first visit to new england-第7章

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physically　of　the　Napoleonic　height　which　spiritually　overtops　the　Alps；
and　I　could　look　into　his　face　without　that　unpleasant　effort　which
giants　of　inferior　mind　so　often　cost　the　man　of　five　feet　four。

A　little　while　after；　Fields　came　in；　and　then　our　number　and　my　pleasure
were　complete。

Nothing　else　so　richly　satisfactory；　indeed；　as　the　whole　affair　could
have　happened　to　a　like　youth　at　such　a　point　in　his　career；　and　when　I
sat　down　with　Doctor　Holmes　and　Mr。　Fields；　on　Lowell's　right；　I　felt
through　and　through　the　dramatic　perfection　of　the　event。　　The　kindly
Autocrat　recognized　some　such　quality　of　it　in　terms　which　were　not　the
less　precious　and　gracious　for　their　humorous　excess。　　I　have　no　reason
to　think　that　he　had　yet　read　any　of　my　poor　verses；　or　had　me　otherwise
than　wholly　on　trust　from　Lowell；　but　he　leaned　over　towards　his　host；
and　said；　with　a　laughing　look　at　me；　〃Well；　James；　this　is　something
like　the　apostolic　succession；　this　is　the　laying　on　of　hands。〃　　I　took
his　sweet　and　caressing　irony　as　he　meant　it；　but　the　charm　of　it　went　to
my　head　long　before　any　drop　of　wine；　together　with　the　charm　of　hearing
him　and　Lowell　calling　each　other　James　and　Wendell；　and　of　finding　them
still　cordially　boys　together。

I　would　gladly　have　glimmered　before　those　great　lights　in　the　talk　that
followed；　if　I　could　have　thought　of　anything　brilliant　to　say；　but　I
could　not；　and　so　I　let　them　shine　without　a　ray　of　reflected　splendor
from　me。　　It　was　such　talk　as　I　had；　of　course；　never　heard　before；　and
it　is　not　saying　enough　to　say　that　I　have　never　heard　such　talk　since
except　from　these　two　men。　　It　was　as　light　and　kind　as　it　was　deep　and
true；　and　it　ranged　over　a　hundred　things；　with　a　perpetual　sparkle　of
Doctor　Holmes's　wit；　and　the　constant　glow　of　Lowell's　incandescent
sense。　　From　time　to　time　Fields　came　in　with　one　of　his　delightful
stories　（sketches　of　character　they　were；　which　he　sometimes　did　not　mind
caricaturing）；　or　with　some　criticism　of　the　literary　situation　from　his
stand…point　of　both　lover　and　publisher　of　books。　　I　heard　fames　that　I
had　accepted　as　proofs　of　power　treated　as　factitious；　and　witnessed　a
frankness　concerning　authorship；　far　and　near；　that　I　had　not　dreamed　of
authors　using。　　When　Doctor　Holmes　understood　that　I　wrote　for　the
'Saturday　Press'；　which　was　running　amuck　among　some　Bostonian
immortalities　of　the　day；　he　seemed　willing　that　I　should　know　they　were
not　thought　so　very　undying　in　Boston；　and　that　I　should　not　take　the
notion　of　a　Mutual　Admiration　Society　too　seriously；　or　accept　the　New
York　Bohemian　view　of　Boston　as　true。　　For　the　most　part　the　talk　did　not
address　itself　to　me；　but　became　an　exchange　of　thoughts　and　fancies
between　himself　and　Lowell。　　They　touched；　I　remember；　on　certain　matters
of　technique；　and　the　doctor　confessed　that　he　had　a　prejudice　against
some　words　that　he　could　not　overcome；　for　instance；　he　said；　nothing
could　induce　him　to　use　'neath　for　beneath；　no　exigency　of　versification
or　stress　of　rhyme。　　Lowell　contended　that　he　would　use　any　word　that
carried　his　meaning；　and　I　think　he　did　this　to　the　hurt　of　some　of　his
earlier　things。　　He　was　then　probably　in　the　revolt　against　too　much
literature　in　literature；　which　every　one　is　destined　sooner　or　later　to
share；　there　was　a　certain　roughness；　very　like　crudeness；　which　he
indulged　before　his　thought　and　phrase　mellowed　to　one　music　in　his　later
work。　　I　tacitly　agreed　rather　with　the　doctor；　though　I　did　not　swerve
from　my　allegiance　to　Lowell；　and　if　I　had　spoken　I　should　have　sided
with　him：　I　would　have　given　that　or　any　other　proof　of　my　devotion。
Fields　casually　mentioned　that　he　thought　〃The　Dandelion〃　was　the　most
popularly　liked　of　Lowell's　briefer　poems；　and　I　made　haste　to　say　that　I
thought　so　too；　though　I　did　not　really　think　anything　about　it；　and　then
I　was　sorry；　for　I　could　see　that　the　poet　did　not　like　it；　quite；　and　I
felt　that　I　was　duly　punished　for　my　dishonesty。

