New-York tribune., 1909-07-04

L,
sionate inspiration. anything that proceeded
from LongfeIIow's pen" Nevertheless, he does
the fullest honor to the work of his old friend
and explains why ne does So as follows:
A reason for thinking that LOnsfeIIow is the
foremost of American poets IS the behet tIidI NJ
was more objective than any Of the other para @ IS;
and was eementaIy aotuated Dy an !IllpIi7. ,r
greater and broader design No other Amer, Amer
poetry that rises To tle helzLI OF ~ y
Golden Legend and IS sustained v win u n, sI[n @
OF invention. unflagging interest Of material ana
perfection of taste. Another reason why Il0ngtel-
low stands foremost among our poets is that ne
tv9TiSns and feIrifouE Command of verbal art than
has been displayed by any other American poet;
while stiU another reason Is that he speaks with
a voice that is more universal than personal e
More fully than any other American poet he rep
resents the two cardinal principles which are Of
the highest import 70 the human race.-nobiHty of
individual life and faith in the divine government
Of the world. He is absolutely pure; he turns 20
beauty everything that he touches.
We quote these lines partly for their truth
and weight, but also because they constitute. as
It We're a profession of faith. and give us the
best key to the career which this book in a
measure commentaries.
When Winter came to New York from Bos-
ton and Cambridge he brought with him the
ideals nurtured in his early friendship with
I0ngfelIow. This fact lends a special interest
to what he has to tel! us about the Bohemia
in which. with Henry Clapp. George Arnold.
Fftz-James OBrcn. IaUnt Thompson. Charles
u. Gardette and divers others, he worked hard
made merry. dreamed of poetic and artistic
triumphs and cherished generous hopes of fame
These comrades used to meet at Pfaff's Cave.
German restaurant in Broadway near BIeecker
street Clapp was their leader a witty jour
naIist who for a time greatly duttered the dove
cotes with the things that he and his circle
wrote in his paper. THE Saturday Press Much
has been written and most OF it false. about
that GqiIiGrd company. 1t would seem to have
been as matter Of fact. youthful, happy and
quite harmless When "Artemus Ward first
came TO Pfaf's he brought friend with him,
and telling that individual to seat himself, he
said. Don't be afraid they won't hurt you.
These are Bohemians. a Bohemian is an edu-
Gated boss thief It was in that spOrtive spirit
that CIapp and his followers took themselves
and were taken by those who really knew them
one unIucky stranger who sought out Bohemia
in order to meet Walt Whitman and has pub
lished his observations on the adventure. is
thus commented upon by Mr.. Winter:
I have seen a singular reference 10 that rnomen-
tCus occasion written and published in later years;
by the renowned Mr flo"tIIS- Az one moment OF
but slowly for orgy, joined by
belated Bohemians. whom the others made great
clanor over. was given to understand they were
just recovered from fearful debauch: their locks
them. ana i thpr S eyeS were very freHzed Ws
presented to those types. who neither said did
anything worthy Of their awful appearance. but
dropped into seats at the table ana ate of the
per with an appetite that seemed poor | stayed.
hoping vanly for worse things. until II o'clock.
and then | rose and took my leave of a literary
condition that had distinctly disappointed me-
The fine fancy and fertile invention that have
made Mr.. HoWeIls everywhere NluStriouS
words: for a matter OF fact, no such incidents
occurred either then at any other time did
the great novelist ever see them. except in his
minds eye" Fancy is both wonderful faculty
for 4 writer of fiction and sweet boon for the
reader of II. / have regretted the absence of Mr..
Howells from casual festival which occurred in
Pfaff's Cave. much about the time of his advent
drank each glass of beer in honor of the birthday
OF Henry CIapp. and when he might, for once
have felt the raviShug charm of Walt WhftmanS
colossal eloquence. 1t fell the that Great
Bard. l remember, to propose the health OF the
Prince OF Bohemia. which he did in the following
marvellous words: That's the feIleT!' II was my
privilege to hear that thrilling delverance and to
admire and applaud that superb orator. such
amazing emanatOnS OF intellect seldom occur. and
have had Mr.. How ellis to embroider with his in
genious fancy and embalm IL in the amber OF his
VeraciouS rhetoric Sad to relate, he not pres
ent and equally sad to relate the types whom
he met at P1an's Cave. and with whom he was
distinctly disappointed quite as distinctly
disappointed" with him. They thought him a prlg
II is well that the distorted perspective In
which an old literary group has too often been
represented should be thus set straight. Mr..