studies of lowell-第6部分

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had　adjusted　himself　to　this；　and　he　went　on　to　speak　with　a　patience
which　was　more　affecting　in　him　than　in　men　of　more　phlegmatic
temperament；　of　how　we　were　able　to　adjust　ourselves　to　all　our　trials
and　to　the　constant　presence　of　pain。　　He　said　he　was　never　free　of　a
certain　distress；　which　was　often　a　sharp　pang；　in　one　of　his　shoulders；
but　his　physique　had　established　such　relations　with　it　that；　though　he
was　never　unconscious　of　it；　he　was　able　to　endure　it　without　a
recognition　of　it　as　suffering。

He　seemed　to　me；　however；　very　well；　and　at　his　age　of　sixty…three；　I
could　not　see　that　he　was　less　alert　and　vigorous　than　he　was　when　I
first　knew　him　in　Cambridge。　　He　had　the　same　brisk；　light　step；　and
though　his　beard　was　well　whitened　and　his　auburn　hair　had　grown　ashen
through　the　red；　his　face　had　the　freshness　and　his　eyes　the　clearness　of
a　young　man's。　　I　suppose　the　novelty　of　his　life　kept　him　from　thinking
about　his　years；　or　perhaps　in　contact　with　those　great；　insenescent
Englishmen；　he　could　not　feel　himself　old。　　At　any　rate　he　did　not　once
speak　of　age；　as　he　used　to　do　ten　years　earlier；　and　I；　then　half
through　my　forties；　was　still　〃You　young　dog〃　to　him。　　It　was　a　bright
and　cheerful　renewal　of　the　early　kindliness　between　us；　on　which　indeed
there　had　never　been　a　shadow；　except　such　as　distance　throws。　　He　wished
apparently　to　do　everything　he　could　to　assure　us　of　his　personal
interest；　and　we　were　amused　to　find　him　nervously　apprehensive　of　any
purpose；　such　as　was　far　from　us；　to　profit　by　him　officially。　　He
betrayed　a　distinct　relief　when　he　found　we　were　not　going　to　come　upon
him　even　for　admissions　to　the　houses　of　parliament；　which　we　were　to　see
by　means　of　an　English　acquaintance。　　He　had　not　perhaps　found　some　other
fellow…citizens　so　considerate；　he　dreaded　the　half…duties　of　his　place；
like　presentations　to　the　queen；　and　complained　of　the　cheap　ambitions　he
had　to　gratify　in　that　way。

He　was　so　eager　to　have　me　like　England　in　every　way；　and　seemed　so　fond
of　the　English；　that　I　thought　it　best　to　ask　him　whether　he　minded　my
quoting；　in　a　paper　about　Lexington；　which　I　was　just　then　going　to　print
in　a　London　magazine；　some　humorous　lines　of　his　expressing　the　mounting
satisfaction　of　an　imaginary　Yankee　story…teller　who　has　the　old　fight
terminate　in　Lord　Percy's　coming

　　　　　　　　　　〃To　hammer　stone　for　life　in　Concord　jail。〃

It　had　occurred　to　me　that　it　might　possibly　embarrass　him　to　have　this
patriotic　picture　presented　to　a　public　which　could　not　take　our　Fourth
of　July　pleasure　in　it；　and　I　offered　to　suppress　it；　as　I　did　afterwards
quite　for　literary　reasons。　　He　said；　No；　let　it　stand；　and　let　them　make
the　worst　of　it；　and　I　fancy　that　much　of　his　success　with　a　people　who
are　not　gingerly　with　other　people's　sensibilities　came　from　the
frankness　with　which　he　trampled　on　their　prejudice　when　he　chose。
He　said　he　always　told　them；　when　there　was　question　of　such　things；
that　the　best　society　he　had　ever　known　was　in　Cambridge；　Massachusetts。
He　contended　that　the　best　English　was　spoken　there；　and　so　it　was；　when
he　spoke　it。