Hawthorne　was　named　among　other　authors；　probably　by　Fields；　whose　house
had　just　published　his　〃Marble　Faun；〃　and　who　had　recently　come　home　on
the　same　steamer　with　him。　　Doctor　Holmes　asked　if　I　had　met　Hawthorne
yet；　and　when　I　confessed　that　I　had　hardly　yet　even　hoped　for　such　a
thing；　he　smiled　his　winning　smile；　and　said：　〃Ah；　well！　I　don't　know
that　you　will　ever　feel　you　have　really　met　him。　　He　is　like　a　dim　room
with　a　little　taper　of　personality　burning　on　the　corner　of　the　mantel。〃

They　all　spoke　of　Hawthorne；　and　with　the　same　affection；　but　the　same
sense　of　something　mystical　and　remote　in　him；　and　every　word　was
priceless　to　me。　　But　these　masters　of　the　craft　I　was　'prentice　to
probably　could　not　have　said　anything　that　I　should　not　have　found　wise
and　well；　and　I　am　sure　now　I　should　have　been　the　loser　if　the　talk　had
shunned　any　of　the　phases　of　human　nature　which　it　touched。　　It　is　best
to　find　that　all　men　are　of　the　same　make；　and　that　there　are　certain
universal　things　which　interest　them　as　much　as　the　supernal　things；　and
amuse　them　even　more。　　There　was　a　saying　of　Lowell's　which　he　was　fond
of　repeating　at　the　menace　of　any　form　of　the　transcendental；　and　he
liked　to　warn　himself　and　others　with　his　homely；　〃Remember　the
dinner…bell。〃　　What　I　recall　of　the　whole　effect　of　a　time　so　happy　for
me　is　that　in　all　that　was　said；　however　high；　however　fine；　we　were
never　out　of　hearing　of　the　dinner…bell；　and　perhaps　this　is　the　best
effect　I　can　leave　with　the　reader。　　It　was　the　first　dinner　served　in
courses　that　I　had　sat　down　to；　and　I　felt　that　this　service　gave　it　a
romantic　importance　which　the　older　fashion　of　the　West　still　wanted。
Even　at　Governor　Chase's　table　in　Columbus　the　Governor　carved；　I　knew　of
the　dinner　'a　la　Russe'；　as　it　was　then　called；　only　from　books；　and　it
was　a　sort　of　literary　flavor　that　I　tasted　in　the　successive　dishes。
When　it　came　to　the　black　coffee；　and　then　to　the　'petits　verres'　of
cognac；　with　lumps　of　sugar　set　fire　to　atop；　it　was　something　that　so
far　transcended　my　home…kept　experience　that　it　began　to　seem　altogether
visionary。

Neither　Fields　nor　Doctor　Holmes　smoked；　and　I　had　to　confess　that　I　did
not；　but　Lowell　smoked　enough　for　all　three；　and　the　spark　of　his　cigar
began　to　show　in　the　waning　light　before　we　rose　from　the　table。　　The
time　that　never　had；　nor　can　ever　have；　its　fellow　for　me；　had　to　come　to
an　end；　as　all　times　must；　and　when　I　shook　hands　with　Lowell　in　parting；
he　overwhelmed　me　by　saying　that　if　I　thought　of　going　to　Concord　he
would　send　me　a　letter　to　Hawthorne。　　I　was　not　to　see　Lowell　again
during　my　stay　in　Boston；　but　Doctor　Holmes　asked　me　to　tea　for　the　next
evening；　and　Fields　said　I　must　come　to　breakfast　with　him　in　the
morning。




XI。

I　recall　with　the　affection　due　to　his　friendly　nature；　and　to　the
kindness　afterwards　to　pass　between　us　for　many　years；　the　whole　aspect
of　the　publisher　when　I　first　saw　him。　　His　abundant　hair；　and　his　full
〃beard　as　broad　as　ony　spade；〃　that　flowed　from　his　throat　in　Homeric
curls；　were　touched　with　the　first　frost。　　He　had　a　fine　color；　and　his
eyes；　as　keen　as　they　were　kind；　twinkled　restlessly　above　the　wholesome
russet…red　of　his　cheeks。　　His　portly　frame　was　clad　in　those　Scotch
tweeds　which　had　not　yet　displaced　the　traditional　broadcloth　with　us　in
the　West；　though　I　had　sent　to　New　York　for　a　rough　suit；　and　so　felt
myself　not　quite　unworthy　to　meet　a　man　fresh　from　the　hands　of　the
London　tailor。

