New-York tribune., 1909-01-14

IN IN fhs Pdst country ard his lectures on THE Nature
eusslons which have dealt with the spiritual and
and breadtb Gf Poetry F a with t the highest nte
reSeais reveal his inextinguishabe vitality and spirit.
".hle II sounds the notes Of academic achievement
and promise
MasterfuI Voice Youth!
o faces fresh. with the light Of morning skies,
The ode Hawthorne:
saE Me- through New Englands life her inmost spirit
h1eI heart' and all the stays which It leant
has dignity born not only Of the subtle genius
%nich It coInmemorates, but of the spiritual back
tTating light: while the lines which celebrate Whit
ten for c6II the songs of renembrance writ
read at Concord in 1881 through whicn as through
IL ghIg T noatIng veil. one sees famous figures NOV
et no" are the others faring?'' read at the semi
beautiful esiv n oil sneey' INTO & wniGn fha9
Tsian tb interpreting the yelling of Emersons
others; all these betray the generous sense Of sa
SS@Srlp which gave Stedman,s work its heart and
f of time tim more eager to share his fortune
10 any appeal for recognition than he,
BREADTH OF HIS KNOWLEDGE.
To pass from this celebration of his own imme-
date circle, the two "Anthologies' and the
or the breadth of his knowledge, the catholictY OF
his sympathy and his corporate sense of literature.
the host. in whose large knowledge and sympathy
of Life.
In the Introductory paragraph of the Victorian
rive from the work and experiences Of the British
poets OF the previous forty years correct IDEAS
Poetry; and I'm the initial sentence of the Poets
current Of poesy' deepening and Se Widening with
streams IF knowledge riches and power; to
show influence upon the national sentiment o
less potent. If less obvious than that derived from
CaWnlnE upon eager people tie happy,
heavenly vision men call art"
This large conception Of criticism. backed by that
& wtb h the earlier d without hGh
iStic saved him from academic Journalism and from
the hYsterias and brainstorms of the hour. He
secrets Of the art Of @ Tbeocrtus and % Of ennTson
ms Judgment was not affected by the confusion OF
victim 70 the temptation TO substitute fine writing
meaniy or msIiciCusiS ;' to borrow van an air Of sG-
periority from his function, or 10 wear the robe
science and he never confused frankness of opn-
Germs itself. not with the quality of a book. but
with its uses for irony or sarcasm or TidicTbe or
His vitality saved him from the mental and moral
feeling for VI the common m fortune. from the scorn
which professionalism feels for tie things
cation and from the partial blindness of those
who see art clearly but cannot feel life -o-o
consistently for the dignity and high traditions Of
fine ;-' favor @ of scholarshiP and Impaired to it
adjustment 10 the Knowledge of the time in many
DEPARTMENTS which are possible 10 the student
lighter essays which sometimes produced rap
& & In Pe butt his hiS oT has hai %
stance and continuity such as no oheT nan tai
He had nothing in common with the Decadents;
he was a man to the very heart. He was free from
diseased curiosity from that prurienCy which is
aiwavs thinking about vice without daring prac-
tice It. from the sentimental eeotism which makes
life long-suffering and contemporary verse,
faced his experiences and bore his burdens with
quiet heroism which not only inspired admiration
but touched his work with spirituality ana dignity;
His optimism neither easy nor shallow II had
been tested. and II rose from deep healthfuiness
There is a ring in his books which was in the man;
decision Of character, pluck and clan are eylaeht nj
could have led foriorn hope with that brilliant
audacity which sometimes makes defeat more
splendid than victory
When. on public occasions, he spoke for ters,
ture his ADDRESS ] had n2taele e wngd At such mo-
ments had the weight and gravity OF i bar tre
acterizc such verse as The Hand Of Lincoln His
was when he touched life. not with his hand out
with his heart that his poetry gaInen Tree a5IN I
vou student Of his art poet by the strong 1d ip i
3nsiGn d OF MS visonthese are the things WOULD
have hoped might be said In such an hour as as 'iN th
love we bore lin. but for the truths sake.
Mr. Glider read the following, which he spoke OF
as prose poem" the tribute OF Anne Partlan:
What is your best poem?' The writer asked
IT have not written It." came the quick reply
some dav when I get away from business
cares and manifold duties / going to write my
best poem
At that time the poet was engaged in hquidatlns
the debts a dying friend. by means OF letters 10
the invalid's numerous creditors
Some time afterward he was asked again II he
had begun work on the best poem. Not yet ne
,an1ed cbeerilv while writing a check. payable 10
an invalid author who at that time was in the
Home for Incurables-
short time before he left US, the poet turned
70 the writer and Il have not written Il, and
| fear shall go soon
Dearly beloved poet, you were writing the Best
Poem all your life; in deeds Of love and Kindness.
and to-day II being sung in the hearts of all
whose lives are the better for the strength and
cheer of which you gave so freely.
WILLIAM WINTERS LETTER
Mr.. Winter wrote:
My Dear Mr. Glider: II is with deep regret that
l find myself compelled to forego the privilege,
which been kindly offered to me. OF tesufying;