We　were　in　London　out　of　the　season；　and　he　was　sorry　that　he　could　not
have　me　meet　some　titles　who　he　declared　had　found　pleasure　in　my　books；
when　we　returned　from　Italy　in　the　following　June；　he　was　prompt　to　do　me
this　honor。　　I　dare　say　he　wished　me　to　feel　it　to　its　last　implication；
and　I　did　my　best；　but　there　was　nothing　in　the　evening　I　enjoyed　so　much
as　his　coming　up　to　Mrs。　Lowell；　at　the　close；　when　there　was　only　a
title　or　two　left；　and　saying　to　her　as　he　would　have　said　to　her　at
Elmwood；　where　she　would　have　personally　planned　it；　〃Fanny；　that　was　a
fine　dinner　you　gave　us。〃　　Of　course；　this　was　in　a　tender　burlesque；
but　it　remains　the　supreme　impression　of　what　seemed　to　me　a　cloudlessly
happy　period　for　Lowell。　　His　wife　was　quite　recovered　of　her　long
suffering；　and　was　again　at　the　head　of　his　house；　sharing　in　his
pleasures；　and　enjoying　his　successes　for　his　sake；　successes　so　great
that　people　spoke　of　him　seriously；　as　〃an　addition　to　society〃　in
London；　where　one　man　more　or　less　seemed　like　a　drop　in　the　sea。
She　was　a　woman　perfectly　of　the　New　England　type　and　tradition：　almost
repellantly　shy　at　first；　and　almost　glacially　cold　with　new
acquaintance；　but　afterwards　very　sweet　and　cordial。　　She　was　of　a　dark
beauty　with　a　regular　face　of　the　Spanish　outline；　Lowell　was　of　an　ideal
manner　towards　her；　and　of　an　admiration　which　delicately　travestied
itself　and　which　she　knew　how　to　receive　with　smiling　irony。　　After　her
death；　which　occurred　while　he　was　still　in　England；　he　never　spoke　of
her　to　me；　though　before　that　he　used　to　be　always　bringing　her　name　in；
with　a　young　lover…like　fondness。




XI。

In　the　hurry　of　the　London　season　I　did　not　see　so　much　of　Lowell　on　our
second　sojourn　as　on　our　first；　but　once　when　we　were　alone　in　his　study
there　was　a　return　to　the　terms　of　the　old　meetings　in　Cambridge。　　He
smoked　his　pipe；　and　sat　by　his　fire　and　philosophized；　and　but　for　the
great　London　sea　swirling　outside　and　bursting　through　our　shelter；　and
dashing　him　with　notes　that　must　be　instantly　answered；　it　was　a　very
fair　image　of　the　past。　　He　wanted　to　tell　me　about　his　coachman　whom　he
had　got　at　on　his　human　side　with　great　liking　and　amusement；　and　there
was　a　patient　gentleness　in　his　manner　with　the　footman　who　had　to　keep
coming　in　upon　him　with　those　notes　which　was　like　the　echo　of　his　young
faith　in　the　equality　of　men。　　But　he　always　distinguished　between　the
simple　unconscious　equality　of　the　ordinary　American　and　its　assumption
by　a　foreigner。　　He　said　he　did　not　mind　such　an　American's　coming　into
his　house　with　his　hat　on；　but　if　a　German　or　Englishman　did　it；　he
wanted　to　knock　it　off。　　He　was　apt　to　be　rather　punctilious　in　his　shows
of　deference　towards　others；　and　at　one　time　he　practised　removing　his
own　hat　when　he　went　into　shops　in　Cambridge。　　It　must　have　mystified　the
Cambridge　salesmen；　and　I　doubt　if　he　kept　it　up。

With　reference　to　the　doctrine　of　his　young　poetry；　the　fierce　and　the
tender　humanity　of　his　storm　and　stress　period；　I　fancy　a　kind　of　baffle
in　Lowell；　which　I　should　not　perhaps　find　it　easy　to　prove。　　I　never
knew　him　by　word　or　hint　to　renounce　this　doctrine；　but　he　could　not　come
to　seventy　years　without　having　seen　many　high　hopes　fade；　and　known　many
inspired　prophecies　fail。　　When　we　have　done　our　best　to　make　the　world
over；　we　are　apt　to　be　dismayed　by　finding　it　in　much　the　old　shape。
As　he　said　of　the　moral　government　of　the　universe；　the　scale　is　so　vast；
and　a　little　difference；　a　little　change　for　the　better；　is　scarcely
perceptible　to　the　eager　consciousness　of　the　wholesale　reformer。
But　with　whatever　sense　of　disappointment；　of　doubt　as　to　his　own　deeds
for　truer　freedom　and　for　better　conditions　I　believe　his　sympathy　was
still　with　those　who　had　some　heart　for　hoping　and　striving。　　I　am　sure
that　though　he　did　not　agree　with　me　in　some　of　my　own　later　notions　for
the　redemption　of　the　race；　he　did　not　like　me　the　less　but　rather　the
more　because　（to　my　own　great　surprise　I　confess）　I　had　now　and　then　the
courage　of　my　convictions；　both　literary　and　social。

