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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1887)
THE HESPERIA N. h 'V some examiner, did not appear at the viva voce and so lost his degree. Having an almost reverential admiration for Coleridge and Wordsworth, it is natural that DcQuinccy shoul dgo to Gras mere, where his great friends were assembled, and settle down then. Here were Wordsworth, Southcy, Coleridge and Kit North. One great charm of De Quinccy is that he sheds so much light upon these great men. He knew them early, long, and intimatcly,so that few could furnish such faithful por traits of them. He tells of Coleridge in his helplessness re sulting from the slavery to the opium habit,, of Southcy, the fastidious man of the world, of Kit North's skill in hunting and of the poet of whom Sonthey often impatiently remarked 'To introduce Wordsworth into a library is like letting a bear looac in a tulip garden." It is probable that the neighbors generally had the same opinion of the great poet's strange traits of character, for it is said that two of these meeting one morning and asking each other if there was anything new, the only news reported was, "Old Wordsworth is broke loose again." De Quinccy says that the natives had an al most perfect ignorance of and contempt for literature and lit erary men, and there may have been a touch of both senti ments in the oftentold story of a son of the soil, who pointed out Wordsworth's dwelling to a visitor, with the remark that "the old 'oomau keeps up the same line of business." When De Quinccy had been settled in Grasmere about a dozen years, his property had been largely dissipated by losses and in calculating generosity, so that he was forced to take to literature to provide for his family. In the spring of 1821 he went to London to seek literary employment. He , was now nearly thirty-six years old, and had spent most of his life in study and reading. His knowledge was extensive, and in some departments quite cxact; he had a remarkable vigor of imagination combined with 'great logical power His first work to be brought out was his "Opium Confes sions." This immediately secured for him the reputation of a writer of genius. Its picturesque and musical prose gives it a fascination on a first reading, that few books contain. Quite an interest attaches to it, besides, as a manifestation of genius under abnominal conditions. The critic, howevei soon discovers Richter's influence upon the style. One says of him, "If what he offers as wit, is not wit, and what he sometimes takes for inspiration too often turns out mere inflation; if he sometimes falls into the mistakes he professes . to abhor; anH if you often forget what he started to say while he chases down a scorn of diverging and far fetched sugges tions, be patient with him, and, in some divine moment of self-forgetfulncss, his genius will get possession of him and show effects of such strange brilliancy and power, as to secure him forever a fixed position of high rank in English letters." He had naturally an ear sensitive to the fine harmonies in nature and in art. His soul was filled with music. When a mere child, the choral services of the English church had contributed much to arouse in him religious feeling, and at Oxford, his deqpest regret was that he belonged to a college thaUhad no organ in its chapel. His "Dream Fugue" shows his unusual musical endowment. Another point in which De Quinccy is thought worthy of 'careful study is his way of making transitions between the most remote objects. If he wishes to turn the subject in hand to anything in heaven or earth he brings in some observation, then another and finally marks out the path connecting the two points. He runs into incessant digressions. For instance, in his account of Oxford, he assembles his friends at the . university, in order to get their advice, and without stopping to give them seats, wand ers off over a great variety of themes -through eleven pages and finally comes back to the impatient collegians again. But often from his digression, De Quincey finds himself so far from his starting point that it is very difficult to get back. He has a spider-like skill of making connections. In extraord inary occasions, he acts more cunningly, as he goes along, he drops hints and suggestions of the intimate connection of each episode, with the principal theme, which while it bewilders the brain of the reader, does not fail to engrave the funda mental truth upon his mind. STRAY PICK-UPS. Put away the little dresses That the prepics used to wear; They've been thrown from off their ponies; They have climbed the golden stair. We have Hurd that Fletcher is mashed. Frank C. Clark visited us on the 7th inst. W. H. Wagner will Christmas at Red Cloud. The regents held a meeting week before last. Miss Lottie Pollard visited these halls last week. Many of the boys are Hot going home this vacation. '.I'll go, Professor; I'll. sec it soon enough, anyhow." "Manlcy, what is love?" "Love, Con, love is fleeting." Miss Jeannette Shcdd will probably not be with us next term. Miss Edith Russell visited friends of the university last week. Most of the Seniors passed in Pol. Econ. by free use of their spurs. Chancellor Manatt lost some days of last week on aqcount of sickness. W. W. Robertson will write his French Revolution theme while resting. Con Scharmann visited his friends and best girl for a couple of days last week. T. L. Hall went home before the beginning of the exami nations. Poor health the cause. C. W. Hemory, ex-president of Fairfield college, visited the university one day last, week. We hear that a certain co-ed gives it as her opinion that she can outstare the best masher that ever walked. J. E. Larkin, once of '87, was showing his bright and smiling phiz around these halls some days ago. Three of the university boys declare they will wear masques' if ever they go it alone to a show again. A brother of Tutor Hodgman has recently moved to Lin- coin and will shortly engage in the practice of dentistry. Sevcrul parties of students will hold watch meetings New Year's eve. We think the custom appropriate and certainly enjoyable. Don't come down in this office the first day of next term and ask us if the Hesperian is out, for we tell you 'now it will not be. A well known gentleman who is occasionally seen in this office has a very unique designation for the room in which the faculty meet. Shedd's club, which has led a somewhat eventful existence at the city poor house for-the last Ohree years, will move its celebrated aggregation of paupers up to Fourteeuth and R strects'next term. leaaja