The sun., 1919-03-30

their guests, and bills wcse sent from the
Office. The dinner was excellent and much
more elaborate than the lunch Of the pres
ent day; seven courses at least, with
sherry, sauterne and claret. Any one who
wished to pledge his neighbor or his guest
in champagne or who desired npollinaris
for his digestion had personally to pay
for such courtesy or indulgence. TIE
cocktail did not in those days forerun tie
banquet, nor yet at tln writing has it APP
peared. The various good wines were
offered at suitable times to cheer the
heart Of man."
DIR. Emerson has realized that ccllec-
ton Of the biographies Of its distinguished
members does not suffice to constitute
good club history. To be adequate and
satisfactory such o history must tell us
something about the relations Of the mem
bers to the club-what they said there and
what they did there-anecdotes, incidents
and events pertaining distinctiveIy to the
life Of the club-which have not been re-
corded or narrated elsewhere. Dr.. Elmer
son and his associates in the preparation
OF the present volume have endeayored p
attain thus ideal with an unusual degree
Of success.
It will surprise those to whom Agassls
is known only a. On eminent naturalist et
profound learning 10 hear that he wasAthe
moving spirit who gave life and enthd-
siasm to the early feasts of the Boston
Saturday Club. @Agassiz always sat ut
the head Of the table by native right Of
his huge good fellowship and intense en-
joyment Of the scene, his Elasticity Il
mind and sympathy" So writes Samuel
G. Ward, the only banker in the original
membership Of fourteen, whose title to l,e
included was based on his artistic ard
literary tastes Longfellow sat at tie
east end Of the long table, with Holmes tt
his right and Agassiz opposite him ut tAe
other end Conversation was rarely gen
eral," says Dr.. Holmes. "There were two
principal groups at the ends of the table.
The most joviA man at table was Agassis;
his laugh was that Of big giant. There
was no speechifying, no fuss Of any kind
with constitution and bylaws and other
such eneumbrances." Richard II. Dana,
Jr., the author OF Too Years Before The
Mast, appears to have been the best story
teller in the club at this early period.
Judge lockwood Hoar says that Dana
was q pretty constant attendant at the
dinners and evidently had a profound ~:
spect for them as an institution; that Ee
told story very well when he chose, bet
was always q little formal about il
Charles Eliot Norton, on the other hand,
could not praise Dana's skill as racon-
teur too highly, speaking Of him as Il
capital narrator with O vast store Of ana&
dotesS DR.. Emerson attributes DAM
failure to attain the high places to which
be aspired in public Life to an incurable
native disquali6cation-a certain repe
lent mannerism accentuated by want ~
tact. His tacdessness was aptly Illus
traied by o remark which the preseLt
writer heard him make publicly in Salem
at time when he was seeking Office from
a constituency which included the citizens
of that town. "I dislike Salem so much"
said Mr.. Dana, s'that nothing but the
direst necessity would ever induce lac
again to set foot in Its streets" 1t is
true he said this under the stress Of strong
feeling, but it WIS not conducive to ths
success of his candidacy.
w.
Men hardly expect q trAnscendentpl
philosopher to be what is called "clr1
able" man; yet Ralph Waldo Emerson |
liked his associates in the
Boston Saturday Club, and they liked hun.
although Mr.. Emerson could never get
over his feeling that he was not adapted
for social occasions and sometimes called
himself kill joy, he greatly valued the
club and returned from it always full OF