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Oliver Wendell Holmes
by William Dean Howells
Elsewhere we literary folk are apt to be such a common lot； with
tendencies here and there to be a shabby lot； we arrive from all sorts of
unexpected holes and corners of the earth； remote； obscure； and at the
best we do so often come up out of the ground； but at Boston we were of
ascertained and noted origin； and good part of us dropped from the skies。
Instead of holding horses before the doors of theatres； or capping verses
at the plough…tail； or tramping over Europe with nothing but a flute in
the pocket； or walking up to the metropolis with no luggage but the MS。
of a tragedy； or sleeping in doorways or under the arches of bridges； or
serving as apothecaries' 'prenticeswe were good society from the
beginning。 I think this was none the worse for us； and it was vastly the
better for good society。
Literature in Boston； indeed； was so respectable； and often of so high a
lineage； that to be a poet was not only to be good society； but almost to
be good family。 If one names over the men who gave Boston her supremacy
in literature during that Unitarian harvest…time of the old Puritanic
seed…time which was her Augustan age； one names the people who were and
who had been socially first in the city ever since the self…exile of the
Tories at the time of the Revolution。 To say Prescott； Motley； Parkman；
Lowell； Norton； Higginson； Dana； Emerson； Channing； was to say patrician；
in the truest and often the best sense； if not the largest。 Boston was
small； but these were of her first citizens； and their primacy； in its
way； was of the same quality as that； say； of the chief families of
Venice。 But these names can never have the effect for the stranger that
they had for one to the manner born。 I say had； for I doubt whether in
Boston they still mean all that they once meant； and that their
equivalents meant in science； in law； in politics。 The most famous； if
not the greatest of all the literary men of Boston； I have not mentioned
with them； for Longfellow was not of the place； though by his sympathies
and relations he became of it； and I have not mentioned Oliver Wendell
Holmes； because I think his name would come first into the reader's
thought with the suggestion of social quality in the humanities。
Holmes was of the Brahminical caste which his humorous recognition
invited from its subjectivity in the New England consciousness into the
light where all could know it and own it； and like Longfellow he was
allied to the patriciate of Boston by the most intimate ties of life。
For a long time； for the whole first period of his work； he stood for
that alone； its tastes； its prejudices； its foibles even； and when he
came to stand in his 'second period； for vastly； for infinitely more；
and to make friends with the whole race； as few men have ever done；
it was always； I think； with a secret shiver of doubt； a backward look of
longing； and an eye askance。 He was himself perfectly aware of this at
times； and would mark his several misgivings with a humorous sense of the
situation。 He was essentially too kind to be of a narrow world； too
human to be finally of less than humanity； too gentle to be of the finest
gentility。 But such limitations as he had were in the direction I have
hinted； or perhaps more than hinted； and I am by no means ready to make a
mock of them； as it would be so easy to do for some reasons that he has
himself suggested。 To value aright the affection which the old Bostonian
had for Boston one must conceive of something like the patriotism of men
in the times when a man's city was a man's country； something Athenian；
something Florentine。 The war that nationalized us liberated this love
to the whole country； but its first tenderness remained still for Boston；
and I suppose a Bostonian still thinks of himself first as a Bostonian
and then as an American； in a way that no New…Yorker could deal with
himself。 The rich historical background dignifies and ennobles the
intense public spirit of the place； and gives it a kind of personality。
II。
In literature Doctor Holmes survived all the Bostonians who had given the
city her primacy in letters； but when I first knew him there was no
apparent ground for questioning it。 I do not mean now the time when I
visited New England； but when I came to live near Boston； and to begin
the many happy years which I spent in her fine； intellectual air。
I found time to run in upon him； while I was there arranging to take my
place on the Atlantic Monthly； and I remember that in this brief moment
with him he brought me to book about some vaunting paragraph in the
'Nation' claiming the literary primacy for New York。 He asked me if I
knew who wrote it； and I was obliged to own that I had written it myself；
when with the kindness he always showed me he protested against my
position。 To tell the truth； I do not think now I had any very good
reasons for it； and I certainly could urge none that would stand against
his。 I could only fall back upon the saving clause that this primacy was
claimed mainly if not wholly for New York in the future。 He was willing
to leave me the connotations of prophecy； but I think he did even this
out of politeness rather than conviction； and I believe he had always a
sensitiveness where Boston was concerned； which could not seem ungenerous
to any generous mind。 Whatever lingering doubt of me he may have had；
with reference to Boston； seemed to satisfy itself when several years
afterwards he happened to speak of a certain character in an early novel
of mine； who was not quite the kind of Bostonian one could wish to be。
The thing came up in talk with another person； who had referred to my
Bostonian； and the doctor had apparently made his acquaintance in the
book； and not liked him。 〃I understood； of course；〃 he said； 〃that he
was a Bostonian； not the Bostonian；〃 and I could truthfully answer that
this was by all means my own understanding too。
His fondness for his city； which no one could appreciate better than
myself； I hope； often found expression in a burlesque excess in his
writings； and in his talk perhaps oftener still。 Hard upon my return
from Venice I had a half…hour with him in his old study on Charles
Street； where he still lived in 1865； and while I was there a young man
came in for the doctor's help as a physician； though he looked so very
well； and was so lively and cheerful； that I have since had my doubts
whether he had not made a pretext for a glimpse of him as the Autocrat。
The doctor took him upon his word； however； and said he had been so long
out of practice that he could not do anything for him； but he gave him
the address of another physician； somewhere near Washington Street。
〃And if you don't know where Washington Street is；〃 he said； with a gay
burst at a certain vagueness which had come into the young man's face；
〃you don't know anything。〃
We had been talking of Venice； and what life was like there； and he made
me tell him in some detail。 He was especially interested in what I had
to say of the minute subdivision and distribution of the necessaries；
the small coins； and the small values adapted to their purchase；
the intensely retail character； in fact； of household provisioning；
and I could see how he pleased himself in formulating the theory that the
higher a civilization the finer the apportionment of the demands and
supplies。 The ideal； he said； was a civilization in which you could buy
two cents' worth of beef； and a divergence from this standard was towards
barbarism。
The secret of the man who is universally interesting is that he is
universally interested； and this was； above all； the secret of the charm
that Doctor Holmes had for every one。 No doubt he knew it； for what that
most alert intelligence did not know of itself was scarcely worth
knowing。 This knowledge was one of his chief pleasures； I fancy； he
rejoiced in the consciousness which is one of the highest attributes of
the highly organized man； and he did not care for the consequences in
your mind； if you were so stupid as not to take him aright。 I remember
the delight Henry James； the father of the novelist； had in reporting to
me the frankness of the doctor； when he had said to him； 〃Holmes； you are
intellectually the most alive man I ever knew。〃 〃I am； I am；〃 said the
doctor。 〃From the crown of my head to the sole of my foot； I'm alive；
I'm alive！〃 Any one who ever saw him will imagine the vivid relish he
had in recognizing the fact。 He could not be with you a moment without
shedding upon you the light of his flashing wit； his radiant humor； and
he shone equally upon the rich and poor in mind。 His gaiety of heart
could not withhold itself from any chance of response； but he did wish
always to be fully understood； and to be liked by those he liked。 He
gave his liking cautiously； though； for the affluence of his sympathies
left him without the reserves of colder natures； and he had to make up
for these with careful circumspection。 He wished to know the character
of the person who made overtures to his acquaintance； for he was aware
that his friendship lay c