cambridge neighbors-第5章

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him　on　his　or　her　own　level；　though　he　had　his　humorous　perception　of
their　foibles　and　disabilities；　and　he　had　that　keen　sense　of　the
grotesque　which　often　goes　with　the　kindliest　nature。　　He　told　of　his
dining；　early　in　life；　next　a　fellow…man　from　Cape　Cod　at　the　Astor
House；　where　such　a　man　could　seldom　have　found　himself。　　When　they　were
served　with　meat　this　neighbor　asked　if　he　would　mind　his　putting　his　fat
on　James's　plate：　he　disliked　fat。　　James　said　that　he　considered　the
request；　and　seeing　no　good　reason　against　it；　consented。

He　could　be　cruel　with　his　tongue　when　he　fancied　insincerity　or
pretence；　and　then　cruelly　sorry　for　the　hurt　he　gave。　　He　was　indeed
tremulously　sensitive；　not　only　for　himself　but　for　others；　and　would
offer　atonement　far　beyond　the　measure　of　the　offence　he　supposed　himself
to　have　given。

At　all　times　he　thought　originally　in　words　of　delightful　originality；
which　painted　a　fact　with　the　greatest　vividness。　　Of　a　person　who　had　a
nervous　twitching　of　the　face；　and　who　wished　to　call　up　a　friend　to
them；　he　said；　〃He　spasmed　to　the　fellow　across　the　room；　and　introduced
him。〃　　His　written　style　had　traits　of　the　same　bold　adventurousness；
but　it　was　his　speech　which　was　most　captivating。　　As　I　write　of　him　I
see　him　before　me：　his　white　bearded　face；　with　a　kindly　intensity　which
at　first　glance　seemed　fierce；　the　mouth　humorously　shaping　the　mustache；
the　eyes　vague　behind　the　glasses；　his　sensitive　hand　gripping　the　stick
on　which　he　rested　his　weight　to　ease　it　from　the　artificial　limb　he
wore。




V。

The　Goethean　face　and　figure　of　Louis　Agassiz　were　in　those　days　to　be
seen　in　the　shady　walks　of　Cambridge　to　which　for　me　they　lent　a
Weimarish　quality；　in　the　degree　that　in　Weimar　itself　a　few　years　ago；
I　felt　a　quality　of　Cambridge。　　Agassiz；　of　course；　was　Swiss　and　Latin；
and　not　Teutonic；　but　he　was　of　the　Continental　European　civilization；
and　was　widely　different　from　the　other　Cambridge　men　in　everything　but
love　of　the　place。　　〃He　is　always　an　Europaen；〃　said　Lowell　one　day；　in
distinguishing　concerning　him；　and　for　any　one　who　had　tasted　the　flavor
of　the　life　beyond　the　ocean　and　the　channel；　this　had　its　charm。　　Yet　he
was　extremely　fond　of　his　adoptive　compatriots；　and　no　alien　born　had　a
truer　or　tenderer　sense　of　New　England　character。　　I　have　an　idea　that　no
one　else　of　his　day　could　have　got　so　much　money　for　science　out　of　the
General　Court　of　Massachusetts；　and　I　have　heard　him　speak　with　the
wisest　and　warmest　appreciation　of　the　hard　material　from　which　he　was
able　to　extract　this　treasure。　　The　legislators　who　voted　appropriations
for　his　Museum　and　his　other　scientific　objects　were　not　usually　lawyers
or　professional　men；　with　the　perspectives　of　a　liberal　education；　but
were　hard…fisted　farmers；　who　had　a　grip　of　the　State's　money　as　if　it
were　their　own；　and　yet　gave　it　with　intelligent　munificence。　They
understood　that　he　did　not　want　it　for　himself；　and　had　no　interested　aim
in　getting　it；　they　knew　that；　as　he　once　said；　he　had　no　time　to　make
money；　and　wished　to　use　it　solely　for　the　advancement　of　learning；　and
with　this　understanding　they　were　ready；　to　help　him　generously。
He　compared　their　liberality　with　that　of　kings　and　princes；　when　these
patronized　science；　with　a　recognition　of　the　superior　plebeian
generosity。　　It　was　on　the　veranda　of　his　summer　house　at　Nahant；　while
he　lay　in　the　hammock；　talking　of　this；　that　I　heard　him　refer　also　to
the　offer　which　Napoleon　III。　had　made　him；　inviting　him　upon　certain
splendid　conditions　to　come　to　Paris　after　he　had　established　himself　in
Cambridge。　　He　said　that　he　had　not　come　to　America　without　going　over
every　such　possibility　in　his　own　mind；　and　deciding　beforehand　against
it。　　He　was　a　republican；　by　nationality　and　by　preference；　and　was
entirely　satisfied　with　his　position　and　environment　in　New　England。

