The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-08-24

lCI 'IeSdHI NeESlHIdtlOu NHSSlVi
gives capital portrait of him, in a
style much above that writer's general
performance. He says that "in person
he was of middle size, elegantly formed,
delicate rather than robust. His coun-
tenance was pleasing and indicated in
telligence. His manners were polite and
engaging. With his intimates and friends,
his conversation was frank and animated,
entWned by a vein of pleasing humor.
and Astounding with images of playful
irony. 1t was sometimes tinctured with
the severity of sarcasm, and sometimes
marked by comprehensive brevity of ex-
preston" In some particulars that is
probably descriptive OF his distinguished
grandson. He reached marked eminence
at the bar of our State. He died in his
mental prime at Hillsboro. where he
resided, in October, 1890, in his forty
ninth year, leaving two sons and a daugh-
ter He had as descendants three grand
sons, who were children of his eldest
son, William, one of whom was Rev. DR..
Hooper, of whom 1 write. The other
two were Thomas, a lawyer, and James,
a merchant.
Rev. William Hooper. p. D., LII. D.,
uHlih6 uOSI men Will IIlOSG ueRTS6S Hc
wore them with distinction and honor I
do not know where he was born. l knew
Of him in my boyhood, and later, in my
early manhood, | had the pleasure of a
personal but brief acquaintance. He
was then we'll advanced in years and
was probably not far from sixty My
impression is that when he closed his
long and useful life he was not far from
eighty-six. He was a professor at diff
fereht times in a South Carolina college,
at the University of North Carolina and
at Wake Forest College. AS / have said
he wrote capital Englsh-racy, pure,
accurate, responsible English, a writer OF
English undefled." He deserves to be
cherished as among the foremost of
North Carolina men of eruditton and
writer's. A long time ago now l read
with unrepressed delight his address at
the University of North Carolina he
called Fifty Years Since" l think it
was, the title being suggested by SCOTS
first and charming novel, ''Waverly, or
IT'S Sixty Years Since" That address,
unless l exaggerated it's merits, is rich
ly deserving OF preservation, and should
be reprinted in an attractive edition.
do not recall any better or more enjoy
able literary address by a North Caro-
linian, or by imported speakers from
abroad who have been invited to supply
the deficiencies of men at home. than
this capital production by true and
very gifted native here and to
the manner born" l am much inclined
to think that it would add to the repu-
tation of any living American. His wit
Liz
humor was engaging and most pleasur-
able. He might perhaps suggest to
the appreciative, cultured reader that
master of graceful, subdued, elegant
English, the genial, lovable Washington
Irving, upon whose most attractive
I fed in my boyhood and young
DR.. Hooper was more learned and
classical. His productions might suggest
sometimes "Old Burton of Anatomy of
memory, and then again re-
mind one of Leigh Hunt in delicacy Of
truth and fascinating quaintness. Or it
might be, that unique, most original
Charles Lamb might be recalled, who
was as gentle as the words that syllable
his NAME" to quote one of the felicities
IF gifted Willis Gaylord Clark, who wrote
Of him in the thirties in his very en-
oyable series of papers under the head
ng CT "ollapodearia," in the old New
York monthly-then so famous and really
good he edited, "The Knickerbocker
Magazine" Lamb had just died. Many
years later, brother of Willis edited
he magazine-Louis Gaylord Clark, of
clever parts.
BY the way the late versatile and elo-
Iuent Rev. DR.. Charles f. Deems. told
ne of a bit of experience of his own
with the last named editor When in
his teens he wrote some verses, and
Clark published them in the 'Knicker-
booker" much to his delight. Later he
published a small volume of poems, and
before he was twenty. He, of course,
sent copy at once to his supposed
friend and admirer, Editor Clark. In
great anxiety and anticipation of pleas
IRE he awaited the coming of the maya
zine to read the cheerful, appreciative
notice of his first attempt at book MAX
ing. 1t came and he read something
like this. in part: 1.-The young writer is
advised to take to the measles or the
cough, but do not take to
writing verse" That reminds one of
some latter-day volumes of verse that
are as barren of poetic merit as Sahara
Is of healthful vegetation or flowers.
Dr. Hooper, as l recall him after 1855
and up to 1875, retained much of his eX
cellence and neatness of STYLE his caustic
irony and symmetrical classicism of
earlier days. 1 may possibly over
estimate. but unintentionally, but have
regretted that DR.. Hooper, so pleasant,
so elevated. so erudite, so richly en-
lowed, should have failed to- produce
some elaborate and continuous work that
would have reflected his varied and pro-
found learning, his exquisite humor, his
powers of analysis and criticism.
ana his generous art. He never. it
seemed, found proper field for the ex-
erclse OF his uncommon requirements and
gifts. What charming volume of es-
says he could have probably left the
worldi What a legacy of beauty and
high thinking and spontaneous wit! With
something of Bentleys great learning
and critical faculty; with no little of
Addison's fine diction and delicate hui
NOR; with much of Hunts charming
1aintiness. he could have written, we