The Irish standard., 1905-01-21
How He Came to Visit This Country and
His Views of Some of the Great
Americans of That Day.
Interesting Impressions Which the Noted
lrishman Gained of Charles Sumner
and Others.

"'i' ASoS' allti ou poiIu lne NOfCn Ger.
man Lloyd steamer Herman crossed
the Atlantic for the first time.
One of the letters Of introduction
that was given to our author by Cyrus
Field was addressed to William Cullen
Bryant, the poet, who already had be-
gun to be described as venerable" He
was then some IS years of age, but his
visitor found him us quick and ready
in his movements as if he had not
passed middle life, and despite his white
hair, his long, white beard, and his
bald forehead, he seemed to carry with
him something like the elasticity of
perpetual youth. He took much pleas
ul'c in showing Mr.. Mccarthy his libra
ry and in talking over books and ex-
changing ideas with him on all manner
of literary subjects. Our author noted
that Bryant had Travelled much in Eu-
rope and the East, and had visited
England several times. Gle was one of
the most variouSly educated men it has
ever been my good fortune to meet.
His classical scholarship was of the
highest order, and l think his transla-
ton of the Iliad' one of the best Eng
lish versions ever produced He was
intimately acquainted with the litera-
lures of France Germany, Italy and
several nationalitics by his linguistic
Spain, and could speak the language Of
these countries with flucncy and re-
markable accuracy" Our author adds:
II may mention that at later period
Of my acquaintance with Bryant the
poet presided at a dinner given at Del
monco's restaurant to number of
distinguished foreign visitors, who had
come to New York, if l remember
rightly, OH the occasion of some inter-
national exhibition. Bryant had to in
toast suggested, in the language of
the country from which the guests had
come, and he seemed to captivate the
troduce by speech of his own each
toast proposing the health of foreign
guest. He spoke, according as the
skill, as well as by his natural gift
of cloquence."
One Of the distinguished men whom
Mr.. Mccarthy met in Bryant's home was
the well known scholar and writer,
the late George Ripley, who, in his ear
licr days, had been associated with
Margaret Fuller, Nathaniel Hawthorne,
Charles A. Dana, George William Cur
lis and others in establishing that COL
ony of Brook Farm, the memory Of
which Hawthorne has embodied and
made immortal in his "Blythedale Ro-
nance"
a much more eminent American Of
n somewhat different order whom our
author came to know intimately was
Horace Greeley, editor and chief own
cr of the New York Tribune, a news
paper which then exercised very
wide and deep influence on public opin-
ion in the United States. Mr.. Nc
Carthy and his wife were frequent WIS.,
itors in Horace Greeley's home, and he
INiIS uo LidI IuCy Soulu lOl UuI IL.
gard him with the highest respect and
admiration. There are few pages in
the book before us more interesting
than those which are devoted to the
writer's "reminiscences of the famous
journalist. The visitor recognized, Of
course, that Greeley "was very diff
fcrcnt sort of man from Bryant or Rip
ley, he was not much of classical
student, and did not claim any high
culture, Or indeed, any great interest
in literature Or art He was eccentric
in his habits, as we'll as in his man
ners; he never went in for the ways
Of society; and he was an uncompro-
missing teetotaller. He dressed in the
most careless way, and never con-
cerned himself about the fashion of the
passing season. He often spoke out
his opinions on various subjects with
frankness which took little account Of
the prejudices or susceptibilities Of his
listener. But he was a man Of the
purest and noblest character; he was
absolutely sincere and disinterested in