It Appeared To Me, From What I Heard, That
His Fame Is Even Greater In England Than In His Own Country, Where It Is
In Some Danger Of Being Eclipsed By That Of Bryant And Lowell.
He is
extremely courteous to strangers, and having kindly offered, through a
friend, to show me Cambridge University, I had an opportunity of making
his acquaintance.
I have been frequently asked to describe his personal appearance, and
disappointment has frequently been expressed at the portrait which truth
compels me to give of him. He is neither tall, black-haired, nor pale; he
neither raises his eyes habitually to heaven, nor turns down his shirt-
collar. He does not wear a look of melancholy resignation, neither does he
live in love-gilded poverty, in a cottage embosomed in roses. On the
contrary, he is about the middle height, and is by no means thin. He has
handsome features, merry blue eyes, and a ruddy complexion; he lives in a
large mansion, luxuriously furnished; and, besides having a large fortune,
is the father of six blooming children. In short, his appearance might be
considered jovial, were it not so extremely gentlemanly.
Mr. Longfellow met us at the door, with that urbanity which is so
agreeable a feature in his character, and, on being shown into a very
handsome library, we were introduced to Mrs. Longfellow, a lady of
dignified appearance and graceful manner. She is well known as the Mary
of Hyperion; and after a due degree of indignation with the author of
that graceful and poetical book, she rewarded his constancy and devotion
with her hand. The library was panelled in the old style, and a large
collection of books was arranged in recesses in the wall: but the
apartment evidently served the purposes of library and boudoir, for there
were numerous evidences of female taste and occupation. Those who think
that American children are all precocious little men and women would have
been surprised to see the door boisterously thrown open by a little
blooming boy, who scrambled mirthfully upon his father's knee, as though
used to be there, and asked him to whittle a stick for him.
It is not often that the conversation of an author is equal in its way to
his writings, therefore I expected in Mr. Longfellow's case the
disappointment which I did not meet with. He touched lightly on various
subjects, and embellished each with the ease and grace of an accomplished
scholar, and, doubtless in kindly compliment to an English visitor,
related several agreeable reminiscences of acquaintanceships formed with
some of our literati during a brief visit to England. He spoke with much
taste and feeling of European antiquities, and of the absence of them in
the New World, together with the effect produced by the latter upon the
American character. He said that nothing could give him greater pleasure
than a second visit to Europe, but that there were "six obstacles in the
way of its taking place."
With him as a very able cicerone I had the pleasure of visiting
Cambridge University, which reminded me more of England than anything I
saw in America; indeed there are features in which it is not unlike its
English name sake. It has no Newtonian or Miltonian shades, but in another
century the names of those who fill a living age with lustre will have
their memorials among its academic groves. There are several halls of dark
stone or red brick, of venerable appearance, and there are avenues of
stately elms. The library is a fine Gothic edifice, and contains some
valuable manuscripts and illuminated editions of old works. There was a
small copy of the four evangelists, written in characters resembling
print, but so small that it cannot be read without a magnifying glass.
This volume was the labour of a lifetime, and the transcriber completed
his useless task upon his deathbed. While Mr. Longfellow was showing me
some autographs of American patriots, I remarked that as I was showing
some in a Canadian city, a gentleman standing by, on seeing the signature
of the Protector, asked, in the most innocent ignorance, who Oliver
Cromwell was? A lady answered that he was a successful rebel in the olden
time! "If you are asked the question a second time," observed the poet,
who doubtless fully appreciates the greatness of Cromwell, "say that he
was an eminent brewer."
Altogether there is very much both of interest and beauty in Boston and
its environs; and I was repeatedly told that I should have found the
society more agreeable than that of New York. With the exception of visits
paid to the houses of Longfellow and the late Mr. Abbott Lawrence, I did
not see any of the inhabitants of Boston, as I only spent three days in
the neighbourhood; but at Mr. Amy's house I saw what is agreeable in any
country, more especially in a land of transition and change - a happy
American home. The people of this western Athens pride themselves upon the
intellectual society and the number of eminent men which they possess,
among whom may be named Longfellow, Emerson, Lowell, Dana, and Summer. One
of these at least is of the transcendental school. I very much regretted
that I had not more time to devote to a city so rich in various objects of
interest; but the northern winter had already begun, and howling winds and
angry seas warned me that it was time to join my friends at Halifax, who
were desirous to cross the "vexed Atlantic" before the weather became yet
more boisterous.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Origin of the Constitution - The Executive - Congress - Local Legislatures -
The army and navy - Justice - Slavery - Political corruption - The foreign
element - Absence of principle - Associations - The Know-nothings - The Press
and its power - Religion - The Church - The Clergy.
Before concluding this volume it will be proper to offer a few remarks
upon American institutions, and such of their effects as are obvious to a
temporary resident in the States.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 111 of 128
Words from 112444 to 113452
of 129941
