The Washington times., 1905-07-02
G[|MPSES INTO
HAYS CHARACTER
Aristocratic in Taste Yet
Democratic in Manner.
AUTHOR OF FAMOUS POEMS
Often Dropped Into the Colloquial
Ways Of the Good
Fellow"
AUTHOR OF FAMOUS POEMS

omcial hfe-the cold steel SO useful In
diplomatic battles with the shrewd rep
resentatives of the chanceneries of Su-
rope. Once protected by the privacy Of
the Executives Office, he often drop
ped into the colloquial ways of the
good fellow until he might almost
have been termed a ''clubable'' man. It
was then he showed himself the man Of
heart and OF keen sensibility, in touch
with the great throhbing pulse of hu-
manity. and fully appreciative of its
joys and SORROWS
Aristocratic Tastes
While these ofi1cia, intimates caught
this close glimpse of him, they were
but few. To all the rest of the world he
was a man OF medium height, extra
ordinarily punctilious in dress, with an
attentfvely combed beard, a pleasant
voice, an attractive face, and a voice
OF singular precision and sibilance; a
man OF aristocratic tastes and ways and
democratic manners and language.
Yet he was q man who used slang in
private and welded the English Lam
guage like g. musical instrument in his
public utterances. and who always wore
evening dress In his own house after 6
O'Clock. That was the outward man Of
the Secretary of State who had done
more to make America truly great
among the nations Of the earth than
all the spread-eagie orators of all time.
In the general impression Hay was an
aristocrat. In his tastes he was, but
not In his manners. He was democratic
rot, c1~
He sometimes. when talking TO one he
could trust. discussed great interna-
tional questions in pungent idioms and
with q Yankee rough-and-readines
that ives proof positive OF his author
ship of pike County Ballads
His Sensitive Nature.
He was sensitive to criticism: there is
no man in public life more sensitive. But
OF late to him had come the rare good
fortune Of having entirely conquered un-
favorable criticism bv the force Of his
own merit Six years ago the papers
blazed with lampoons: he was more vio-
lentiy assailed than any other man in
McKinley's Cabinet. Today. as has been
the case for a long time past, not a
voice is raised against him; and the ex-
traordinary and almost unprecedented
explanation is that nothing but his own
deeds and the revelation of his character
have stilled the voice of defamation
But sensitive as he was. he was not
so sensitive az some think him. There
Is little room In Hays beautiful house
midway between his doorway and his
study. wherein he chatted with visitors
IT is hung with pictures, not so preten-
tious as those outside. and among them
for long time. was the original of one
OF the cartoons which ridiculed him in
the days before he won his attribute of
universal praise. An oversensitiye man
would shrink from having it on view.
but Hay framed 1t and hung it up for
the laughter of his friends.
They used to say, too, that Hay was
ashamed Of Jim Bludso' and Little
Brooches and "Banty Tim" and did
not like to be reminded OF them. But
This snobbish story was not true: for on
the wall, at the very door of his house.
where no one could help seeing ii. there
hung until a few months ago q fine
painting OF Jim Bludso holding her
nozzle ag;n the bank till the last ga
leots ashore
Lofty IL Sentiment.
III hold her Nozzle agin the bank
I'LL the last galoot's ashore.
What heart has not thrilled at thai
and where is the terra Gotta man whose
eye has not moistened in the concluding
lines:
He weren't no saint-but at Judgment
j d run my chances with Jim.
1JongSlde OF some piOus gentlemen
That wouldn't a-shook hands with him
lie seen his duty-a dead-sure thing
And Went for it thar and then:
ind Christ amt a-going To be too hard
On man that died for men.
No man who ever penned English
would have been ashamed of those
lines-not Shakespeare or Milton The
verse is good, the sentiment lofty And
there is Little Breeches," almost as
good
How did he git thar? Angels.
As for the "Breadwinners, If John
Hay wrote IL, he wrote charming
story, and 'Castilian Days" haunts you
and makes you curse the fate that will
not let you see Srain and the Spanish
OF home.
Perhaps there is not in our language
a more delightful volume of essays
than Hays translation OF Emilio Cas-
telar's Republican Movement in Eu-
rope" Mr.. Hay cheated all OF us when
he quit letters.
HYMN Written by Hay.
Preaching recently In his old pulpit in
plymouth Church. Brooklyn the Rev.
DR. Lyman Abbott. editor OF the Out
look. spoke Of Secretary OF State John
Hay as great statesman, and recited
a hymn which Mr.. Hay had once given
him for the Plymouth collection
Il am sure you Will agree with me. {"
said DIR. Abbott. that for the last six
or seven years John Hay has led the
diplomacy OF the world and has been :,
power in international affairs: the
strong man who has put this nation in
the lead among the nations Of the world
This hymn, which he wrote many wears
ago, and gave me permission 10 put into
the Plymouth collection. gives the Sc
cret OF his power:
Not in dumb resignation, We lift our
hands on high.
Not like the neryeless fatalist, content
10 do and die.
Our faith springs Ike the agIe's, who
scars 10 meet the sun,
And cries exulting unto Thee. 20. Lord.
Thy will be DONE