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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 close to it； he wanted to be sure that he was a
nice person； and though I think he preferred social quality in his
fellow…man； he did not refuse himself to those who had merely a sweet and
wholesome humanity。 He did not like anything that tasted or smelt of
Bohemianism in the personnel of literature； but he did not mind the scent
of the new…ploughed earth； or even of the barn…yard。 I recall his
telling me once that after two younger brothers…in…letters had called
upon him in the odor of an habitual beeriness and smokiness； he opened
the window； and the very last time I saw him he remembered at eighty…five
the offence he had found on his first visit to New York； when a
metropolitan poet had asked him to lunch in a basement restaurant。
III。
He seemed not to mind； however； climbing to the little apartment we had
in Boston when we came there in 1866； and he made this call upon us in
due form； bringing Mrs。 Holmes with him as if to accent the recognition
socially。 We were then incredibly young； much younger than I find people
ever are nowadays； and in the consciousness of our youth we felt； to the
last exquisite value of the fact； what it was to have the Autocrat come
to see us； and I believe he was not displeased to perceive this； he liked
to know that you felt his quality in every way。 That first winter；
however； I did not see him often； and in the spring we went to live in
Cambridge； and thereafter I met him chiefly at Longfellow's； or when I
came in to dine at the Fieldses'； in Boston。 It was at certain meetings
of the Dante Club； when Longfellow read aloud his translation for
criticism； and there was supper later； that one saw the doctor； and his
voice was heard at the supper rather than at the criticism； for he was no
Italianate。 He always seemed to like a certain turn of the talk toward
the mystical； but with space for the feet on a firm ground of fact this
side of the shadows； when it came to going over among them； and laying
hold of them with the band of faith； as if they were substance； he was
not of the excursion。 It is well known how fervent； I cannot say devout；
a spiritualist Longfellow's brother…in…law； Appleton； was； and when he
was at the table too； it took all the poet's delicate skill to keep him
and the Autocrat from involving themselves in a cataclysmal controversy
upon the matter of manifestations。 With Doctor Holmes the inquiry was
inquiry； to the last； I believe； and the burden of proof was left to the
ghosts and their friends。 His attitude was strictly scientific； he
denied nothing； but he expected the supernatural to be at least as
convincing as the natural。
There was a time in his history when the popular ignorance classed him
with those who were once rudely called infidels； but the world has since
gone so fast and so far that the mind he was of concerning religious
belief would now be thought religious by a good half of the religious
world。 It is true that he had and always kept a grudge against the
ancestral Calvinism which afflicted his youth； and he was through all
rises and lapses of opinion essentially Unitarian； but of the honest
belief of any one； I am sure he never felt or spoke otherwise than most
tolerantly； most tenderly。 As often as he spoke of religion； and his
talk tended to it very often； I never heard an irreligious word from him；
far less a scoff or sneer at religion； and I am certain that this was not
merely because he would have thought it bad taste； though undoubtedly he
would have thought it bad taste； I think it annoyed； it hurt him； to be
counted among the iconoclasts； and he would have been profoundly grieved
if he could have known how widely this false notion of him once
prevailed。 It can do no harm at this late day to impart from the secrets
of the publishing house the fact that a supposed infidelity in the tone
of his story The Guardian Angel cost the Atlantic Monthly many
subscribers。 Now the tone of that story would not be thought even mildly
agnostic； I fancy； and long before his death the author had outlived the
error concerning him。
It was not the best of his stories； by any means； and it would not be too
harsh to say that it was the poorest。 His novels all belonged to an
order of romance which was as distinctly his own as the form of
dramatized essay which he invented in the Autocrat。 If he did not think
poorly of them； he certainly did not think too proudly； and I heard him
quote with relish the phrase of a lady who had spoken of them to him as
his 〃 medicated novels。〃 That； indeed； was perhaps what they were； a
faint； faint odor of the pharmacopoeia clung to their pages； their magic
was scientific。 He knew this better than any one else； of course； and if
any one had said it in his turn he would hardly have minded it。 But what
he did mind was the persistent misinterpretation of his intention in
certain quarters where he thought he had the right to respectful
criticism in stead of the succession of sneers that greeted the
successive numbers of his story； and it was no secret that he felt t