He　was　probably　most　at　odds　with　me　in　regard　to　my　theories　of　fiction；
though　he　persisted　in　declaring　his　pleasure　in　my　own　fiction。　　He　was
in　fact；　by　nature　and　tradition；　thoroughly　romantic；　and　he　could　not
or　would　not　suffer　realism　in　any　but　a　friend。　　He　steadfastly　refused
even　to　read　the　Russian　masters；　to　his　immense　loss；　as　I　tried　to
persuade　him；　and　even　among　the　modern　Spaniards；　for　whom　he　might　have
had　a　sort　of　personal　kindness　from　his　love　of　Cervantes；　he　chose　one
for　his　praise　the　least　worthy；　of　it；　and　bore　me　down　with　his　heavier
metal　in　argument　when　I　opposed　to　Alarcon's　factitiousness　the
delightful　genuineness　of　Valdes。　　Ibsen；　with　all　the　Norwegians；　he　put
far　from　him；　he　would　no　more　know　them　than　the　Russians；　the　French
naturalists　he　abhorred。　　I　thought　him　all　wrong；　but　you　do　not　try
improving　your　elders　when　they　have　come　to　three　score　and　ten　years；
and　I　would　rather　have　had　his　affection　unbroken　by　our　difference　of
opinion　than　a　perfect　agreement。　　Where　he　even　imagined　that　this
difference　could　work　me　harm；　he　was　anxious　to　have　me　know　that　he
meant　me　none；　and　he　was　at　the　trouble　to　write　me　a　letter　when　a
Boston　paper　had　perverted　its　report　of　what　he　said　in　a　public　lecture
to　my　disadvantage；　and　to　assure　me　that　he　had　not　me　in　mind。　　When
once　he　had　given　his　liking；　he　could　not　bear　that　any　shadow　of　change
should　seem　to　have　come　upon　him。　　He　had　a　most　beautiful　and　endearing
ideal　of　friendship；　he　desired　to　affirm　it　and　to　reaffirm　it　as　often
as　occasion　offered；　and　if　occasion　did　not　offer；　he　made　occasion。
It　did　not　matter　what　you　said　or　did　that　contraried　him；　if　he　thought
he　had　essentially　divined　you；　you　were　still　the　same：　and　on　his　part
he　was　by　no　means　exacting　of　equal　demonstration；　but　seemed　not　even
to　wish　it。




XII。

After　he　was　replaced　at　London　by　a　minister　more　immediately
representative　of　the　Democratic　administration；　he　came　home。　　He　made　a
brave　show　of　not　caring　to　have　remained　away；　but　in　truth　he　had
become　very　fond　of　England；　where　he　had　made　so　many　friends；　and　where
the　distinction　he　had；　in　that　comfortably　padded　environment；　was　so
agreeable　to　him。

It　would　have　been　like　him　to　have　secretly　hoped　that　the　new　President
might　keep　him　in　London；　but　he　never　betrayed　any　ignoble
disappointment；　and　he　would　not　join　in　any　blame　of　him。　　At　our　first
meeting　after　he　came　home　he　spoke　of　the　movement　which　had　made　Mr。
Cleveland　president；　and　said　he　supposed　that　if　he　had　been　here；
he　should　have　been　in　it。　　All　his　friends　were；　he　added；　a　little
helplessly；　but　he　seemed　not　to　dislike　my　saying　I　knew　one　of　his
friends　who　was　not：　in　fact；　as　I　have　told；　he　never　disliked　a　plump
differenceunless　he　disliked　the　differer。

For　several　years　he　went　back　to