The Americanization of Edward Bok

Theatre wit

l reading had cast a sort of halo. And when he saw the head itself he had a feeling that he could see the halo. No kindlier pai

words, and with them he won the boy. Edward smiled b

late getting at my mail. Suppose you come in and sit at my desk with me, and we w

e desk with the boy beside him, "who wants my autograph and

p and doing'?" suggested the boy. "Th

ou recite it off to me, so that I shall not have to look it up in my books, and I

reat words without looking them up. But he recited the four lines, so famil

s once more for the little girl, and give you this copy? Then

hted, and Longfellow gave

en, be up

eart for

eving, sti

labor and

W. Lon

wn to copy the lines once more

p you busy if you did this f

sy a man as I was some years ago, and I shouldn

requests for his autograph. At each one he reached into a

didn't do it some boy or girl might be looking, day by day, for the postman and be disappointed. I only wish I could write my name better for them. You see how I bre

said the boy, as Longfellow opened an

poet. Then, looking at the boy quickly,

said

drawer in a desk he took out a bundle of letters, and

lands. There's where I was b

al Dutchman. Well! Well!" he said, lay

said h

nd going to a bookcase behind him he brought out a book, and hand

n of Longfellow'

Edward. "These are y

this book last week, and although I have been in the Netherlands, I cannot speak or r

ld Clock on the Stair

's beautiful," he said, and then quickly a

u know. If you will read me 'The Village Blacksmith' you can sit in that chair there made out of the wood of t

poems in a language in which, when he wrote them, he never dreamed they would ever be printed. He was very

ent, though, isn't it

s, yes," he added quickly. "It is,

New England fashion, in the middle of the day. I am all alone to-day, and you must keep me company; will you? Then afterward we'll go and take

s in the room where George Washington slept. And comb your hair, too,

istoric breaking of bread, tha

tch?" he asked, as they

ever expected to hear that at m

the Netherlands, the poet told the boy all ab

" he added, "neither one is as good as it should be. But those are

ld streets of Cambridge with Longfellow. At one point of the walk they came to a theatrical bill-board announcing an attraction that evening at the Boston Theatre. Skilfully the old

hand for this evenin

oing to his hotel to thi

laughed

is that you come in now, have a little supper with us, and then go with us to see the play. It is a funny

ull view of the large audience in the immense theatre, sat in that box. It was, as Longfellow h

he box a man of courtly presence,

s Wendell Phillips, my boy. Here is a young man who told me to-day that he was going to

s library which are full of his marks and comments. Now, when you go to see him you ask him to let you see some of those books, and then, when he isn't looking, you put a cou

ongfellow sm

hotel, he had not only a wonderful day to think over

d, supped, and been to the theatre with Longfellow;

ace, Edward Bok thoug