first visit to new england-第14部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


remains　with　me；　but　the　impression　remains　that　it　was　not　so　good　talk
as　I　had　heard　in　Boston。　　At　one　moment　of　the　orgy；　which　went　but
slowly　for　an　orgy；　we　were　joined　by　some　belated　Bohemians　whom　the
others　made　a　great　clamor　over；　I　was　given　to　understand　they　were　just
recovered　from　a　fearful　debauch；　their　locks　were　still　damp　from　the
wet　towels　used　to　restore　them；　and　their　eyes　were　very　frenzied。
I　was　presented　to　these　types；　who　neither　said　nor　did　anything　worthy
of　their　awful　appearance；　but　dropped　into　seats　at　the　table；　and　ate
of　the　supper　with　an　appetite　that　seemed　poor。　　I　stayed　hoping　vainly
for　worse　things　till　eleven　o'clock；　and　then　I　rose　and　took　my　leave
of　a　literary　condition　that　had　distinctly　disappointed　me。　　I　do　not
say　that　it　may　not　have　been　wickeder　and　wittier　than　I　found　it；
I　only　report　what　I　saw　and　heard　in　Bohemia　on　my　first　visit　to　New
York；　and　I　know　that　my　acquaintance　with　it　was　not　exhaustive。　　When　I
came　the　next　year　the　Saturday　Press　was　no　more；　and　the　editor　and　his
contributors　had　no　longer　a　common　centre。　　The　best　of　the　young
fellows　whom　I　met　there　confessed；　in　a　pleasant　exchange　of　letters
which　we　had　afterwards；　that　he　thought　the　pose　a　vain　and　unprofitable
one；　and　when　the　Press　was　revived；　after　the　war；　it　was　without　any　of
the　old　Bohemian　characteristics　except　that　of　not　paying　for　material。
It　could　not　last　long　upon　these　terms；　and　again　it　passed　away；　and
still　waits　its　second　palingenesis。

The　editor　passed　away　too；　not　long　after；　and　the　thing　that　he　had
inspired　altogether　ceased　to　be。　　He　was　a　man　of　a　certain　sardonic
power；　and　used　it　rather　fiercely　and　freely；　with　a　joy　probably　more
apparent　than　real　in　the　pain　it　gave。　　In　my　last　knowledge　of　him　he
was　much　milder　than　when　I　first　knew　him；　and　I　have　the　feeling　that
he　too　came　to　own　before　he　died　that　man　cannot　live　by　snapping…turtle
alone。　　He　was　kind　to　some　neglected　talents；　and　befriended　them　with
a　vigor　and　a　zeal　which　he　would　have　been　the　last　to　let　you　call
generous。　　The　chief　of　these　was　Walt　Whitman；　who；　when　the　Saturday
Press　took　it　up；　had　as　hopeless　a　cause　with　the　critics　on　either　side
of　the　ocean　as　any　man　could　have。　　It　was　not　till　long　afterwards　that
his　English　admirers　began　to　discover　him；　and　to　make　his　countrymen
some　noisy　reproaches　for　ignoring　him；　they　were　wholly　in　the　dark
concerning　him　when　the　Saturday　Press；　which　first　stood　his　friend；
and　the　young　men　whom　the　Press　gathered　about　it；　made　him　their　cult。
No　doubt　he　was　more　valued　because　he　was　so　offensive　in　some　ways　than
he　would　have　been　if　he　had　been　in　no　way　offensive；　but　it　remains　a
fact　that　they　celebrated　him　quite　as　much　as　was　good　for　them。　　He　was
often　at　Pfaff's　with　them；　and　the　night　of　my　visit　he　was　the　chief
fact　of　my　experience。　　I　did　not　know　he　was　there　till　I　was　on　my　way
out；　for　he　did　not　sit　at　the　table　under　the　pavement；　but　at　the　head
of　one　farther　into　the　room。　　There；　as　I　passed；　some　friendly　fellow
stopped　me　and　named　me　to　him；　and　I　remember　how　he　leaned　back　in　his
chair；　and　reached　out　his　great　hand　to　me；　as　if　he　were　going　to　give
it　me　for　good　and　all。　　He　had　a　fine　head；　with　a　cloud　of　Jovian　hair
upon　it；　and　a　branching　beard　and　mustache；　and　gentle　eyes　that　looked
most　kindly　into　mine；　and　seemed　to　wish　the　liking　which　I　instantly
gave　him；　though　we　hardly　passed　a　word；　and　our　acquaintance　was　summed
up　in　that　glance　and　the　grasp　of　his　mighty　fist　upon　my　hand。　　I　doubt
if　he　had　any　notion　who　or　what　I　was　beyond　the　fact　that　I　was　a　young
poet　of　some　sort；　but　he　may　possibly　have　remembered　seeing　my　name
printed　after　some　very　Heinesque　verses　in　the　Press。　　I　did　not　meet
him　again　for　twenty　years；　and　then　I　had　only　a　moment　with　him　when　he
was　reading　the　proofs　of　his　poems　in　Boston。　　Some　years　later　I　saw
him　for　the　last　time；　one　day　after　his　lecture　on　Lincoln；　in　that
city；　when　he　came　down　from　the　platform　to　speak　with　some　handshaking
friends　who　gathered　about　him。　　Then　and　always　he　gave　me　the　sense　of
a　sweet　and　true　soul；　and　I　felt　in　him　a　spiritual　dignity　which　I　will
not　try　to　reconcile　with　his　printing　in　the　forefront　of　his　book　a
passage　from　a　private　letter　of　Emerson's；　though　I　believe　he　would　not
have　seen　such　a　thing　as　most　other　men　would；　or　thought　ill　of　it　in
another。　　The　spiritual　purity　which　I　felt　in　him　no　less　than　the
dignity　is　something　that　I　will　no　more　try　to　reconcile　with　what
denies　it　in　his　page；　but　such　things　we　may　well　leave　to　the
adjustment　of　finer　balances　than　we　have　at　hand。　　I　will　make　sure　only
of　the　greatest　benignity　in　the　presence　of　the　man。　　The　apostle　of　the
rough；　the　uncouth；　was　the　gentlest　person；　his　barbaric　yawp；
translated　into　the　terms　of　social　encounter；　was　an　address　of　singular
quiet；　delivered　in　a　voice　of　winning　and　endearing　friendliness。

