oliver wendell holmes-第3章

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the　Breakfast　Table　must　be　confessed　as　near　a　failure　as　Doctor　Holmes
could　come。　　It　certainly　was　so　in　the　magazine　which　the　brilliant
success　of　the　first　had　availed　to　establish　in　the　high　place　the
periodical　must　always　hold　in　the　history　of　American　literature。
Lowell　was　never　tired　of　saying；　when　he　recurred　to　the　first　days　of
his　editorship；　that　the　magazine　could　never　have　gone　at　all　without
the　Autocrat　papers。　　He　was　proud　of　having　insisted　upon　Holmes's　doing
something　for　the　new　venture；　and　he　was　fond　of　recalling　the　author's
misgivings　concerning　his　contributions；　which　later　repeated　themselves
with　too　much　reason；　though　not　with　the　reason　that　was　in　his　own
mind。




V。

He　lived　twenty…five　years　after　that　self…question　at　sixty；　and　after
eighty　he　continued　to　prove　that　threescore　was　not　the　limit　of　a　man's
intellectual　activity　or　literary　charm。　　During　all　that　time　the　work
he　did　in　mere　quantity　was　the　work　that　a　man　in　the　prime　of　life
might　well　have　been　vain　of　doing；　and　it　was　of　a　quality　not　less
surprising。　　If　I　asked　him　with　any　sort　of　fair　notice　I　could　rely
upon　him　always　for　something　for　the　January　number；　and　throughout　the
year　I　could　count　upon　him　for　those　occasional　pieces　in　which　he　so
easily　excelled　all　former　writers　of　occasional　verse；　and　which　he
liked　to　keep　from　the　newspapers　for　the　magazine。　　He　had　a　pride　in
his　promptness　with　copy；　and　you　could　always　trust　his　promise。　　The
printer's　toe　never　galled　the　author's　kibe　in　his　case；　he　wished　to
have　an　early　proof；　which　he　corrected　fastidiously；　but　not　overmuch；
and　he　did　not　keep　it　long。　　He　had　really　done　all　his　work　in　the
manuscript；　which　came　print…perfect　and　beautifully　clear　from　his　pen；
in　that　flowing；　graceful　hand　which　to　the　last　kept　a　suggestion　of　the
pleasure　he　must　have　had　in　it。　　Like　all　wise　contributors；　he　was　not
only　patient；　but　very　glad　of　all　the　queries　and　challenges　that　proof…
reader　and　editor　could　accumulate　on　the　margin　of　his　proofs；　and　when
they　were　both　altogether　wrong　he　was　still　grateful。　　In　one　of　his
poems　there　was　some　Latin…Quarter　French；　which　our　collective　purism
questioned；　and　I　remember　how　tender　of　us　he　was　in　maintaining　that　in
his　Parisian　time；　at　least；　some　ladies　beyond　the　Seine　said　〃Eh；
b'en；〃　instead　of　〃　Eh；　bien。〃　　He　knew　that　we　must　be　always　on　the
lookout　for　such　little　matters；　and　he　would　not　wound　our　ignorance。
I　do　not　think　any　one　enjoyed　praise　more　than　he。　　Of　course　he　would
not　provoke　it；　but　if　it　came　of　itself；　he　would　not　deny　himself　the
pleasure；　as　long　as　a　relish　of　it　remained。　　He　used　humorously　to
recognize　his　delight　in　it；　and　to　say　of　the　lecture　audiences　which
in　earlier　times　hesitated　applause；　〃Why　don't　they　give　me　three　times
three？　　I　can　stand　it！〃　　He　himself　gave　in　the　generous　fulness　he
desired。　　He　did　not　praise　foolishly　or　dishonestly；　though　he　would
spare　an　open　dislike；　but　when　a　thing　pleased　him　he　knew　how　to　say　so
cordially　and　skilfully；　so　that　it　might　help　as　well　as　delight。
I　suppose　no　great　author　has　tried　more　sincerely　and　faithfully　to
befriend　the　beginner　than　he；　and　from　time　to　time　he　would　commend
something　to　me　that　he　thought　worth　looking　at；　but　never　insistently。
In　certain　cases；　where　he　had　simply　to　ease　a　burden；　from　his　own　to
the　editorial　shoulders；　he　would　ask　that　the　aspirant　might　be
delicately　treated。　　There　might　be　personal　reasons　for　this；　but
usually　his　kindness　of　heart　moved　him。　　His　tastes　had　their
geographical　limit；　but　his　sympathies　were　boundless；　and　the　hopeless
creature　for　whom　he　interceded　was　oftener　remote　from　Boston　and　New
England　than　otherwise。

