New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-13


worked for him-or iabored for him. And ne en-
- ,n,o the ,abors OF all sorts and conditions
Of men"
THAT last sentence is eloquent. 1t is no mere
" bookfsh man of whom DR.. Hale writes III 'h's
,.uo..,ru vo,ume but a man cultivated IN
,,o FULLEST sense OF the word looking at lie al
. hundred different points. and everywhere en-
r,ching the mind that was later to interpre.
,Aa n,ostern,ece of literature to the woriu
,i,rougb tho medium Of symmetrical hufnah-
lem Our bioerapher shows his appreciation vi
,,a breadth OF Ioweis life not only In the 1orih
=, bis narrative which is perpetualiy expahu-
inc N admit the discussion OF people ana 'hlnss
ro,oted N the development Of the poet out III
a.. ,one He is systematic enough. carrying MS
a,or, On from one chronological milestone u
tho next with admirable method. but he realizes
.hot ono Of the best aids to an UNDERSTANDINGS
NJ Lowell is a knowledge of his friends Hence
the title of this book and hence the great NUM-
her Of broadly Illustrated anecdotes II contains
One Of these is familiar in several FORMS ou'
we cannot refrain from quoting II IN 'he iaS'
edition" which DR. Hale offers. He Is Taking
OF The Five Of Clubs" or THE Mutual Al
miration Society" the group was aHection-
ately known in Boston and Cambridge. lhese
five were Charles Sumner, George >. Hlilard'
Longfellow. FELTON, and Henry Russell CleVe-
land. Hillard as 1t is believed. stopped one
day at the bookshop Of Ticknor 4 Fields ana
looked over "In Memoriam," which had just
appeared "Tennyson has done for friendship
he said to Mr.. Fields what Petrarch aid TOT
love" 1t was pleasing epigram hlilaru re-
peated il half an hour later to Sumner, VINO III
turn repeated 1t to Cleveland. On his way nome
to luncheon Sumner dropped in at the DOCK
shop ard picked up the new Tennyson' oo-
serving presently TO Mr.. Fields: What Petrarch
did for love Tennyson has done for friendship
In a little while Mr. Cleveland enters and para
phrases his predecessors remark, and pelore
the sun sets Mr.. Fields receives the same sue
gestion from Longfellow, and then from rel
ton who have fallen in with their accustomed
friends and look in to the new BOOKS on
their way out to Cambridge"
OF course this dro story might be clted III
illustra ton of a side Of Bostonian history ana
civilization. in itself droll enough. but Dr. Haze
clearly shows that it just that sort OF thins
that went to make the city enormously sliliu-
lating to men and women Of intelligence anu
gave to Lowell exactly the encouragement tna'
he needed The poet was truly fortunate IN MS
beginnings. His family was full OF sympathy
for him-despite the anecdote Of Dr. Lower
reflection on his sons rustication-and all
around him were the best possible incentives
to the life Of study and literary labor to which
he was ultimately devoted. 1t is amusing 10
find. this lucky young writer. entering upon a
life which for all its sorrows, was to be full OF
happy work. producing poems in anything out
a mirthful key. DR.. Hale quotes one hitherto
unpublished set of verses dating from Lowers
youth. from which we make these extracts:
In garish day I often feel
The Presents full excess.
And DER my outer soul doth steal
A deep life-weariness
But the great thoughts that midnight brings
Look calmly down on earthly things
Oh. who may know the spell that lies
In a few bygone years!
These lines may one day fill my eyes
With MemOrys doubtful tears
Tears which we know not IL they be
OF happiness or agony.
In his prime Lowell must have smiled over
those youthful accents of dubiety. His was a
rich and fruitful life and except for incidents
of domestic sorrow the matters which DR..
Hale unfolds all testify to scholarly occupation
diversified by excursions into public affairs.
| which were themselves invariably adorned by
the poets perennial interest in letters. his in
exhaustible fund Of humor We have paid spe-
cial attention to biographer's notes on his
friends earlier years. because those are the
years least familiar to the general reader. but
the whole book is interesting. 1t gives an ade-
quate account Of Lowells life. and, as we have
| indicated 1t celebrates in the happiest manner
all those distinguished friends who made his
years. whether at Elmwood. or in London, or
In Spain. delightful to him and sources Of proud
admiration to his countrymen. These pages
are deliberately Illustrated, the plates including
| many portraits of celebrities not personally
| familiar to this generation and valuable fac
SMILES OF some of Lowells poems corrected
by himself On every page there are the marks
Of Dr. Hales loyal and sympathetic spirit. He
| writes of the friend he loved in way to in
crease the love of his readers for both Lowell
| and his latest biographer.