As　to　his　work　itself；　I　suppose　that　I　do　not　think　it　so　valuable　in
effect　as　in　intention。　　He　was　a　liberating　force；　a　very　〃imperial
anarch〃　in　literature；　but　liberty　is　never　anything　but　a　means；　and
what　Whitman　achieved　was　a　means　and　not　an　end；　in　what　must　be　called
his　verse。　　I　like　his　prose；　if　there　is　a　difference；　much　better；
there　he　is　of　a　genial　and　comforting　quality；　very　rich　and　cordial；
such　as　I　felt　him　to　be　when　I　met　him　in　person。　　His　verse　seems　to　me
not　poetry；　but　the　materials　of　poetry；　like　one's　emotions；　yet　I　would
not　misprize　it；　and　I　am　glad　to　own　that　I　have　had　moments　of　great
pleasure　in　it。　　Some　French　critic　quoted　in　the　Saturday　Press　（I
cannot　think　of　his　name）　said　the　best　thing　of　him　when　he　said　that　he
made　you　a　partner　of　the　enterprise；　for　that　is　precisely　what　he　does；
and　that　is　what　alienates　and　what　endears　in　him；　as　you　like　or
dislike　the　partnership。　　It　is　still　something　neighborly；　brotherly；
fatherly；　and　so　I　felt　him　to　be　when　the　benign　old　man　looked　on　me
and　spoke　to　me。




III。

That　night　at　Pfaff's　must　have　been　the　last　of　the　Bohemians　for　me；
and　it　was　the　last　of　New　York　authorship　too；　for　the　time。　　I　do　not
know　why　I　should　not　have　imagined　trying　to　see　Curtis；　whom　I　knew　so
much　by　heart；　and　whom　I　adored；　but　I　may　not　have　had　the　courage；
or　I　may　have　heard　that　he　was　out　of　town；　Bryant；　I　believe；　was　then
out　of　the　country；　but　at　any　rate　I　did　not　attempt　him　either。　　The
Bohemians　were　the　beginning　and　the　end　of　the　story　for　me；　and　to　tell
the　truth　I　did　not　like　the　story。。　　I　remember　that　as　I　sat　at　that
table。　　under　the　pavement；　in　Pfaff's　beer…cellar；　and　listened　to　the
wit　that　did　not　seem　very　funny；　I　thought　of　the　dinner　with　Lowell；
the　breakfast　with　Fields；　the　supper　at　the　Autocrat's；　and　felt　that　I
had　fallen　very　far。　　In　fact　it　can　do　no　harm　at　this　distance　of　time
to　confess　that　it　seemed　to　me　then；　and　for　a　good　while　afterwards；
that　a　person　who　had　seen　the　men　and　had　the　things　said　before　him
that　I　had　in　Boston；　could　not　keep　himself　too　carefully　in　cotton；　and
this　was　what　I　did　all　the　following　winter；　though　of　course　it　was　a
secret　between　me　and　me。　　I　dare　say　it　was　not　the　worst　thing　I　could
have　done；　in　some　respects。

