The Letters of William James, Vol. 1James, William
General
The Letters of William James, Vol. 1
James, William
Intellectuals -- United States; James, William, 1842-1910; Philosophers -- United States; Psychologists -- United States
I will describe to you the manner in which I spent yesterday. _Ex uno
disce omnes_--(a German proverb). I awoke at half-past eight at the
manly voice of T. S. Perry caroling his morning hymn from his
neighboring bed--if the instrument of torture the Germans sleep in be
worthy of that name. After some preliminary conversation we arose,
performed our washing, each in a couple of tumblers full of water in a
little basin of this shape [sketch], donned our clothes, and stepped
into our SALON into which the morning sun was streaming and adding its
genial warmth to that of the great porcelain stove, into which the maid
had put the handful of fuel (which, when ignited, makes the stove
radiate heat for twelve hours) the while we slumbered. T. S. P. found on
the table a letter from [Moorfield] Storey, which the same vigilant maid
had placed there, and I the morning paper, full of excitement about the
Italian affairs and the diabolical designs of Napoleon on Germany. After
a breakfast of cocoa, eggs and excellent rolls, I finished the paper,
and took up my regular reading, while T. S. P. worked at his German
lesson. I finished the chapter in a treatise on Galvanism which bears
the neat and concise title of [_not deciphered_].
By 10 o'clock T. S. P. had gone to his German lesson, and it was about
time for me to rig up to go to Grimm's to dine, having received a kind
invitation the day before. As I passed through the pleasant wood called
the "Thiergarten," which was filled with gay civil and military
cavaliers, I looked hard for the imposing equestrian figure of the Hon.
Geo. Bancroft; but he was not to be seen. I got safely to Grimm's, and
in a moment the other guest arrived. Herr Professor----, whose name I
could not catch,[38] a man of a type I have never met before. He is
writing now a life of Schleiermacher of which one volume is published. A
soft fat man with black hair (somewhat the type of the photographs of
Renan), of a totally uncertain age between 25 and 40, with little bits
of green eyes swimming in their fat-filled orbits, and the rest of his
face quite "realizing one's idea" of the infant Bacchus. I, with my
usual want of enterprise, have neglected hitherto to provide myself with
a swallow-tailed coat; but I had a resplendent fresh-biled shirt and
collar, while the Professor, who wore the "obligatory coat," etc., had
an exceedingly grimy shirt and collar and a rusty old rag of a cravat.
Which of us most violated the proprieties I know not, but your feminine
nature will decide. Grimm wore a yellowish, greenish, brownish coat
whose big collar and cuffs and enormous flaps made me strongly suspect
it had been the property of the brothers Grimm, who had worn it on state
occasions, and dying, bequeathed it to Herman. The dinner was very good.
The Prof. was overflowing with information with regard to everything
knowable and unknowable. He is the first man I have ever met of a class,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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