New-York tribune., 1908-12-26

the massage through II Is not the worst OF nuiila
experience. ,z,,
said:
To exchange words with one who gives golu
for dross and pearls for pebble-stones rs pieaS
ure; 10 examine those thoughts and 10 neasuie
my correspondents pulses with my own, own 3bs
studD in his acceptance VINO loves to "a -
different phases Of different lives
must thank you for the MS. and the n1esSase
nrfeiIoIg sav that am grateful for his kind
ness and that the few lines he sent al ueaao
IN me than fine gold. have been re-resdihs
60 ~ irtT nen nortrait of him-a beautiful and fin
ished picture No photograph could nave eIveh
me his features more admira bly,. nAe eLsl ~,
ing of him hangs before me, surroundeo win win
hose of willis Bryant. Norris Holmes and
FItz- Greene Hallecl1-who, by the way says
that there Is not line in 'Babie Bell WnL;n I;
he could alter. and other things particularly
pleasing to me. His kind words were not VIII
ten to me, however. but in note 10 Mr. Non-
zens of "Putnam's Monthly"
Last Thursday evening attended the dinner
given by New York Publishers to American
Authors It is well enough for them to give the
then Authors, before now, have been hungry
enough to eat poison Ihe spgecnee, spec ss. 0
a general thing, dull. 1t was d
glorious sight and 1 wished hundred times
that w. W. with me.
references is to Daniel N. Haskell. at that time
editor of "The Boston Transcript Most men
have an anatomical arrangement called near7
which is supposed to be located in tne OfsaSC,
say supposed to be; for they seldom snow
anv, its existence is merely supposition But
Mr. Haskells heart, am inclined TO thlnK oed'S
in every vein.
In his early letters to ms Aldrtch frequently
refers to Longfellow, and he discioses. amply
and tenderly. trend Of thought and feeling that
he never ceased to follow. Thus, On OCTOBER
%, 1856 he wrote:
I have thousand things to tell you. which |
cannot write, to my satisfaction for pen ana
ink are poor substitutes for lips Fhere ls some
thing IN e voice which gives vitality and passion
10 words, and oftentimes. when hang over the
fine tren1bles of a line which some dead poet has
left to the world, could weep to think OF "o
dead uotcc. Why could he not nave. leIt US
that? I never read Longfellow but l long TO
catch the modulation of his voice. and break
one of the Ten Commandments, by enVyhs my
friend Winter, whose privilege IL Is 10 "ri'e
him and speak to him.
In q letter dated November %. 1855, he wTotei
Have ever spoken to you Of Miss Alice Cary7
I spent last evening with her, and had cosy
talk about books-she and I alone She is so
beautiful. and simple, and good that love her
She has written some beautiful poetry. place
her at the very head Of American female
poets.
I once saw Mr. Longfellow in Tfcknor's book
store 1t was a long time ago; about the time
the Golden Legend" published He was
speaking, I think. with Fields, and I did not
know who he until he had left the place
Angels sometimes stand beside us, and we know
"Daisy's Necklace" will be bound in week
or so. You shall have early copy. What do
you think of ''Dred"? How tame 1t seems be-
side Reade's Susan Merton"i I think that
novel is Of the noblest 1 ever read. The
prison scene is beyond anything Dickens has
done. in the same line. What wonderful vital
ity and sense and nature run through Resdss
prose,
In after years AIdrich acquired-as most men
do.-the worldly wisdom" as it is called. which
restrains sentiment and cooIs enthusiasm; but
his feelings were not less deep because less
freely expressed. Pages could be filed with ex
tracts from his wise" letters. Selection, how
ever, continues to he attended with enbarrass
rnent. because scarcely letter among hun
dreds can be found that does not contain words
of personal conmendation Soon after our first
meeting. which occurred in the autumn of 1855,
he wrote:
I was overioyed to meet you. and a variety
of other causes worked upon me and made me
not myself. My meeting with you has not
broken link of my love for you You are
older looking than had pictured you, and
tri7e more thoughtful
In 1859 I removed to New York. and for a
time there was no need Of continuance OF our
correspondence; but, after Aldrich removed 70
Boston II was resumed. On October 81, 1880,
he wrote TO me: Il have just returned from
watching at the deathbed Of my uncle Mt
Frost faithful, good friend TO my boyhood.
and am heavy hearted
After he had occupied for some time the po
sition of editor of the Atlantic Monthly Aldrich
wrote:
March 3, 1881
Dear Will
The editorial chair of the Atlantic
Monthly is not the piece Of furniture I would
select for comfort Ny old bamboo lounge at
Ponkapog is worth a thousand Of IT. I don't
have time TO breathe.
If that is O'Brien's poem, It is the best he
ever wrote Here and there catch the tone of
his voice That wild fancy, in the second
stanza about the floating yellow hair of the
drowning sun seems like O'Brien at his very
best The poem is wholly new 70 me.
In great haste. this writing shows.
Always truly yours,
T. B. A.
I have come TO the conclusion" he wrote tn
me 1S94). that more than half Of the mischief
done in this world is done with the best inten
tons Look at the shortsighted intolerant pro
hibitionists. the bowling woman euffragists and
the roaring maniacs who are banging their heads
against both sides of the tariff fence. They all
mean welI-confound them"
90 Mount Vernon St. Boston.
March {, 1891.
Dear Will l have only got back to my
den in Mount Vernon street. where l find two
welcome letters from you. That you like my
new book gives great pleasure, but the
earlier letter in which you express your warm
personal affection, will ever be sacred and
precious to me- l am glad you wrote those
am affectionate word in the letter that I might
. have spoken these thirty and