New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-04


passed.
Concerning Bronson AIcott a curious nra.t,
being. stuffed with undigested theories and
OOzing muZzy platitudes. our author had no lin,
siOns: the pages devoted to him are frack
though not unkindIy That so foolish a M,
should have had any reputation for infeIlec,
was one Of the odd phases Of his period in Ney,-
England. a time when the cage rness TO acquira
culture" sometimes Outpaccd the capacify ~
assimilate IT, AIcOtts extraordinary indiNare,co
10 the necessity Of providing for his family AMI
his readiness to submit 20 any kind Of money
obligation Illustrated in this story. ~ frianf
Of mine once saw him on a Nautasket boa,
without a ticket or money to pay for one. Ehe,
called TO account b. the faretaker he rernarEe,,
rnnocentIy that the trip had attracted him and
that he believed there would be some provisie,.
"A belief that was Immediately viud.rfa,I Pm, q,
passenger recognizing him and ste2pia., rlr. 20
make the said provision" Nor coaeerrir,.
Walt whitman has Mr.. TrOwbridge many hin
sions. though he thinks more hi->hIy ~ tp.
mans work than we do. He describes ora
early interview with Whitman fin ,-1.L
the so-caIled poet told him how the cba,,s
reading of volume Of Emerson.s ESSAYS b.t
aroused his powers. His haIs-forrned tri-ros.
his vague aspirations. all that had lain gro,ur-
dering so long within MIN. rushed into flame q,
the touch Of those electric words"
| He freely admitted that he could nay.- -
written his poems If he had not first conc ~
himself" and that Emerson helped hin, - - ~
himself. | asked him if he though he - i
have come to himself without that belo ~
Said Yes. but it would have taken I1rg-r's irt
| he used this characteristic expression. Il ~
simmering, simmering, simmering. Eulrso1
/ brought me to Il boil"
/ Trowbridge points out not only the fact TIA,
| the EmersOnian influence is clearly tracgab,a ID,
i Int af-
| stances where EmersOn's thought almost IN,
| changed has been used. Yet in later Years =
We may believe some Of the Whitman fanatics
| he stated that he wrote his first Leaves Of
Grass before he had read Emerson. Mr. Trov,-
| bridge charitab1y comedies that Whitrnan's in
validism may have impaired his mental fac
uIties that he forgot his fndebtedness to Er,ar-
/ son a well the period at which he wrote
| and published this work. For in his own semi
| autobiographica book he calmly observes IN
| regard to the Civil War without those three
or four years and the experiences they gave.
Leaves Of Grass would not now be exis,iag"-
the truth being that even his third edition was
published long before Sumter was fred upon.
AS for the ever IOvabIe Holmes, the author
speaks of him with positive devotion. He hap
| pened to call upon Longfellow one day Just af-
| ter he had received visit from the Autocrat
| What a delightful he isl said the poet
| But he has left me, as he generally does with
| a headache"
When I inquired the cause. he replied The
movement OF his mind is so much more rapid
than mine that often find it difficult 10 follow
him. and if L keep up the strain for any length
of time a headache is the penalty"
Every who knew the AutOCrat must have
! been impressed by this trait ascribed 20 him by
| LOngfelOw-the extraordinary rapidIty OF his
mental processes. Not that he talked fast but
| that his turns of thought were surprisingly
bright and quick. and often made with q kind
of scientific precision agreedbly in contrast with
| the IOCseuesS of statement commonly character
izing those who speak yOIuJly and think fast.
of L0ngfellOw. the Kind and gentle hearted.
cLe author has affeCtionate =u5r-1le-of
his patient courtesy to intrusive strangers. u
his tenderness to little children whose hearts he
won by his interest in their battered dolls With
LOngfellOw his notes on personalities end Il
our knowledge Of all these eminent figures Of
the region which is no longer the Hub has not
been largely increased by these chapters. We
are nevertheless indebted 10 their author for
"reminiscences sweetened by the en-h lS.-s-l Ct
youth and the geniaIty of age. His IS a VOL
which the future student Of American l-t-
ters could i'll spare.