Otherwise　I　stood　as　much　in　awe　of　him　as　his　jovial　soul　would　let　me；
and　if　I　might　I　should　like　to　suggest　to　the　literary　youth　of　this　day
some　notion　of　the　importance　of　his　name　to　the　literary　youth　of　my
day。　　He　gave　aesthetic　character　to　the　house　of　Ticknor　&　Fields；　but
he　was　by　no　means　a　silent　partner　on　the　economic　side。　　No　one　can
forecast　the　fortune　of　a　new　book；　but　he　knew　as　well　as　any　publisher
can　know　not　only　whether　a　book　was　good；　but　whether　the　reader　would
think　so；　and　I　suppose　that　his　house　made　as　few　bad　guesses；　along
with　their　good　ones；　as　any　house　that　ever　tried　the　uncertain　temper
of　the　public　with　its　ventures。　　In　the　minds　of　all　who　loved　the　plain
brown　cloth　and　tasteful　print　of　its　issues　he　was　more　or　less
intimately　associated　with　their　literature；　and　those　who　were　not
mistaken　in　thinking　De　Quincey　one　of　the　delightfulest　authors　in　the
world；　were　especially　grateful　to　the　man　who　first　edited　his　writings
in　book　form；　and　proud　that　this　edition　was　the　effect　of　American
sympathy　with　them。　　At　that　day；　I　believed　authorship　the　noblest
calling　in　the　world；　and　I　should　still　be　at　a　loss　to　name　any　nobler。
The　great　authors　I　had　met　were　to　me　the　sum　of　greatness；　and　if　I
could　not　rank　their　publisher　with　them　by　virtue　of　equal　achievement；
I　handsomely　brevetted　him　worthy　of　their　friendship；　and　honored　him　in
the　visible　measure　of　it。

In　his　house　beside　the　Charles；　and　in　the　close　neighborhood　of　Doctor
Holmes；　I　found　an　odor　and　an　air　of　books　such　as　I　fancied　might
belong　to　the　famous　literary　houses　of　London。　　It　is　still　there；　that
friendly　home　of　lettered　refinement；　and　the　gracious　spirit　which　knew
how　to　welcome　me；　and　make　the　least　of　my　shyness　and　strangeness；　and
the　most　of　the　little　else　there　was　in　me；　illumines　it　still；　though
my　host　of　that　rapturous　moment　has　many　years　been　of　those　who　are
only　with　us　unseen　and　unheard。　　I　remember　his　burlesque　pretence　that
morning　of　an　inextinguishable　grief　when　I　owned　that　I　had　never　eaten
blueberry　cake　before；　and　how　he　kept　returning　to　the　pathos　of　the
fact　that　there　should　be　a　region　of　the　earth　where　blueberry　cake　was
unknown。　　We　breakfasted　in　the　pretty　room　whose　windows　look　out
through　leaves　and　flowers　upon　the　river's　coming　and　going　tides；　and
whose　walls　were　covered　with　the　faces　and　the　autographs　of　all　the
contemporary　poets　and　novelists。　　The　Fieldses　had　spent　some　days　with
Tennyson　in　their　recent　English　sojourn；　and　Mrs。　Fields　had　much　to
tell　of　him；　how　he　looked；　how　he　smoked；　how　he　read　aloud；　and　how　he
said；　when　he　asked　her　to　go　with　him　to　the　tower　of　his　house；　〃Come
up　and　see　the　sad　English　sunset！〃　which　had　an　instant　value　to　me　such
as　some　rich　verse　of　his　might　have　had。　　I　was　very　new　to　it　all；　how
new　I　could　not　very　well　say；　but　I　flattered　myself　that　I　breathed　in
that　atmosphere　as　if　in　the　return　from　life…long　exile。　　Still　I
patriotically　bragged　of　the　West　a　little；　and　I　told　them　proudly　that
in　Columbus　no　book　since　Uncle　Tom's　Cabin　had　sold　so　well　as　'The
Marble　Faun'。　　This　made　the　effect　that　I　wished；　but　whether　it　was
true　or　not；　Heaven　knows；　I　only　know　that　I　heard　it　from　our　leading
bookseller；　and　I　made　no　question　of　it　myself。

After　breakfast；　Fields　went　away　to　the　office；　and　I　lingered；　while
Mrs。　Fields　showed　me　from　shelf　to　shelf　in　the　library；　and　dazzled　me
with　the　sight　of　authors'　copies；　and　volumes　invaluable　with　the
autographs　and　the　pencilled　notes　of　the　men　whose　names　were　dear　to　me
from　my　l