It　seems　to　me　that　he　had　a　nature　singularly　affectionate；　and　that　it
was　this　which　was　at　fault　if　he　gave　somewhat　too　much　of　himself　to
the　celebration　of　the　Class　of　'29；　and　all　the　multitude　of　Boston
occasions；　large　and　little；　embalmed　in　the　clear　amber　of　his　verse；
somewhat　to　the　disadvantage　of　the　amber。　　If　he　were　asked　he　could　not
deny　the　many　friendships　and　fellowships　which　united　in　the　asking；
the　immediate　reclame　from　these　things　was　sweet　to　him；　but　he　loved
to　comply　as　much　as　he　loved　to　be　praised。　　In　the　pleasure　he　got　he
could　feel　himself　a　prophet　in　his　own　country；　but　the　country　which
owned　him　prophet　began　perhaps　to　feel　rather　too　much　as　if　it　owned
him；　and　did　not　prize　his　vaticinations　at　all　their　worth。　　Some　polite
Bostonians　knew　him　chiefly　on　this　side；　and　judged　him　to　their　own
detriment　from　it。




VI。

After　we　went　to　live　in　Cambridge；　my　life　and　the　delight　in　it　were　so
wholly　there　that　in　ten　years　I　had　hardly　been　in　as　many　Boston
houses。　　As　I　have　said；　I　met　Doctor　Holmes　at　the　Fieldses'；　and　at
Longfellow's；　when　he　came　out　to　a　Dante　supper；　which　was　not　often；
and　somewhat　later　at　the　Saturday　Club　dinners。　　One　parlous　time　at　the
publisher's　I　have　already　recalled；　when　Mrs。　Harriet　Beecher　Stowe　and
the　Autocrat　clashed　upon　homeopathy；　and　it　required　all　the　tact　of　the
host　to　lure　them　away　from　the　dangerous　theme。　　As　it　was；　a　battle
waged　in　the　courteous　forms　of　Fontenoy；　went　on　pretty　well　through　the
dinner；　and　it　was　only　over　the　coffee　that　a　truce　was　called。　　I　need
not　say　which　was　heterodox；　or　that　each　had　a　deep　and　strenuous
conscience　in　the　matter。　　I　have　always　felt　it　a　proof　of　his　extreme
leniency　to　me；　unworthy；　that　the　doctor　was　able　to　tolerate　my　own
defection　from　the　elder　faith　in　medicine；　and　I　could　not　feel　his
kindness　less　caressing　because　I　knew　it　a　concession　to　an　infirmity。
He　said　something　like；　After　all　a　good　physician　was　the　great　matter；
and　I　eagerly　turned　his　clemency　to　praise　of　our　family　doctor。

He　was　very　constant　at　the　Saturday　Club；　as　long　as　his　strength
permitted；　and　few　of　its　members　missed　fewer　of　its　meetings。
He　continued　to　sit　at　its　table　until　the　ghosts　of　Hawthorne；
of　Agassiz；　of　Emerson；　of　Longfellow；　of　Lowell；　out　of　others　less
famous；　bore　him　company　there　among　the　younger　men　in　the　flesh。
It　must　have　been　very　melancholy；　but　nothing　could　deeply　cloud　his
most　cheerful　spirit。　　His　strenuous　interest　in　life　kept　him　alive　to
all　the　things　of　it；　after　so　many　of　his　friends　were　dead。　　The
questions　which　he　was　wont　to　deal　with　so　fondly；　so　wisely；　the　great
problems　of　the　soul；　were　all　the　more　vital；　perhaps；　because　the
personal　concern　in　them　was　increased　by　the　translation　to　some　other
being　of　the　men　who　had　so　often　tried　with　him　to　fathom　them　here。
The　last　time　I　was　at　that　table　he　sat　alone　there　among　those　great
memories；　but　he　was　as　gay　as　ever　I　saw　him；　his　wit　sparkled；　his
humor　gleamed；　the　poetic　touch　was　deft　and　firm　as　of　old；　the　serious
curiosity；　the　instant　sympathy　remained。　　To　the　witness　he　was
pathetic；　but　to　himself　he　could　only　have　been　interesting；　as　the
figure　of　a　man　surviving；　in　an　alien　but　not　unfriendly　present；　the
past　which　held　so　vast　a　part　of　all　that　had　constituted　him。　　If　he
had　thought　of　himself　in　this　way；　it　would　have　been　without　one
emotion　of　self…pity；　such　as　more　maudlin　souls　indulge；　but　with　a　love
of　knowledge　and　wisdom　as　keenly　alert　as　in　his　prime。

