studies of lowell-第4章

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I　think　no　man　of　my　years　and　desert　had　ever　so　true　and　constant　a
friend。　　He　was　both　younger　and　older　than　I　by　insomuch　as　he　was　a
poet　through　and　through；　and　had　been　out　of　college　before　I　was　born。
But　he　had　already　come　to　the　age　of　self…distrust　when　a　man　likes　to
take　counsel　with　his　juniors　as　with　his　elders；　and　fancies　he　can
correct　his　perspective　by　the　test　of　their　fresher　vision。　　Besides；
Lowell　was　most　simply　and　pathetically　reluctant　to　part　with　youth；
and　was　willing　to　cling　to　it　wherever　he　found　it。　　He　could　not　in　any
wise　bear　to　be　left…out。　　When　Mr。　Bret　Harte　came　to　Cambridge；　and　the
talk　was　all　of　the　brilliant　character…poems　with　which　he　had　then
first　dazzled　the　world；　Lowell　casually　said；　with　a　most　touching；
however　ungrounded　sense　of　obsolescence；　He　could　remember　when　the
'Biglow　Papers'　were　all　the　talk。　　I　need　not　declare　that　there　was
nothing　ungenerous　in　that。　　He　was　only　too　ready　to　hand　down　his
laurels　to　a　younger　man；　but　he　wished　to　do　it　himself。　　Through　the
modesty　that　is　always　a　quality　of　such　a　nature；　he　was　magnanimously
sensitive　to　the　appearance　of　fading　interest；　he　could　not　take　it
otherwise　than　as　a　proof　of　his　fading　power。　　I　had　a　curious　hint　of
this　when　one　year　in　making　up　the　prospectus　of　the　Magazine　for　the
next；　I　omitted　his　name　because　I　had　nothing　special　to　promise　from
him；　and　because　I　was　half　ashamed　to　be　always　flourishing　it　in　the
eyes　of　the　public。　　〃I　see　that　you　have　dropped　me　this　year；〃　he
wrote；　and　I　could　see　that　it　had　hurt；　and　I　knew　that　he　was　glad　to
believe　the　truth　when　I　told　him。

He　did　not　care　so　much　for　popularity　as　for　the　praise　of　his　friends。
If　he　liked　you　he　wished　you　not　only　to　like　what　he　wrote；　but　to　say
so。　　He　was　himself　most　cordial　in　his　recognition　of　the　things　that
pleased　him。　　What　happened　to　me　from　him；　happened　to　others；　and　I　am
only　describing　his　common　habit　when　I　say　that　nothing　I　did　to　his
liking　failed　to　bring　me　a　spoken　or　oftener　a　written　acknowledgment。
This　continued　to　the　latest　years　of　his　life　when　the　effort　even　to
give　such　pleasure　must　have　cost　him　a　physical　pang。

He　was　of　a　very　catholic　taste；　and　he　was　apt　to　be　carried　away　by　a
little　touch　of　life　or　humor；　and　to　overvalue　the　piece　in　which　he
found　it；　but；　mainly　his　judgments　of　letters　and　men　were　just。
One　of　the　dangers　of　scholarship　was　a　peculiar　danger　in　the　Cambridge
keeping；　but　Lowell　was　almost　as　averse　as　Longfellow　from　contempt。
He　could　snub；　and　pitilessly；　where　he　thought　there　was　presumption　and
apparently　sometimes　merely　because　he　was　in　the　mood；　but　I　cannot
remember　ever　to　have　heard　him　sneer。　　He　was　often　wonderfully　patient
of　tiresome　people；　and　sometimes　celestially　insensible　to　vulgarity。
In　spite　of　his　reserve；　he　really　wished　people　to　like　him；　he　was
keenly　alive　to　neighborly　good…will　or　ill…will；　and　when　there　was　a
question　of　widening　Elmwood　avenue　by　taking　part　of　his　grounds；　he　was
keenly　hurt　by　hearing　that　some　one　who　lived　near　him　had　said　he　hoped
the　city　would　cut　down　Lowell's　elms：　his　English　elms；　which　his　father
had　planted；　and　with　which　he　was　himself　almost　one　blood！




VIII。

In　the　period　of　which　I　am　speaking；　Lowell　was　constantly　writing　and
pretty　constantly　printing；　though　still　the　superstition　held　that　he
was　an　idle　man。　　To　this　time　belongs　the　publication　of　some　of　his
finest　poems；　if　not　their　inception：　there　were　cases　in　which　their
inception　dated　far　back；　even　to　ten　or　twenty　years。　　He　wrote　his
poems　at　a　heat；　and　the　manuscript　which　came　to　me　for　the　magazine　was
usually　the　first　draft；　very　little　corrected。　　But　if　the　cold　fit　took
him　quickly　it　might　hold　him　so　fast　that　he　would　leave　the　poem　in
abeyance　till　he　could　slowly　live　back　to　a　liking　for　it。

