The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-14

Harper that promises We'll. He is a
good story teller, not a Walter Scott IL
named Scctt. but ~cieverer than nine
tenths OF the living novelksts who
are popular. His "InKedar's Tents"
while not great was clever. and full OF
movement and incident with really
striking
There Is a sketch in Harper OF the
great American actor. Edwin Booth,
born near Baltimore, that is very
touching and attractive. It is a reveal
ton Of a very engaging and lovabIe
personality. Booth had a heart as
tender a. a good woman's, and a soul
noble n winning. His benevoIences
were numerous and concealed, mainly,
and his consideration for others mar
vellous and most memorable. We
doubt if any nan Who ever wore the
histrionic buskins V e possessed a
manhood of such g-raciousness and a
soul Of such tru nobility.
Charles Dudley Warner writes with
proper appreciation of Lord Tennyson
in his department in Harper. He be-
gins: 1T has become evident that
Alfred Tennyson was avery great man.
Il appears that he was the
largest sized Man Of his era, the per-
sonality already the most conspicuous"
We rejoice to know that We have so
regarded him for a long time. and did
not have to await the admirable life
by his son to discover it. It has been
apparent to US for two decades that he
was n of h worlds greatest poets,
and that surely made him one Of it's
alfred Tennyson towers up very large
in this era, and looms up as the man
who represented his age. He has come
slowly into his position And yet
there have been gifted, able men in
England all along-since 1S42-who
fully recognized his splendid gifts.
Physically he was grand. Carlyle said
he was the handsomest man mall Eng
land. Warner says he was a Morse
man in stature, broad of shoulder and
big of limb, with a Homeric head" A
stranger who saw him by chance said,
THAT might be the author of the
Iliad." He was very simple, but dig
nified, calm, lovable, and so sweet in
his gentleness to his friends, the best
men and women in England" says MI.
Warner, that his ''early intimates
Familiarity address him as alfred so
long as they lived" We once gave the
great Thackeray's judgment of his
King Alfred" He said of him that
she was the wisest man I ever knew.
He was save Milton doubtless the best
equipped and most learned of all Of
lEngland's immortal singers. Mr.. War
ner places him in the right company of
the immortals-With Homer, Plato,
Dante, Shakespeare, Goethe, and say
ing '1they are not many adds that
Tennyson is one of them. He inter
preted his age. He believed in immor-
tality. He said take away belief in
the self-conscious personality of God,
and you take away the backbone of the
world" He was both prophet and re-
N6dItI. Olc llIOIe duOtdlIoL 1iOiil MI.
Warner: But there is in him no trace
of vanity. A very great man., but
modest, sane, wholesome, sound,
marked by integrity in every fibre of
his mental and moral nature. And
what a record that is among the men
of the world truly great" He loved
nature and he Interpreted it. He was
indeed the " spokesman of his age"
His heart was pure and true n his
life grand in its simplicity n
vigor. In the great worlds Valhalla
he will sit on the highest tier among
the greatest Of the immortal brother
hood.