Louise Chandler Moulton, Poet and FriendWhiting, Lilian
General
Louise Chandler Moulton, Poet and Friend
Whiting, Lilian
Moulton, Louise Chandler, 1835-1908
The letters of this time are as usual full of allusions to Mrs.
Moulton's work, and are as usual from a very wide circle of literary
friends. Sir Frederick Pollock expresses his appreciation of her book
upon Marston, and the pleasure he and Lady Pollock anticipate in
seeing her in London next season. J.T. Trowbridge writes to her that
the technique of her songs and sonnets "is well-nigh faultless, and
their melody never fails to respond to the tender feeling by which
they are inspired." Lord de Tabley thanks her for a notice of his
work, "and particularly," he adds, "for putting me in such good
company as that of William Watson, whom I greatly admire." Sir Lewis
Morris writes cordially, and reminds her of their "pleasant lunches at
Lord Haylston's." Marie Corelli expresses her gratitude for pleasant
things which Mrs. Moulton has said of her in a letter to Mrs. Coulson
Kernahan. Other letters were from Miss Bayley (Edna Lyall), Andrew
Lang, Rose Kingsley, Lady Temple, Stephen Phillips, the Hon. Florence
Henniker. If, as Emerson says, "a letter is a spiritual gift," these
gifts were showered upon Mrs. Moulton.
_William Watson to Mrs. Moulton_
DEAR MRS. MOULTON: One of the most generous recognitions of
my early poems came from your pen. I wished then to express
my gratitude. I look forward to the pleasure of making your
acquaintance. I am touched by your kind sympathy, and I know
that you gladden all our group of friends. It is no ordinary
thanks I owe you for your generous and delightful criticism.
I have to thank you, already, for my best appreciation in
America. You do not know how grateful I am to the first
woman in America (and almost the first human being) who gave
me hearty and inspiring praise. Your poems add to my store
of beautiful things, and I do not prize them the less
because some of their qualities are my own despair. When
your letter came, that article which I call my conscience,
and which I wear less for use than for ornament, gave me no
peace. Yet the outward parts of life were to blame rather
than I, their victim. I had been moving, and giving the Post
Office the trouble of one who inherits a wandering tendency.
I hope you will permit me to call upon you when next you are
in London, and I am, dear Mrs. Moulton,
Sincerely yours,
WILLIAM WATSON.
To a friend Mr. Watson wrote of Mrs. Moulton: "Her letters show her
absolute goodness of heart, which is worth all other human qualities
put together."
Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett writes characteristically of that inner
inspirer which she calls her "Fairy."
_Mrs. Burnett to Mrs. Moulton_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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