For　three　privileged　years　I　lived　all　but　next…door　neighbor　of　Doctor
Holmes　in　that　part　of　Beacon　Street　whither　he　removed　after　he　left　his
old　home　in　Charles　Street；　and　during　these　years　I　saw　him　rather
often。　　We　were　both　on　the　water　side；　which　means　so　much　more　than　the
words　say；　and　our　library　windows　commanded　the　same　general　view　of　the
Charles　rippling　out　into　the　Cambridge　marshes　and　the　sunsets；　and
curving　eastward　under　Long　Bridge；　through　shipping　that　increased
onward　to　the　sea。　　He　said　that　you　could　count　fourteen　towns　and
villages　in　the　compass　of　that　view；　with　the　three　conspicuous
monuments　accenting　the　different　attractions　of　it：　the　tower　of
Memorial　Hall　at　Harvard；　the　obelisk　on　Bunker　Hill；　and　in　the　centre
of　the　picture　that　bulk　of　Tufts　College　which　he　said　he　expected　to
greet　his　eyes　the　first　thing　when　he　opened　them　in　the　other　world。
But　the　prospect；　though　generally　the　same；　had　certain　precious
differences　for　each　of　us；　which　I　have　no　doubt　he　valued　himself　as
much　upon　as　I　did。　　I　have　a　notion　that　he　fancied　these　were　to　be
enjoyed　best　in　his　library　through　two　oval　panes　let　into　the　bay　there
apart　from　the　windows；　for　he　was　apt　to　make　you　come　and　look　out　of
them　if　you　got　to　talking　of　the　view　before　you　left。　　In　this　pleasant
study　he　lived　among　the　books；　which　seemed　to　multiply　from　case　to
case　and　shelf　to　shelf；　and　climb　from　floor　to　ceiling。　　Everything　was
in　exquisite　order；　and　the　desk　where　he　wrote　was　as　scrupulously　neat
as　if　the　sloven　disarray　of　most　authors'　desks　were　impossible　to　him。
He　had　a　number　of　ingenious　little　contrivances　for　helping　his　work；
which　he　liked　to　show　you；　for　a　time　a　revolving　book…case　at　the
corner　of　his　desk　seemed　to　be　his　pet；　and　after　that　came　his
fountain…pen；　which　he　used　with　due　observance　of　its　fountain
principle；　though　he　was　tolerant　of　me　when　I　said　I　always　dipped　mine
in　the　inkstand；　it　was　a　merit　in　his　eyes　to　use　a　fountain　pen　in
anywise。　　After　you　had　gone　over　these　objects　with　him；　and　perhaps
taken　a　peep　at　something　he　was　examining　through　his　microscope；　he　sat
down　at　one　corner　of　his　hearth；　and　invited　you　to　an　easy　chair　at　the
other。　　His　talk　was　always　considerate　of　your　wish　to　be　heard；　but　the
person　who　wished　to　talk　when　he　could　listen　to　Doctor　Holmes　was　his
own　victim；　and　always　the　loser。　　If　you　were　well　advised　you　kept
yourself　to　the　question　and　response　which　manifested　your　interest　in
what　he　was　saying；　and　let　him　talk　on；　with　his　sweet　smile；　and　that
husky　laugh　he　broke　softly　into　at　times。　　Perhaps　he　was　not　very　well
when　you　came　in　upon　him；　then　he　would　name　his　trouble；　with　a
scientific　zest　and　accuracy；　and　pass　quickly　to　other　matters。　　As　I
have　noted；　he　was　interested　in　himself　only　on　the　universal　side；　and
he　liked　to　find　his　peculiarity　in　you　better　than　to　keep　it　his　own；
he　suffered　a　visible　disappointment　if　he　could　not　make　you　think　or
say　you　were　so　and　so　too。　　The　querulous　note　was　not　in　his　most
cheerful　register；　he　would　not　dwell　upon　a　specialized　grief；　though
sometimes　I　have　known　him　touch　very　lightly　and　currently　upon　a　slight
annoyance；　or　disrelish　for　this　or　that。　　As　he　grew　older；　he　must　have
had；　of　course；　an　old　man's　disposition　to　speak　of　his　infirmities；　but
it　was　fine　to　see　him　catch　himself　up　in　this；　when　he　became　conscious
of　it；　and　stop　short　with　an　abrupt　turn　to　something　else。　　With　a　real
interest；　which　he　gave　humorous　excess；　he　would　celebrate　some　little
ingenious　thing　that　had　fallen　in　his　way；　and　I　have　heard　him
expatiate　with　childlike　delight　upon　the　merits　of　a　new　razor　he　had
got：　a　sort　of　mower；　which　he　co