them, but as he ex-
pressed it, very often "tasted his
champagne next morning"
He was very generous critic OF
other peoples work, end many of his
letters are to his literary friends, ex-
pressing the warmest admiration of
their work. He seemed to enjoy es-
pecially the novels of Howells, and
has word of warm praise for each of
the earlier ones as they came out.
Concerning The Minister'S Charge,
we have this note: "Dear Howells,-I
told you liked the plan of the new
story when you gave me sketch of
it. like the story itself so thorough
ly that / must please myself by tell
ing you so. So far 'tis the best yet.
1t made me forget eighteen hours in
sleeping-car, and the loss of my
only wearable-in- Boston hat"
To DIR. Holmes he writes about his
Emerson: "Dear WENDELL was
about to write thanking you for your
Emerson when your letter was
brought to me. found the Emer-
son very interesting. You, more than
anybody else, have the literary tradi-
tions of New England in your blood
and brain. 1t was this special flavor
that pleased my palate as l read.
You have never written better than
in some of the genially critical parts.
There are admirable things in the
chapter about Emerson's poetry,
many that made me slap my thigh
with emphatic enjoyment. i. II
Emerson showed no sensuous passion
in his verse, at least there is spiritual
and intellectual passion enough and
to spare-a paler flame, but quite as
intense in its way. . l talked with
him once about his versification, by
the way, and he hum orously con-
fessed that he couldn't see the differ
ence between good verse and bad
one-so in that line you cite from his
Adirondacks."
To Aldrich he writes on receipt of
The Bad Boy: "My Dear Aldrich,-It
is capital little book, but had read
it all before, and liked it thor
oughly. 1t has been pretty much
all my novel reading all sum
mer. l think it is wholesome,
interesting and, above all, natural.
The only quarrel l have here with
you is that | found in it that infam-
Gus word 'transpired, e. pl,ribus
uaatn i'll Why not happened? You
are on the very brink of the pit. [
read in the paper t'other day that
some folks had extended a Dime r
to the Hon. Somebody or other. There
was something pleasing to the baser
man in fancying it held out on pair
of tongs, as too many of our Hon bles
deserve-but consider where English
is going" To Longfellow he writes
in 1876: 81 had such pleasure yes
terday that I should like to share it
with you, to whom owed it. j. R.
Osgood & Co. sent me copy of your
Household Edition to show me what
it was, as they propose one for me. l
had been reading over with dismay
my own poems to weed out the mis-
prints, and was awfully disheartened
to find how bad they (the poems)
were. Then | took up your book to
see what the type was, and before l
knew it had been reading two hours
and more. Inever wondered at your
popularity, nor thought it wicked in
you; but if l had wondered, l should
no longer, for you sang me out of all
my worries. To be sure they came
back when I opened my own book
again but that was no fault of
yours"
There are many more letters of
this nature, to E. l.. Godkin, to Leslie
to R. W. Glider. to Thomas
Hughes and others, but let these suf-
fee, while we make a few random
quotations from all parts of the vol
umes: But l did not tell you the
most. Horace confesses that he was
stout, or at any rate implies it.
Thomson says plumply that he was
fat-an odious word. Isuppose that
would have admitted GER
tain amiable rotundity of presence.
Byron wrestled with increasing flesh,
as it would have been we'll for him to
do against growing feshliness. But
such is the weakness of our poor hu-
man nature that never one of them
could bring himself to the shameful
that he had lost his waist.
There is a tender spot, and claim a
certain amount of admiration when |