The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-07-03

WISH, ne Will show you some OF MS treas
ures for instance, the MSS. of the entire
correspondence relating to the Confeder-
ate States during the war; the MSS. of
the transactions during the rebellion
some autograph novels by Henry James,
who, with Howells, he numbers among
his closest friends. Then there are some
short poems in Tennyson's own hand
writing, while the MSS. of Abraham
Lincoln's Gettysburg address and his SEQ
ond inaugural address are almost reyer-
emily handled by the Presidents former
private secretary, who, with his colleague,
Mr.. Nicolay, as is well known, wrote
the voluminous history of the life of the
second father of his country" which
has placed Colonel Hay among the lead
ing historians of modern times. In pass
ing tribute to the personal character of
the President who died by the assassin's
hand, Col. Hay remarks that Abraham
Lincoln possessed an intellect and heart
altogether out of the common run; that
he was the most kind and considerate
man in the world, preferring to do any
thing himself rather than seeming to give
trouble to another, while his every in
struction to his secretaries was couched
in almost apologize terms. But as Col
onel Hay observes, President Lincoln
was too great man for me to give you
an impression in brief of him. / might
as well try to describe the Alps in two or
three words" AS your host puts those
interesting documents away, you natur-
ally advert to the original log of the May
flower, which Colonel Hays predecessor,
Mr.. Bayard, is now carrying to its right
full home, and while chatting on the sub
ject. Colonel Hay impresses on you how
intensely interesting this MS. is to all
Americans, las interesting" Is Judge
Hoar observed, ''as King Alfred's private
diary would be to every Englishman.
Possibly your eye may travel along the
lines of books IN search of a copy of the
Pike County Ballads, but probably in
vain. For these poems, the recreative CO
'cupation OF three weeks, and dashed off
in careless mood, gained for Colonel Hay
a celebrity by no means to his taste, the
dramatic expressions and feelings of i'm
aginary persons, founded on real incidents
having been, he says, ascribed to his own
experiences, SO that he has no intention
of publishing anything of the kind again.
1t cannot but be interesting to know that
shortly after the appearance OF Jim
Bludso Mark Twain took exception to this
hero being described as the engineer rath-
er than the pilot of the Prairie Belle, and
as that author had himself been river
pilot, his words, of course, had special
weight. However, some time after Col
'oref Hay was fuiiy justified by the son of
Jim Bludso (Oliver Fairchild) himself,
who confirmed the statement that his
father was the engineer and not the pilot
of the steamer. 1t is also worth knowing
that the incidents in Little Brooches re-
lated to an actual episode, and that they
were narrated by a Methodist preacher
from the pulpit in Colonel Hays hear
ing. Turning from this subject to that
of art, you are invited to the two rooms
devoted by your host to his collection of
drawings in black and white, and of
water colors. You promptly note that the
collection is as eclectic as it is catholic,
for all nations seem represented. Among
those best known to us you readily pick
out examples in line by Du Maurier, Pen
nell venetian scenes), Gibson. Reming
ton and Abbey, his Harvest Home
being, of course, particularly familiar;
while two Rhenish landscapes, one of the
Dhrachenfels by Turner, are in the good
company of water colors by Parsons, Bar
rett, Miss Cow, and La Fargo, an emf
nent American artist, fine specimen of
whose work, as Colonel Hay informs you
may be found in the house Of Alma
Tadema; and, on. luncheon being an
nounced, he shows you some bea utiful
stained windows in the dining room, pre-
pared from designs by Mr.. La Fargo,
which are exquisitely beautiful.
Presently you are introduced to Mrs.
Hay and her daughters, Of whom it may
truly be said that they are immense favor
ties in English society. During luncheon
you may inadvertently learn that of his
two sons, Colonel Hay has one at Yale,
who is expected to take his degree next
year, while the younger boy is at the
Westminster School in New York We're
the young lady not present, her father
might tell you that his elder daughter in
herits some of his own literary taste, and
one might add, good deal of his diff
dence; there is younger daughter still
in the schoolroom. 1t requires no keen
perception to arrive at the fact that Col
onel Hay thoroughly appreciates his home
life, and that he never feels happier than
when his legs are under his own 1nahog-
| any, which wood, brought from ST.
Domingo, by the way. panels the dining
room, and serves as an admirable con-