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liking failed to bring me a spoken or oftener a written acknowledgment。
This continued to the latest years of his life when the effort even to
give such pleasure must have cost him a physical pang。
He was of a very catholic taste； and he was apt to be carried away by a
little touch of life or humor； and to overvalue the piece in which he
found it； but； mainly his judgments of letters and men were just。
One of the dangers of scholarship was a peculiar danger in the Cambridge
keeping； but Lowell was almost as averse as Longfellow from contempt。
He could snub； and pitilessly； where he thought there was presumption and
apparently sometimes merely because he was in the mood； but I cannot
remember ever to have heard him sneer。 He was often wonderfully patient
of tiresome people； and sometimes celestially insensible to vulgarity。
In spite of his reserve； he really wished people to like him； he was
keenly alive to neighborly good…will or ill…will； and when there was a
question of widening Elmwood avenue by taking part of his grounds； he was
keenly hurt by hearing that some one who lived near him had said he hoped
the city would cut down Lowell's elms： his English elms； which his father
had planted； and with which he was himself almost one blood！
VIII。
In the period of which I am speaking； Lowell was constantly writing and
pretty constantly printing； though still the superstition held that he
was an idle man。 To this time belongs the publication of some of his
finest poems； if not their inception： there were cases in which their
inception dated far back； even to ten or twenty years。 He wrote his
poems at a heat； and the manuscript which came to me for the magazine was
usually the first draft； very little corrected。 But if the cold fit took
him quickly it might hold him so fast that he would leave the poem in
abeyance till he could slowly live back to a liking for it。
The most of his best prose belongs to the time between 1866 and 1874； and
to this time we owe the several volumes of essays and criticisms called
'Among My Books' and 'My Study Windows'。 He wished to name these more
soberly； but at the urgence of his publishers he gave them titles which
they thought would be attractive to the public； though he felt that they
took from the dignity of his work。 He was not a good business man in a
literary way； he submitted to others' judgment in all such matters。
I doubt if he ever put a price upon anything he sold； and I dare say he
was usually surprised at the largeness of the price paid him； but
sometimes if his need was for a larger sum； he thought it too little；
without reference to former payments。 This happened with a long poem in
the Atlantic； which I had urged the counting…room authorities to deal
handsomely with him for。 I did not know how many hundred they gave him；
and when I met him I ventured to express the hope that the publishers had
done their part。 He held up four fingers； 〃Quattro；〃 he said in Italian；
and then added with a disappointment which he tried to smile away；
〃I thought they might have made it cinque。〃
Between me and me I thought quattro very well； but probably Lowell had in
mind some end which cinque would have fitted better。 It was pretty sure
to be an unselfish end； a pleasure to some one dear to him； a gift that
he had wished to make。 Long afterwards when I had been the means of
getting him cinque for a poem one…tenth the length； he spoke of the
payment to me。 〃It came very handily； I had been wanting to give a
watch。〃
I do not believe at any time Lowell was able to deal with money
〃Like wealthy men； not knowing what they give。〃
more probably he felt a sacredness in the money got by literature； which
the literary man never quite rids him self of； even when he is not a
poet； and which made him wish to dedicate it to something finer than the
every day uses。 He lived very quietly； but he had by no means more than
he needed to live upon； and at that time he had pecuniary losses。 He was
writing hard； and was doing full work in his Harvard professorship； and
he was so far dependent upon his salary； that he felt its absence for the
year he went abroad。 I do not know quite how to express my sense of
something unworldly； of something almost womanlike in his relation to
money。
He was not only generous of money； but he was generous of himself； when
he thought he could be of use； or merely of encouragement。 He came all
the way into Boston to hear certain lectures of mine on the Italian
poets； which he could not have found either edifying or amusing； that he
might testify his interest in me； and show other people that they were
worth coming to。 He would go carefully over a poem with me； word by
word； and criticise every turn of phrase； and after all be magnanimously
tolerant of my sticking to phrasings that he disliked。 In a certain line
〃The silvern chords of the piano trembled；〃
he objected to silvern。 Why not silver？ I alleged leathern； golden； and
like adjectives in defence of my word； but still he found an affectation
in it； and suffered it to stand with extreme reluctance。 Another line of
another piece：
〃And what she would； would rather that she would not〃
he would by no means suffer。 He said that the stress falling on the last
word made it 〃public…school English；〃 and he mocked it with the answer a
maid had lately given him when he asked if the master of the house was at
home。 She said； 〃 No； sir； he is not；〃 when she ought to have said 〃 No；
sir； he isn't。〃 He was appeased when I came back the next day with the
stanza amended so that the verse could read：
〃And what she would； would rather she would not so〃
but I fancy he never quite forgave my word silvern。 Yet； he professed
not to have prejudices in such matters； but to use any word that would
serve his turn； without wincing； and he certainly did use and defend
words； as undisprivacied and disnatured； that made others wince。
He was otherwise such a stickler for the best diction that he would not
have had me use slovenly vernacular even in the dialogue in my stories：
my characters must not say they wanted to do so and so； but wished； and
the like。 In a copy of one of my books which I found him reading； I saw
he had corrected my erring Western woulds and shoulds； as he grew old he
was less and less able to restrain himself from setting people right to
their faces。 Once； in the vast area of my ignorance； he specified my
small acquaintance with a certain period of English poetry； saying；
〃You're rather shady； there； old fellow。〃 But he would not have had me
too learned； holding that he had himself been hurt for literature by his
scholarship。
His patience in analyzing my work with me might have been the easy effort
of his habit of teaching； and his willingness to give himself and his own
was no doubt more signally attested in his asking a brother man of
letters who wished to work up a subject in the college library； to stay a
fortnight in his house； and to share his study； his beloved study； with
him。 This must truly have cost him dear； as any author of fixed hab