New-York tribune., 1908-12-26

The period of these letters opulent i'll lit
erary harvest James T, Fields had devised
particularly neat, modest pleasing style Of
brown cloth binding for the books that
published by the famous house of Ticl1nor &
Fields. and volumes Of special value-by
Motherwen Alexander Smith. Tennyson. Long
fellow, Barry Cornwall" Henry Giles. E P
whipple De QuiDcey. Mrs Howe, and other i'm
portant vTiters.-were pouring from the press
| to be eagerly welcomed and greedily devoured
The letter that follows will indicate the
active interest that Aldrich felt in that teemng
time Of literary activity, and will illustrate the
/ critical bent Of his mind in youth The first
| allusion IS 70 Longfellows "Courtship of Miles
! Standish, which vas published in association
| with considerable number of lyrics
August Is. 1865.
The announcement of new volume
/ by Longfellow does not create such q furor as
/ might have been expected; nevertheless his
poem viii be everything that lofty genius learn
| ing snd z qVief seal like his, can make It.
Il is pleasure to quote his poetry. r.
/ tell the world. IN prose ever 50 humble. that it
/ warns the heart like dream Of heaven NY
! ttctti1h8 poems which he knows SO well how 70
write. The critical objection 70 his Tong, long
! thoughts is very Ear fetched but then, dogs
IriH bark at the moon
Some OF the extracts from Maud" do not like
/ because the measure is, unfortunately. long
/ The verses beginning Come into the garden
Vane" are Tennyson himself. Thoughts. to him
must come in swarms- I worship his books.
/ There is one little song Of his that haunts me
You know it and have admired it much as I.
4 1t is the Miller's Daughter" Is not that poem
perfect?
/ l hope BaiIey's Mystic" will not be mystical
4 in reality, his writings are very apt 10 be.
/ ''Festus'' has eDlhalmed mis- name. He never can
/ be forgotten, while beautiful, passionate poetry
has a lover. He IS sometimes obscure and to
my mind ObscuTity is attribute of Poetry.
! There are many verses famous among mon of
aTT-gE do rafP r1y-A
which. TO the mere matter fact reader seem
downright duness: yet indescribable beauty
through them, that cannot be analyzed IL
! can only be fCF7. Such verses am not slow to
love and praise: but many of Railey's lines have
+ 10 be turned and fingered, and taken apart, Ike
J chinese puzzle, to get at their meaning; and
then. like the puzzle, they not worth the
trouble. This, think is a serious fault, and
! too general among noblest poets.
You will think 1 have grown immensely crit
lcal. all Of a sudden" for have never ventured
; to give you so much criticism before | have
been re-reading the critiques that you kindly
sent TO me, and think you will be great critic.
/ one Of these days You look into a thing with
much judgment and sum Up the case" like a
/ lawyer You speak Of giving me an
other review. If you do 1 shall read II with
JOY and gratitude: but let advise you not
to permit your full warm heart to throb in
your eyes and blind you to my rhythmic faults
You have received. before this. a copy Of
"8abie Bell'-: it is one l have revised and cor
rected. Babie has been very fortunate
child.
Prentices most poettcdI poem is in the Knick-
( published and rare tribute TO Louis GAYLORD
. Clarke. editor Of The Knickerbocker Maga-
zine" (vyho has treated me kindly.
You We're not wrong in your idea Of CirisWods
Poets" 1t is a poor affair Half Of the poetry
60 would have been rejected by a country ed
itor. and the biographical notices are weak
frequently meet him He says he has a new
volume OF Poets" in contemplation. May their
shadows never be less
Tennyson is a King OF simplicity and beauty.
] read his Two Voices" every other day The
Princess IS a masterpiece. The man that
fails to appreciate it must have very little
/ soul
The bard in my book is meant for Gerald
Massey. I have some Of his poems in his MS
His ballad Of Babe Cristabel' is wild and fun
Of Keats-Iike imagery.
The wind that comes in at my open window
brings the tones OF the neighboring clock that
has just sounded ! must stand few
minutes at the window. to look at the camp
ground Of the angels vita their starry watch
fires burning. and then-"to sleep to sIeep-
perchance to dream" Good night my dear
friend.
II viii he rightly inferred. from the words
which follow. that their writer had not yet out
( lived the time Of hero worship and romantic
! enthusiasm. but even a cynic may be pleased to
!