The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-05-14

From the Now orleans IlUleS-DclnoCi ae'
~ LILLIAN ALLINGHAMS Diary
WV is one of the most charming of
w books. not alone because he
knew the most noted men and women of
his time and had the faculty of remenl-
boring things piquant and characteristic.
Himself poet-his Fairy Song" begin
ming, up in the airy mountain" has
made him beloved of children-he became
one of Tennyson's familiar friends. 1t Is
to be observed that Allingharn's interest
in Tennyson was strongly aroused long
before he knew the poet personally. He
records meeting, at table dhote, "a dark,
long haired, notable looking man.
A thought fiashed-Could 1t be Alfred Ten
nysonl Talked little with him and Ten
nyson vanished"
After he had made Tennyson's acquain-
tance Allingham was often in the poets
house. We see him reading aloud Al
lingham's poems, but more frequently his
own-evdently one of his favorite pur-
suits-in 1.-The rich, slow solemn chant of
his voice." This is a familiar view of the
poet but more novel is it to read of his
making a pun and dropping into jocose
doggerel verse Tennyson said to Alling-
ham that his motion of glory was to
own large steam yacht and go round the
world The -photographing Mrs. Cam
eron also appears frequently, and seems to
have made rather humorous impression
on Allingham. Tennyson rebelled at last
against her omnipresent camera-he called
her "gushing''-and declared that her pic
lures represented him with bags under
his eyes" Mrs. Cameron, "queenly In a
carriage by herself, surrounded by photo
graphs" could not understand Tennyson' s
and Carlyle's reluctance to be taken" by
her. 1.-THE greatest men of the age .
say I have immortalized them-and these
other men object!' she complained indig
nantly.
Other friends who appear in the Diary
are Leigh Hunt-then an elderly man
Burne Jones, RuslSin, William Morris,
swinburne and Rossetti There are some
interesting passages relating to the last
named, with whom Allingham was very
intimate at one time; but Rossetti had
a way of dropping his friends; or perhaps
it would be more just to say that he drift
world produced by drugs There could not
have been much intellectual congeniality
between the two; for Allingham says,
1.-THE simple, the natural, or the naive are
merely insipld in his mouth; he must have
strong savors in art, in literature, and in
life. Thackeray makes his appear
ance, kind and jovial, though when AL
bingham met him in Switzerland, he was
at the same time i'll and struggling with
Pendennis" Thackeray said that Brown
ing had been to see him that morning:
blew me out Of bed''~ Thackeray re-
marked of Browning: Il suppose he
doesn't care whether people praise him or
not" When Allingham- replied that
Browning did appreciate praise. Thacker-
ay said, ooh, does he? Then I'll say
something about him in a number"
The Carlyles were well known to Alling-
ham and also we'll liked-though he does
seem to bear grudge against Mrs. Car
lvle for a smart criticism upon Keats
poetry. Carlyle himself showed his gentle
: side to Allngham; and the entries relat-
ing to his lonely old age and death are
| peculiarly tOuViii5..'-.'. LII ~ 10 iio'
| because OF the noteworthy people he
| knew. but because of what he was HIM
self, that Allinshan's Diary is beautiful
| book. Something sweet and pure and
serene breathes from it, the keynote
seems to be that passage with which 1t
| opens; 1.-THE little old town where 1 was
born has a Voice of its own, low, solemn,
persistent humming through the air day
| and night summer and winter. When
| ever / think of that Town, seem to hear
the Voice. The RIVER which makes ii
| rolls over rocky lodges into the tide; be-
| fore, spreads q great oceansin sunshine OF