The　most　of　his　best　prose　belongs　to　the　time　between　1866　and　1874；　and
to　this　time　we　owe　the　several　volumes　of　essays　and　criticisms　called
'Among　My　Books'　and　'My　Study　Windows'。　　He　wished　to　name　these　more
soberly；　but　at　the　urgence　of　his　publishers　he　gave　them　titles　which
they　thought　would　be　attractive　to　the　public；　though　he　felt　that　they
took　from　the　dignity　of　his　work。　　He　was　not　a　good　business　man　in　a
literary　way；　he　submitted　to　others'　judgment　in　all　such　matters。
I　doubt　if　he　ever　put　a　price　upon　anything　he　sold；　and　I　dare　say　he
was　usually　surprised　at　the　largeness　of　the　price　paid　him；　but
sometimes　if　his　need　was　for　a　larger　sum；　he　thought　it　too　little；
without　reference　to　former　payments。　　This　happened　with　a　long　poem　in
the　Atlantic；　which　I　had　urged　the　counting…room　authorities　to　deal
handsomely　with　him　for。　　I　did　not　know　how　many　hundred　they　gave　him；
and　when　I　met　him　I　ventured　to　express　the　hope　that　the　publishers　had
done　their　part。　　He　held　up　four　fingers；　〃Quattro；〃　he　said　in　Italian；
and　then　added　with　a　disappointment　which　he　tried　to　smile　away；
〃I　thought　they　might　have　made　it　cinque。〃

Between　me　and　me　I　thought　quattro　very　well；　but　probably　Lowell　had　in
mind　some　end　which　cinque　would　have　fitted　better。　　It　was　pretty　sure
to　be　an　unselfish　end；　a　pleasure　to　some　one　dear　to　him；　a　gift　that
he　had　wished　to　make。　　Long　afterwards　when　I　had　been　the　means　of
getting　him　cinque　for　a　poem　one…tenth　the　length；　he　spoke　of　the
payment　to　me。　　〃It　came　very　handily；　I　had　been　wanting　to　give　a
watch。〃

I　do　not　believe　at　any　time　Lowell　was　able　to　deal　with　money

　　　　　　　　　　〃Like　wealthy　men；　not　knowing　what　they　give。〃

more　probably　he　felt　a　sacredness　in　the　money　got　by　literature；　which
the　literary　man　never　quite　rids　him　self　of；　even　when　he　is　not　a
poet；　and　which　made　him　wish　to　dedicate　it　to　something　finer　than　the
every　day　uses。　　He　lived　very　quietly；　but　he　had　by　no　means　more　than
he　needed　to　live　upon；　and　at　that　time　he　had　pecuniary　losses。　　He　was
writing　hard；　and　was　doing　full　work　in　his　Harvard　professorship；　and
he　was　so　far　dependent　upon　his　salary；　that　he　felt　its　absence　for　the
year　he　went　abroad。　　I　do　not　know　quite　how　to　express　my　sense　of
something　unworldly；　of　something　almost　womanlike　in　his　relation　to
money。

He　was　not　only　generous　of　money；　but　he　was　generous　of　himself；　when
he　thought　he　could　be　of　use；　or　merely　of　encouragement。　　He　came　all
the　way　into　Boston　to　hear　certain　lectures　of　mine　on　the　Italian
poets；　which　he　could　not　have　found　either　edifying　or　amusing；　that　he
might　testify　his　interest　in　me；　and　show　other　people　that　they　were
worth　coming　to。　　He　would　go　carefully　over　a　poem　with　me；　word　by
word；　and　criticise　every　turn　of　phrase；　and　after　all　be　magnanimously
tolerant　of　my　sticking　to　phrasings　that　he　disliked。　　In　a　certain　line

　　　　　　　　　　〃The　silvern　chords　of　the　piano　trembled；〃

he　objected　to　silvern。　　Why　not　silver？　　I　alleged　leathern；　golden；　and
like　adjectives　in　defence　of　my　word；　but　still　he　found　an　affectation
in　it；　and　suffered　it　to　stand　with　extreme　reluctance。　　Another　line　of
another　piece：

