New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-05
4 STORE OF MEMORIES.
"reminiscences of Nineteenth Century
Personages and EUents.


"a ME8RptEsN 4 AD c a&RA4
& Co.
Mr. Conway's "reminiscences Of a long and
busy life are as varied they are pithy The
son Of slaveholding Virginia families dating
from Colonial days. he became known as mater
of slavery and worker against it. Trained IN
strict orthodoxy, he became Unitarian preacher
of the most liberal sort. He began his active
life in the middle of the last century, on the eve
of the great struggle between the North and
South and concerning his part In the turmoil
he writes circumstantially and often graphically.
The student of that period will find much Of in
terest in those particular recolections. but the
general reader will, no doubt, seek with greater
zest the anecdotic passages dealing with the
authors famous acquaintance here and in Eu-
Representatives, who have now passed into the
land Of shades.
While a divinity student at Cambridge young
Conway sat at the feet Of the liberal thinkers
and reformers Of w-England, and we find
here many records Of his association with them
He walked with Emerson and discussed Christi
anity; he went out the river with Thoreau
and watched him perform his easily explained
miracle Of putting his hand into the water and
bringing up fish, He Of AgassiZ's
class, and among other "reminiscences Of his
teacher sets down this:
One day in his lecture room Agassiz displayed
some new fossils, mainly of saurans, which had
a text for general review OF the morphological
chain Of gsp I'll s & s he n fag
extinct form with contemporary fauna, he became
excitement. until at last he said: Gentlemen, I
ask you to forgive me if to-day end my lecture
assure you that while have been describing these
extinct creatures they have taken on SORT OF me-
have heard their screaming and kissing, and am
really exhausted regret it, gentlemen but trust
Our admiration for the great teacher was such
hearty cheer. He bowed low to us and quickly
disappeared.
One of Mr.. Conway's most interesting stories
Of the anti-slavery agitation was told to him by
Wendell Phillips. and concerns Emerson.
meeting of the reforIners at fremont Temple
was invaded by a noisy mob. and the speakers
tried in vain to make themselves heard phillips
caught sight of Emerson looking calmly on. and
went to him and whispered. Emerson ad-
vanced: the roughs continued their noise for Il
time but he stood with such beaming compos-
ire that there was a break in the roar. Emerson
began; christopher North-yOu have all heard
Of Christopher North There was perfect 81
lence, as If the name had paralyed every man
Not one of them had ever heard of Christopher
North but this assumption Of their intelligence
by the intellectual stranger disarmed them"
They listened quietly while Emerson told the
story Of North's moderation lin having only
kicked some scoundrels out of the door instead
of pitching them out of the window" and there
was no more bowling to the end Of the Con-
cordan's speech.
Emerson introduced Mr.. Conway to Carlyle,
and the Virgtnian recoUnts many iluminative
anecdotes Of the Scotchman. He dwells much
on the amiable side of Carlyle who would, he
says pass in a moment from talk about Fred
erick or Bonaparte to tell the story of some
poor little lady unknown to fame sweetly
that the mist gathered to ones eyes" Mr..
Conway believes that Froude never really knew
Carlyle and he quotes remark Of Tennyson's
made during the excitement over Froudes BIZ
ography. When" said the poet, "Carlyle's ap-
pointment Of his literary executor was an
nounced I asked him why he had chosen
Froude. He answered, Because of his reti-
cencer"
Various anecdotes OF Browning and Tennyson
are TO be found in these pages; and Of poet
of ar earlier generation the author quotes a rem
,niscence by Lady Taylor. She in her girl
hood a pct of Wordsworth, who rarely, she said.
made a pleasant impression on visitors:
If gentleman had come all the way from Amer
G T S in the mendng of old glove he would
20 on for an hour about that glove de was very
6iain in appearance Once, when talking to his
WIFE Vile. he said casually. That when you
d 6nG% re g e Mrs You were always
yerv ugly lady who took his portrait said sho
h9pEh fadg T@or sad
so long lived among the rocks and woods that his
Of wood and stone, and he might be almost mis-
taken for part OF the scenery
Browning is quoted as saying that when peo-
pie talked about his wife The had a sort Of
jealousy Of her being spoken of by persons
who knew little or nothing of the kind Of worn-
an she was"
o One s6 day T H we was Il his b9Far BqwpBs
English-and pointed 10 her notes Ton the wide
oadhg NUMBER sr of more exao q Tendern i
What is that for learning?" he said.
The author gives us no particularly interest
ing glirnpses of George Eliot If we except that
found in an anecdote related to him by Sara
Hennell, the longtime friend Of the novelist
George Eliot suffered from loneliness, said Miss
Hennell. but came to love the characters in her
books as If they were her children"
She loved them even when thew were wicked
Once when / was at her house in London. looking
at 9drs some sRetche feT from R0m0a we paused be-
Eliot said softly. If to herself ''The dear fel-
bnt very bad fe6W no? d s3e t s58 At 5
seeing him with the eyes OF Romola."
Myra Kelly denies that she had any other
motive than simply to be entertaining in writing
her stories Of East Side public school life She
takes exception TO the remark of a reviewer OF
her recent volume, that "a copy should be laid
on the desk Of every person interested in the
educational work of this big city" But if she
has succeeded in her first purpose. and few will
be found, even among those Of whom she writes.
TO gainsay it, why object to those who may find
IN her "or; more even than she Intentionally
- IL