Outside　of　his　scientific　circle　in　Cambridge　he　was　more　friends　with
Longfellow　than　with　any　one　else；　I　believe；　and　Longfellow　told　me　how；
after　the　doctors　had　condemned　Agassiz　to　inaction；　on　account　of　his
failing　health　he　had　broken　down　in　his　friend's　study；　and　wept　like　an
'Europaer'；　and　lamented；　〃I　shall　never　finish　my　work！〃　　Some　papers
which　he　had　begun　to　write　for　the　Magazine；　in　contravention　of　the
Darwinian　theory；　or　part　of　it；　which　it　is　known　Agassiz　did　not
accept；　remained　part　of　the　work　which　he　never　finished。　　After　his
death；　I　wished　Professor　Jeffries　Wyman　to　write　of　him　in　the　Atlantic；
but　he　excused　himself　on　account　of　his　many　labors；　and　then　he
voluntarily　spoke　of　Agassiz's　methods；　which　he　agreed　with　rather　than
his　theories；　being　himself　thoroughly　Darwinian。　　I　think　he　said
Agassiz　was　the　first　to　imagine　establishing　a　fact　not　from　a　single
example；　but　from　examples　indefinitely　repeated。　　If　it　was　a　question
of　something　about　robins　for　instance；　he　would　have　a　hundred　robins
examined　before　he　would　receive　an　appearance　as　a　fact。

Of　course　no　preconception　or　prepossession　of　his　own　was　suffered　to
bar　his　way　to　the　final　truth　he　was　seeking；　and　he　joyously　renounced
even　a　conclusion　if　he　found　it　mistaken。　　I　do　not　know　whether　Mrs。
Agassiz　has　put　into　her　interesting　life　of　him；　a　delightful　story
which　she　told　me　about　him。　　He　came　to　her　beaming　one　day；　and
demanded；　〃You　know　I　have　always　held　such　and　such　an　opinion　about　a
certain　group　of　fossil　fishes？〃　　〃Yes；　yes！〃　　〃Well；　I　have　just　been
reading　's　new　book；　and　he　has　shown　me　that　there　isn't　the　least
truth　in　my　theory〃；　and　he　burst　into　a　laugh　of　unalloyed　pleasure　in
relinquishing　his　error。

I　could　touch　science　at　Cambridge　only　on　its　literary　and　social　side；
of　course；　and　my　meetings　with　Agassiz　were　not　many。　　I　recall　a　dinner
at　his　house　to　Mr。　Bret　Harte；　when　the　poet　came　on　from　California；
and　Agassiz　approached　him　over　the　coffee　through　their　mutual
scientific　interest　in　the　last　meeting　of　the　geological　〃Society　upon
the　Stanislow。〃　　He　quoted　to　the　author　some　passages　from　the　poem
recording　the　final　proceedings　of　this　body；　which　had　particularly
pleased　him；　and　I　think　Mr。　Harte　was　as　much　amused　at　finding　himself
thus　in　touch　with　the　savant；　as　Agassiz　could　ever　have　been　with　that
delicious　poem。

Agassiz　lived　at　one　end　of　Quincy　Street；　and　James　almost　at　the　other
end；　with　an　interval　between　them　which　but　poorly　typified　their
difference　of　temperament。　　The　one　was　all　philosophical　and　the　other
all　scientific；　and　yet　towards　the　close　of　his　life；　Agassiz　may　be
said　to　have　led　that　movement　towards　the　new　position　of　science　in
matters　of　mystery　which　is　now　characteristic　of　it。　　He　was　ancestrally
of　the　Swiss　〃Brahminical　caste；〃　as　so　many　of　his　friends　in　Cambridge
were　of　the　Brahminical　caste　of　New　England；　and　perhaps　it　was　the　line
of　ancestral　pasteurs　which　at　last　drew　him　back；　or　on；　to　the
affirmation　of　an　unformulated　faith　of　his　own。　　At　any　rate；　before
most　other　savants　would　say　that　they　had　souls　of　their　own　he　became；
by　opening　a　summer　school　of　science　with　prayer；　nearly　as　consolatory
to　the　unscientific　who　wished　to　believe　they　had　souls；　as　Mr。　John
Fiske　himself；　though　Mr。　Fiske；　as　the　arch…apostle　of　Darwinism；　had
arrived　at　nearly　the　same　point　by　such　a　very　different　road。

Mr。　Fiske　had　been　our　neighbor　in　our　first　Cambridge　home；　and　when　we
went　to　live　in　Berkeley　Street；　he　followed　with　his　family　and　placed
himself　across　the　way　in　a　house　which　I　already　knew　as　the　home　of
Richard　Henry　Dana；　the　author　of　'Two　Years　Before　the　Mast。'　　Like
nearly　all　the　other　Cambridge　men　of　my　acquaintance　Dana　was　very　much
my　senior；　and　like　the　rest　he　welcomed　my　literary　promise　as　cordially
as　if　it　were　performance；　with　no　suggestion　of　the　condescension　which
was　said　to　be　his　attitude　towards　many　of　his　fellow…men。　　I　never　saw
anything　of　this；　in　fact；　and　I　suppose　he　may　have　been　a　blend　of
those　patrician　qualities　and　democratic　principles　which　made　Lowell
anomalous　even　to　himself。　　He　is　p