potent is the wont of a lifetime； though his eyes were full of tears； and
his voice broke with his words。 Those who have sorrowed deepest will
understand this best。
It was during the few years of our Beacon Street neighborhood that he
spent those hundred days abroad in his last visit to England and France。
He was full of their delight when he came back； and my propinquity gave
me the advantage of hearing him speak of them at first hand。 He
whimsically pleased himself most with his Derby…day experiences； and
enjoyed contrasting the crowd and occasion with that of forty or fifty
years earlier； when he had seen some famous race of the Derby won；
nothing else in England seemed to have moved him so much； though all that
royalties； dignities； and celebrities could well do for him had been
done。 Of certain things that happened to him； characteristic of the
English； and interesting to him in their relation to himself through his
character of universally interested man； he spoke freely； but he has said
what he chose to the public about them； and I have no right to say more。
The thing that most vexed him during his sojourn apparently was to have
been described in one of the London papers as quite deaf； and I could
truly say to him that I had never imagined him at all deaf； or heard him
accused of it before。 〃Oh； yes；〃 he said； 〃I am a little hard of hearing
on one side。 But it isn't deafness。〃
He had； indeed； few or none of the infirmities of age that make
themselves painfully or inconveniently evident。 He carried his slight
figure erect； and until his latest years his step was quick and sure。
Once he spoke of the lessened height of old people； apropos of something
that was said； and 〃They will shrink； you know；〃 he added； as if he were
not at all concerned in the fact himself。 If you met him in the street；
you encountered a spare； carefully dressed old gentleman； with a clean…
shaven face and a friendly smile； qualified by the involuntary frown of
his thick； senile brows； well coated； lustrously shod； well gloved； in a
silk hat； latterly wound with a mourning…weed。 Sometimes he did not know
you when he knew you quite well； and at such times I think it was kind to
spare his years the fatigue of recalling your identity； at any rate； I am
glad of the times when I did so。 In society he had the same vagueness；
the same dimness； but after the moment he needed to make sure of you； he
was as vivid as ever in his life。 He made me think of a bed of embers on
which the ashes have thinly gathered； and which； when these are breathed
away； sparkles and tinkles keenly up with all the freshness of a newly
kindled fire。 He did not mind talking about his age； and I fancied
rather enjoyed doing so。 Its approaches interested him； if he was going；
he liked to know just how and when he was going。 Once he spoke of his
lasting strength in terms of imaginative humor： he was still so intensely
interested in nature； the universe； that it seemed to him he was not like
an old man so much as a lusty infant which struggles against having the
breast snatched from it。 He laughed at the notion of this； with that
impersonal relish which seemed to me singularly characteristic of the
self…consciousness so marked in him。 I never heard one lugubrious word
from him in regard to his years。 He liked your sympathy on all grounds
where he could have it self…respectfully； but he was a most manly spirit；
and he would not have had it even as a type of the universal decay。
Possibly he would have been interested to have you share in that analysis
of himself which he was always making； if such a thing could have been。
He had not much patience with the unmanly craving for sympathy in others；
and chiefly in our literary craft； which is somewhat ignobly given to it；
though he was patient； after all。 He used to say； and I believe he has
said it in print；＇Holmes said it in print many times； in his three
novels and scattered through the 〃Breakfast Table〃 series。 D。W。＇ that
unless a man could show a good reason for writing verse； it was rather
against him； and a proof of weakness。 I suppose this severe conclusion
was something he had reached after dealing with innumerable small poets
who sought the light in him with verses that no editor would admit to
print。 Yet of morbidness he was often very tender； he knew it to be
disease； something that must be scientifically rather than ethically
treated。 He was in the same degree kind to any sensitiveness； for he was
himself as sensitive as he was manly； and he was most delicately
sensitive to any rightful social claim upon him。 I was once at a dinner
with him； where he was in some sort my host； in a company of people whom
he had not seen me with before； and he made a point of acquainting me
with each of them。 It did not matter that I knew most of them already；
the proof of his thoughtfulness was precious； and I was sorry when I had
to disappoint it by confessing a previous knowledge。
VIII。
I had three memorable meetings with him not very long before he died： one
a year before； and the other two within a few months of the end。 The
first of these was at luncheon in the summer…house of a friend whose
hospitality made it summer the year round； and we all went out to meet
him； when he drove up in his open carriage； with the little sunshade in
his hand； which he took with him for protection against the heat； and
also； a little； I think； for the whim of it。 He sat a moment after he
arrived； as if to orient himself in respect to each of us。 Beside the
gifted hostess； there was the most charming of all the American
essayists； and the Autocrat seemed at once to find himself singularly at
home with the people who greeted him。 There was no interval needed for
fanning away the ashes； he tinkled up before he entered the house； and at
the table he was as vivid and scintillant as I ever saw him； if indeed I
ever saw him as much so。 The talk began at once； and we had made him
believe that there was nothing egotistic in his taking the word； or
turning it in illustration from himself upon universal matters。 I spoke
among other things of some humble ruins on the road to Gloucester； which
gave the way…side a very aged look； the tumbled foundation…stones of poor
bits of houses； and 〃Ah；〃 he said； 〃the cellar and the well？〃 He added；
to the company generally； 〃Do you know what I think are the two lines of
mine that go as deep as any others； in a certain direction？〃 and he began
to repeat stragglingly certain verses from one of his earlier poems；
until he came to the closing couplet。 But I will give them in full；
because in going to look them up I have found them so lovely； and because
I can hear his voice again in every fondly accented syllable：
〃Who sees unmoved； a ruin at his feet；
The lowliest home where human hearts have beat？
Its hearth…stone； shaded with the bistre stain；
A century's showery torrents wash in vain；
Its starving orchard where the thistle blows；
And mossy trunks still mark the broken rows；
Its chimney…loving poplar； oftenest seen
Next an old roof； or where a roof has been；
Its knot…grass； plantain；all the social weeds；
Man's mute companions following where he leads；
Its dwarfed pale flowers； that show their straggling heads；
Sown by the wind from grass…choked garden…beds；
Its woodbine creeping where it used to climb；
Its roses breathing of the olden time；
All the poor shows the curious idler sees；
As life's thin shadows waste by slow degrees；
Till naught remains； the saddening tale to tell；
Save home's last wrecksthe CELLAR AND THE WELL！〃
The poet's chanting voice rose with a triumphant swell in the climax； and
〃There；〃 he said； 〃isn't it so？ The cellar and the wellthey can't be
thrown down or burnt up； they are the human monuments that last longest
and defy decay。〃 He rejoiced openly in the sympathy that recognized with
him the divination of a most pathetic； most signal fact； and he repeated
the last couplet again at our entreaty； glad to be entreated for it。
I do not know whether all will agree with him concerning the relative
importance of the lines； but I think all must feel the exquisite beauty
of the picture to which they give the final touch。
He said a thousand witty and brilliant things that day； but his pleasure
in this gave me the most pleasure； and I recall the passage distinctly
out of the dimness that covers the rest。 He chose to figure us younger
men； in touching upon the literary circumstance of the past and present；
as representative of modern feeling and thinking； and himself as no
longer contemporary。 We knew he did this to be contradicted； and we
protested； affectionately； fervently； with all our hearts and minds； and
indeed there were none of his generation who had lived more widely into
ours。 He was not a prophet like Emerson； nor ever a voice crying in the
wilderness like Whittier or Lowell。 His note was heard rather amid the
sweet security of streets； but it was always for a f