roundabout to boston-第4章

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which　he　was　so　well　fitted　to　adorn；　and　which　would　so　gladly　have　kept
him　all　its　own；　he　became　an　abolitionist　in　the　very　teeth　of　the　world
which　abhorred　abolitionists。　　He　was　a　believer　in　the　cause　of　women's
rights；　which　has　no　picturesqueness；　and　which　chiefly　appeals　to　the
sense　of　humor　in　the　men　who　never　dreamt　of　laughing　at　him。　　The　man
who　was　in　the　last　degree　amiable　was　to　the　last　degree　unyielding
where　conscience　was　concerned；　the　soul　which　was　so　tender　had　no
weakness　in　it；　his　lenity　was　the　divination　of　a　finer　justice。　　His
honesty　made　all　men　trust　him　when　they　doubted　his　opinions；　his　good
sense　made　them　doubt　their　own　opinions；　when　they　had　as　little
question　of　their　own　honesty。

I　should　not　find　it　easy　to　speak　of　him　as　a　man　of　letters　only；　for
humanity　was　above　the　humanities　with　him；　and　we　all　know　how　he　turned
from　the　fairest　career　in　literature　to　tread　the　thorny　path　of
politics　because　he　believed　that　duty　led　the　way；　and　that　good
citizens　were　needed　more　than　good　romancers。　　No　doubt　they　are；
and　yet　it　must　always　be　a　keen　regret　with　the　men　of　my　generation　who
witnessed　with　such　rapture　the　early　proofs　of　his　talent；　that　he　could
not　have　devoted　it　wholly　to　the　beautiful；　and　let　others　look　after
the　true。　　Now　that　I　have　said　this　I　am　half　ashamed　of　it；　for　I　know
well　enough　that　what　he　did　was　best；　but　if　my　regret　is　mean；　I　will
let　it　remain；　for　it　is　faithful　to　the　mood　which　many　have　been　in
concerning　him。

There　can　be　no　dispute；　I　am　sure；　as　to　the　value　of　some　of　the
results　he　achieved　in　that　other　path。　　He　did　indeed　create　anew　for　us
the　type　of　good…citizenship；　well…nigh　effaced　in　a　sordid　and　selfish
time；　and　of　an　honest　politician　and　a　pure…minded　journalist。　　He　never
really　forsook　literature；　and　the　world　of　actual　interests　and
experiences　afforded　him　outlooks　and　perspectives；　without　which
aesthetic　endeavor　is　self…limited　and　purblind。　　He　was　a　great　man　of
letters；　he　was　a　great　orator；　he　was　a　great　political　journalist；　he
was　a　great　citizen；　he　was　a　great　philanthropist。　　But　that　last　word
with　its　conventional　application　scarcely　describes　the　brave　and　gentle
friend　of　men　that　he　was。　　He　was　one　that　helped　others　by　all　that　he
did；　and　said；　and　was；　and　the　circle　of　his　use　was　as　wide　as　his
fame。　　There　are　other　great　men；　plenty　of　them；　common　great　men；　whom
we　know　as　names　and　powers；　and　whom　we　willingly　let　the　ages　have　when
they　die；　for；　living　or　dead；　they　are　alike　remote　from　us。　　They　have
never　been　with　us　where　we　live；　but　this　great　man　was　the　neighbor；
the　contemporary；　and　the　friend　of　all　who　read　him　or　heard　him；　and
even　in　the　swift　forgetting　of　this　electrical　age　the　stamp　of　his
personality　will　not　be　effaced　from　their　minds　or　hearts。




VI。

Of　those　evenings　at　the　Taylors'　in　New　York；　I　can　recall　best　the　one
which　was　most　significant　for　me；　and　even　fatefully　significant。
Mr。　and　Mrs。　Fields　were　there；　from　Boston；　and　I　renewed　all　the
pleasure　of　my　earlier　meetings　with　them。　　At　the　end　Fields　said；
mockingly；　〃Don't　despise　Boston！〃　and　I　answered；　as　we　shook　hands；
〃Few　are　worthy　to　live　in　Boston。〃　　It　was　New…Year's　eve；　and　that
night　it　came　on　to　snow　so　heavily　that　my　horse…car　could　hardly　plough
its　way　up　to　Forty…seventh　Street　through　the　drifts。　　The　next　day；　and
the　next；　I　wrote　at　home；　because　it　was　so　hard　to　get　down…town。　　The
third　day　I　reached　the　office　and　found　a　letter　on　my　desk　from　Fields；
asking　how　I　should　like　to　come　to　Boston　and　be　his　assistant　on　the
'Atlantic　Monthly'。　　I　submitted　the　matter　at　once　to　my　chief　on　the
'Nation'；　and　with　his　frank　goodwill　I　talked　it　over　with　Mr。　Osgood；
of　Ticknor　&　Fields；　who　was　to　see　me　further　about　it　if　I　wished；　when
he　came　to　New　York；　and　then　I　went　to　Boston　to　see　Mr。　Fields
concerning　details。　　I　was　to　sift　all　the　manuscripts　and　correspond
with　contributors；　I　was　to　do　the　literary　proof…reading　of　the
magazine；　and　I　was　to　write　the　four　or　five　pages　of　book…notices；
which　were　then　printed　at　the　end　of　the　periodical　in　finer　type；　and　I
was　to　have　forty　dollars　a　week。　　I　said　that　I　was　getting　that　already
for　less　work；　and　then　Mr。　Fields　offered　me　ten　dollars　more。　　Upon
these　terms　we　closed；　and　on　the　1st　of　March；　which　was　my　twenty…ninth
birthday；　I　went　to　Boston　and　began　my　work。　　I　had　not　decided　to
accept　the　place　without　advising　with　Lowell；　he　counselled　the　step；
and　gave　me　some　shrewd　and　useful　suggestions。　　The　whole　affair　was
conducted　by　Fields　with　his　unfailing　tact　and　kindness；　but　it　could
not　be　kept　from　me　that　the　qualification　I　had　as　practical　printer　for
the　work　was　most　valued；　if　not　the　most　valued；　and　that　as　proof…
reader　I　was　expected　to　make　it　avail　on　the　side　of　economy。　　Somewhere
in　life's　feast　the　course　of　humble…pie　must　always　come　in；　and　if　I
did　not　wholly　relish　this；　bit　of　it；　I　dare　say　it　was　good　for　me；　and
I　digested　it　perfectly。









End