The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-07
EMERSON EMINENTLY M
THE PHILOSOPHER ONCE REVENGED
HIMSELF UPON AN EDITOR.
for Cigars and a Taste for
Wine Somewhat Scandalized His
Acquaintances-Lecture To-day.

at its first regular meeting this winter.
The Athenaeum hall was comfortably filled
by perhaps 200 members of the club and
their guests. The reception committee in
cluded President and Mrs. Scot Butler.
Prof. Thomas C.. Howe, Miss Jessimine
Armstrong, Miss Emma Johnson and DR..
Nelson Brayton.
The speaker was introduced by Hilton U.
Brown, president of the club. Mr.. Trow-
bridge Is a man well along In years, as
forty-five books credited to his pen would
indicate. His hair is stone gray and falls
about his neck in heavy masses. His eyes
are blue. twinkling with humor; his nose
stamps him a New Highlander. His voice
is clear and soft. and his style so delight
fully simple and lucid that a child could
follow his meaning. The personality Of Mr..
Trowbridge could be characterized as al
most sunny, for his bright, sharp humor
seemed to perneate the entire audience.
OLD SETTLER DAYS.
Readings n "reminiscences" was the
subject of Mr.. Trowbridge's lecture. He
began by reading selections from his re-
c~ently-published volume of recollections
entitled My Own Story" beginning with
the pioneer days when his father settled at
Syracuse, N. Y, where he was born in a
rude log hut, and followed his own life up
to the time he settled in Boston and began
writing for the press, and where he became
acquainted with Ralph Waldo Emerson and
many of the other prominent men or that
period. Mr.. Trowbridge dwelt some time
on his acquaintance with Emerson and
Alcott, the father of Louisa May Alcott.
In part. he said: ~ heard much Of EN-
erson during my first years in Boston.
but through such false echoes that mere
prejudice rendered me Indifferent to the
nan and his message. More than to any
other source 1 owe this misconception to
Boston's favorite evening paper, whose
versatile and gifted editor, now and again
printed extracts from Emerson's writings,
with such m upon them as per-
verted their meaning and exposed them to
ridicule. 1t was a passage from Emerson,
IN Prose Writers OF America,
which, by its incisiveness of style and sin
gular suggestiveness, startled me as by a
new discovery, and sent me Fastening to
the nearest bookstore for the essays. No
words of mine are adequite to describe the
effect upon me OF those extraordinary writ
ings. When l considered by what misrepre-
sensations had been kept out of that
which L felt to be an inestimable birth
right, / could not quite forgive their au-
thor; and 1 had afterwards an opportunity
CT knowing that the injury had touched
one more deeply concerned than 1. That
opportunity came after | had begun TO pub
S ssmn my hrst 81 w books w.r through s o Phillips nIs
AASANAo VI OAaAAN0
EMERSON AND AN EDITOR.
Entering the book store one forenoon I
met the said editor going out, and pres
emily saw Emerson at a shelf examining
some books. In the private office l found
Mr.. Phillips, who received me with a cur
ious smile and, when / entered, closed the
door. Then he related with quiet glee a cir
cumstance that had just occurred. The edi-
tor had seen Emerson at the bookshelves
and had asked Mr.. Phillips for an introduce
ton to him. Mr.. Phillips said, L will con-
suit Mr.. Emerson and going out into the
bookroom he proposed a presentation.
Emerson bent his brows and responded In
his slow. emphatic way. Sargent. Mr.. Epes
Sargent, of the Evening Trascript?' Then,
after a pause, L have nothing for Mr.. Sar-
gent and Mr.. Sargent has nothing for me-
Perfectly dispassionate and dignified. but
there was nothing more to be said, and
Mr.. Phillips had to go back to his visitor
and tell him that the desired introduction
was declined. / was pleased through and
the matter had been atoned for and still
more interested to find that even the serene
Concord sage was. after all, human and
faRaSie be- St c r1fntfG bus s ese mis 81 mat na 6an
which was more likely the feeling he
avowed in his letter to Henry Ware regard
ing their differences of opinion. I shall read
what you and other good men write, as /
have always d~one-glad when you speak my
thought and skipping the page that has
nothing for me- He simply skipped Mr..
Sargent.
MET THE SAGE OF CONCORD.
AT that time l had myself never spoken
with Emerson and should have deemed it
high presumption on my part to ask to be
presented to him. All the more gratifying
therefore, was the way In which eur first
interview came about. Entering the publish
er's private room one day. L found Mr.. EN-
erson there; and. having said Good morn
ing to Mr.. Phillips. 1 retired to the book
room. There Mr.. Phillips came to me and
said Mr.. Emerson would like to meet me.
Thrilled with happy surprise, yet doubtful,
l said, L am afraid you suggested it, Not
at ALL he replied. When you spoke to me
In the office. he kept his eyes on. you; and
after you had gone out, he asked, is that
anybody / ought to know? / told him you
were here and he said Il wish to see him.
Just when this occurred 1 cannot now
recall, except that 1t was In the spring of
the year; for when after one of his ques-
lions L told him that / lived in Boston. he
inquired, How can you spare the country,
this gay spring weather. | said, That is
something we cannot spare altogether: we
must lave our woodnotes, and be free to
follow our ~forerunners.' The moment | had
spoken l feared ne might mig regard the ailu,
evidently did not displease him.. With his
wise, sweet SMILE he remarked, Il confess
a tender interest IN any mention OF my
| poems; L an so seldom reminded that they
are ever read by anybody 1t is only my
prose hat gives them a sort Of vicarious
vitality After some deprecatory words
from me he went on in his peculiar hes
itating manner. pauslng often as il seeking
the right word and then uttering il with
an emphasis that relieved it of any suspi-
cion Of uncertainty, L feet II a hardship
that with something of a lovers passion for
what is to me the most precious thing in
life, poetry-l have no gift of fiuency in il
only a rude and stammering utterance.'
A LITTLE SCANDALIZED.
"T had after that opportunities of seeing
the more familiar side of this sage; and 1
remember how scandalized / once was at a
Saturday Club dinner to hear him rallied
by the conviyial and too irreverent Horatio
Woodman for his neglect OF duty and
want of conscience in some business of
the club. At that same table, / for. the
first and only time saw Emerson, sitting
opposite me. light a cigar and pull away
at it as unconcernedly as the least sanity
man at the board. That he should partake
sparingly of wine, / regarded as fitting
enough. But to me there appeared some
thing incongruous about the cigar; L hardly
know why. for IL seemed right and proper
for Holmes, Lowell, and even Longfellow.
L believe, however. that Emerson did not
have the tobacco habit.
"Emerson's appearance was striking, and
his manner not without a certain austere
| awkwardness, especially noticeable on
| the lecture platform. where for years L