New-York tribune., 1903-06-09
EMERSONId.
Reooljcctions of the Philosopher by an Old
Friend
Friend.
CRITICS

George W. SmaIley. in The London Times.
1 first and knew Emerson where he was
TO be seen at his best, and best known,
At his home in Concord. His nephew, William
Emerson. with whom / fellow student in
the Law School of Harvard University, asked
me TO go with him TO Concord and, upon his
Cncles invitation, spend Saturday to Monday.
We walked from Cambridge TO Concord, thir-
teen miles, arriving in the afternoon. knew
something-not much-of Emerson's writings,
had heard him lecture in Boston, and more
or less under the spell of that singular per
sonalfty from the strange charm of which few
who came within its range escaped. In other
respects j was an alien. My friends and rea-
tons were Massachusetts Wings; and Whig
in those days was the American analogue Of
the British Tory. They shocked at the
notion OF my having anything TO do with Emer-
son-a preacher who had renounced his yoca-
flon. divine who had cast off his divinity, a
radical in politics. a rebel against society. as
they thought him. But ! went. Emerson s
Concord home has been too often described to
be described again, and the simplicity of his
way of life is known Of all men. 1t was then
what IL continued TO be 10 the last. But. when
you had once passed through that doorway into
his presence, life was never again TO be TO you
quite the same thing as before. There was new
earth and new heaven-perhaps a new divin-
ity- Emersons influence might totally fail to
reach you, but if it reached You il became an
inspiration For the time, ii superseded all
others The personal element and the mental
and spiritual elements wrought together Any
fort OF memory to separate the two is failure
was new TO Boston and Concord and 10 Cam
bridge. for ] had been four years ar Yale I-ni-
Nersty. where the conditions Of life were totally
unlike those of Harvard where Presbyterian!srn
prevailed in its most acute form where freedom
Of thought ia religious matters was sternly dis
couraged, where Calvin and Jonathan Edwards
still ruled President Wosey and his staff of
professors were strong men, Of wide culture and
narrow views, and strait was the way that led
unto the life everlasting of collegiate distinction
The transition to the freer thought of Harvard
which passed with the religionists for Uni
taf1sn college, meant great deal: and from
Cambridge TO Concord the interval was broader
sun. Emerson was very far from being the
mere recluse the man Of books and of thoughts
which so many supposed him to be- He had his
tOI snare OF worldly wisdom He was a good
citizen and good neighbor The hard headed
farmers or Concord went to him for advice I'm
olmcufies; his judgment in the practical affairs
or lire was sound and shrewd: his experience
"loe+ ms common sense uncommon. To the new
conner nothing Of all this was visible and 10 me
IL vas quite unknown. ] saw the Emerson I
expected 10 see: the poet. the visionary the
philosopher But j saw also for the first time
Emerson IN private life, the host welcoming his
guests Nothing could be more charming He
lad that air of high breeding which comes from
consideration for others There was NOT a trace
o1 conoescension or superiority of any kind IN
his welcome TO the two boys who stood oT, b,s
threshold i saw him often afterward in roanrJ
various circumstances. in America and in FDe
land. ana his manner never altered There u,as =
quaint benignity which never forsool hin, Iy,s
tall. slight figure was not quite straight nut
easy In it's movement Heroic either ,n sta,T-s
- "a feature he was not; but the stamp OF dis