　　　　　　　　　　〃And　what　she　would；　would　rather　that　she　would　not〃

he　would　by　no　means　suffer。　　He　said　that　the　stress　falling　on　the　last
word　made　it　〃public…school　English；〃　and　he　mocked　it　with　the　answer　a
maid　had　lately　given　him　when　he　asked　if　the　master　of　the　house　was　at
home。　　She　said；　〃　No；　sir；　he　is　not；〃　when　she　ought　to　have　said　〃　No；
sir；　he　isn't。〃　　He　was　appeased　when　I　came　back　the　next　day　with　the
stanza　amended　so　that　the　verse　could　read：

　　　　　　　　　　〃And　what　she　would；　would　rather　she　would　not　so〃

but　I　fancy　he　never　quite　forgave　my　word　silvern。　　Yet；　he　professed
not　to　have　prejudices　in　such　matters；　but　to　use　any　word　that　would
serve　his　turn；　without　wincing；　and　he　certainly　did　use　and　defend
words；　as　undisprivacied　and　disnatured；　that　made　others　wince。

He　was　otherwise　such　a　stickler　for　the　best　diction　that　he　would　not
have　had　me　use　slovenly　vernacular　even　in　the　dialogue　in　my　stories：
my　characters　must　not　say　they　wanted　to　do　so　and　so；　but　wished；　and
the　like。　　In　a　copy　of　one　of　my　books　which　I　found　him　reading；　I　saw
he　had　corrected　my　erring　Western　woulds　and　shoulds；　as　he　grew　old　he
was　less　and　less　able　to　restrain　himself　from　setting　people　right　to
their　faces。　　Once；　in　the　vast　area　of　my　ignorance；　he　specified　my
small　acquaintance　with　a　certain　period　of　English　poetry；　saying；
〃You're　rather　shady；　there；　old　fellow。〃　　But　he　would　not　have　had　me
too　learned；　holding　that　he　had　himself　been　hurt　for　literature　by　his
scholarship。

His　patience　in　analyzing　my　work　with　me　might　have　been　the　easy　effort
of　his　habit　of　teaching；　and　his　willingness　to　give　himself　and　his　own
was　no　doubt　more　signally　attested　in　his　asking　a　brother　man　of
letters　who　wished　to　work　up　a　subject　in　the　college　library；　to　stay　a
fortnight　in　his　house；　and　to　share　his　study；　his　beloved　study；　with
him。　　This　must　truly　have　cost　him　dear；　as　any　author　of　fixed　habits
will　understand。　　Happily　the　man　of　letters　was　a　good　fellow；　and　knew
how　to　prize　the　favor…done　him；　but　if　he　had　been　otherwise；　it　would
have　been　the　same　to　Lowell。　　He　not　only　endured；　but　did　many　things
for　the　weaker　brethren；　which　were　amusing　enough　to　one　in　the　secret
of　his　inward　revolt。　　Yet　in　these　things　he　was　considerate　also　of　the
editor　whom　he　might　have　made　the　sharer　of　his　self…sacrifice；　and　he
seldom　offered　me　manuscripts　for　others。　　The　only　real　burden　of　the
kind　that　he　put　upon　me　was　the　diary　of　a　Virginian　who　had　travelled
in　New　England　during　the　early　thirties；　and　had　set　down　his
impressions　of　men　and　manners　there。　　It　began　charmingly；　and　went　on
very　well　under　Lowell's　discreet　pruning；　but　after　a　while　he　seemed　to
fall　in　love　with　the　character　of　the　diarist　so　much　that　he　could　not
bear　to　cut　anything。



IX。

He　had　a　great　tenderness　for　the　broken　and　ruined　South；　whose　sins　he
felt　that　he　had　had　his　share　in　visiting　upon　her；　and　he　was　willing
to　do　what　he　could　to　ease　her　sorrows　in　the　case　of　any　particular
Southerner。　　He　could　not　help　looking　askance　upon　the　dramatic　shows　of
retribution　which　some　of　the　Northern　politicians　were　working；　but　with
all　his　misgivings　he　continued　to　act　with　the　Republican　party　until
after　the　election　of　Hayes；　he　was　away　from　the　country　during　the
Garfield　campaign。　　He　was　in　fact　one　of　the　Massachusetts　electors
chosen　by　the　Republican　majority　in　1816；　and　in　that　most　painful　hour
when　there　was　question　of　the　policy　and　justice　of　counting　Hayes　in
for　the　presidency；　it　was　suggested　by　some　of　Lowell's　friends　that　he
should　use　the　original　right　of　the　electors　under　the　constitution；
and　vote　for　Tilden；　whom　one　vote　would　have　chosen　president　over
Hayes。　　After　he　had　cast　his　vote　for　Hayes；　he　quietly　referred　to　the
matter　one　day；　in　the　moment　of　lighting　his　pipe；　with　perhaps　the
faintest　trace　of　indignation　in　his　tone。　　He　s