My　sojourn　in　New　York　could　not　have　been　very　long；　and　the　rest　of　it
was　mainly　given　to　viewing　the　monuments　of　the　city　from　the　windows　of
omnibuses　and　the　platforms　of　horse…cars。　　The　world　was　so　simple　then
that　there　were　perhaps　only　a　half…dozen　cities　that　had　horse…cars　in
them；　and　I　travelled　in　those　conveyances　at　New　York　with　an　unfaded
zest；　even　after　my　journeys　back　and　forth　between　Boston　and　Cambridge。
I　have　not　the　least　notion　where　I　went　or　what　I　saw；　but　I　suppose
that　it　was　up　and　down　the　ugly　east　and　west　avenues；　then　lying　open
to　the　eye　in　all　the　hideousness　now　partly　concealed　by　the　elevated
roads；　and　that　I　found　them　very　stately　and　handsome。　　Indeed；　New　York
was　really　handsomer　then　than　it　is　now；　when　it　has　so　many　more　pieces
of　beautiful　architecture；　for　at　that　day　the　skyscrapers　were　not　yet；
and　there　was　a　fine　regularity　in　the　streets　that　these　brute　bulks
have　robbed　of　all　shapeliness。　　Dirt　and　squalor　there　were　a　plenty；
but　there　was　infinitely　more　comfort。　　The　long　succession　of　cross
streets　was　yet　mostly　secure　from　business；　after　you　passed　Clinton
Place；　commerce　was　just　beginning　to　show　itself　in　Union　Square；　and
Madison　Square　was　still　the　home　of　the　McFlimsies；　whose　kin　and　kind
dwelt　unmolested　in　the　brownstone　stretches　of　Fifth　Avenue。　　I　tried
hard　to　imagine　them　from　the　acquaintance　Mr。　Butler's　poem　had　given
me；　and　from　the　knowledge　the　gentle　satire　of　The　'Potiphar　Papers'　had
spread　broadcast　through　a　community　shocked　by　the　excesses　of　our　best
society；　it　was　not　half　so　bad　then　as　the　best　now；　probably。　　But　I　do
not　think　I　made　very　much　of　it；　perhaps　because　most　of　the　people　who
ought　to　have　been　in　those　fine　mansions　were　away　at　the　seaside　and
the　mountains。

The　mountains　I　had　seen　on　my　way　down　from　Canada；　but　the　sea…side
not；　and　it　would　never　do　to　go　home　without　visiting　some　famous　summer
resort。　　I　must　have　fixed　upon　Long　Branch　because　I　must　have　heard　of
it　as　then　the　most　fashionable；　and　one　afternoon　I　took　the　boat　for
that　place。　　By　this　means　I　not　only　saw　sea…bathing　for　the　first　time；
but　I　saw　a　storm　at　sea：　a　squall　struck　us　so　suddenly　that　it　blew
away　all　the　camp…stools　of　the　forward　promenade；　it　was　very　exciting；
and　I　long　meant　to　use　in　literature　the　black　wall　of　cloud　that
settled　on　the　water　before　us　like　a　sort　of　portable　midnight；　I　now
throw　it　away　upon　the　reader；　as　it　were；　it　never　would　come　in
anywhere。　　I　stayed　all　night　at　Long　Branch；　and　I　had　a　bath　the　next
morning　before　breakfast：　an　extremely　cold　one；　with　a　life…line　to　keep
me　against　the　undertow。　　In　this　rite　I　had　the　company　of　a　young　New…
Yorker；　whom　I　had　met　on　the　boat　coming