Autobiography of Seventy Years, Vol. 1-2 — John Shaqi
Autobiography of Seventy Years, Vol. 1-2Hoar, George Frisbie
History
Autobiography of Seventy Years, Vol. 1-2
Hoar, George Frisbie
United States -- History -- 1865-1921; United States -- Politics and government -- 1865-1900
Your first inquiry is "as to his looks." He was above medium
height, well proportioned and straight as an arrow, brown
hair and clear blue eyes, with fair complexion and handsome
features. "His scholarship and talents," both of the highest
order. The class regarded him as the first and best scholar,
dignified and refined in manners, courteous and amiable in
spirit. He had great influence in his own class, and was
much esteemed and beloved by all. I think the impression
he made upon all who knew him was that of a classical scholar
and a perfect gentleman.
Dr. Channing said when he died that all New England mourned
his loss.
Although Charles was seven years the younger, his brother
Waldo speaks of him as his own master and teacher. The following
letter was written by Waldo to his aunt Mary just after Charles's
death. A part of it is printed in Cabot's Biography. Waldo
and my sister, Elizabeth, heard of the extremity of his danger,
and were on their way to see him, but arrived too late to
find him alive.
"12 May.
"You have already heard that E. and I arrived too late to
see Charles. He died on Monday afternoon, immediately after
returning from a ride with Mother. He got out of the coach
alone, walked up the steps and into the house without assistance,
then sat down upon the stairs, fainted and never recovered.
Yesterday afternoon we attended his funeral, and that is the
end on this side Heaven, of his extraordinary promise, the
union of such shining gifts,--grace and genius, and sense
and virtue. What a loss is this to us all--to Elizabeth and
Mother and you and me. In him I have lost all my society.
I sought no other and formed my habits to live with him. I
deferred to him on so many questions and trusted him more
than myself, that I feel as if I had lost the best part of
myself. In him were the foundations of so solid a confidence
and friendship that all the years of life leaned upon him.
His genius too was a fountain inexhaustible of thoughts and
kept me ever curious and expectant. Nothing was too great,
nothing too beautiful for his grasp or his expression, and
as brilliant as his power of illustration was, he stuck like
a mathematician to his truth and never added a syllable for
display. I cannot tell you how much I have valued his conversation
for these last two or three years, and he has never stopped
growing, but has ripened from month to month. Indeed, the
weight of his thoughts and the fresh and various forms in
which he constantly clothed them has made Shakespeare more
conceivable to me, as Shakespeare was almost the only genius
whom he wholly loved. His taste was unerring. What he called
good was good, but so severe was it that very few works and
very few men could satisfy him, and this because his standard
was a pure ideal beauty and he never forgot himself so far
as to accept any lower actual one in lieu of it. But I must
not begin yet to enumerate his perfections. I shall not know
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