When George MacDonald came to America upon his lecture tour and
brought with him his wife and son, he consented to give his lecture
in Amesbury, although the lecture committee there could by no means
pay him his price. But the fact that Whittier had invited him while in
Amesbury to be his guest more than compensated for the meagerness of
financial rewards. In truth, it was often the case that the hospitality
of the poet compensated for the poverty of the lecture bureau, and the
Amesbury lyceum had speakers of far higher ability than its own funds
could have supplied.
MacDonald’s lecture was most interesting, and simply delivered in his
fascinating Scottish accent.
In the evening a deputation from the Scottish Club of Amesbury came to
him in the poet’s home, bringing Whittier’s complete works to present
to the poet and novelist of their native land. Whittier’s welcome and
the Scottish poet’s delight made the event a “red-letter day” to the
Club.
But when the two poets were at last alone together, they must have
spent a memorable time; they had in common an untraveled world of
sympathy; yet they were different. The spiritual world is MacDonald’s
world and his heroes are ideal rather than weighted with the weaknesses
and foibles of human nature. But Whittier tells us of reality--the
reality in the natural and in the spiritual world, for in both of
these he lived. His poems are no dreams, but actualities seen upon
the heights of life. His men and women are those whom we daily meet,
but with the veil which for most of us is upon their hearts drawn
aside, giving us wonderful glimpses into the holy of holies. It was
not strange that the two poets had much to say to each other, and that
afterward Whittier remarked of his guest; “There is no man in England
whom I should have been more glad to meet than George MacDonald.”
* * * * *
In connection with this visit occurred an incident characteristic both
of Whittier and of his niece, afterward Mrs. Pickard, who herself told
it to the writer.
The poet received many very beautiful gifts, some of which this niece
while keeping his house would put about in the rooms, that visitors
also might enjoy them. But Whittier’s native abhorrence of ostentation,
together with his Quaker simplicity, did not approve of this display,
and the gifts would be relegated to their hiding-places. Over and over
would she try the experiment, and always with the same result, although
occasionally, her uncle would not immediately notice the ornaments and
so they would hold their own for a few days; but only to disappear
in the end. Thus the game would go on and neither would mention the
subject to the other.
Among these gifts was a very handsome silver cake-basket, for
cake-baskets were then in vogue. Several times had Lizzie attempted to
grace the table with this when guests were present. But her uncle had
always left his guests to make an errand to the dining-room just before
the meal, and the tabooed basket had always vanished from the table.
But when George MacDonald, accompanied by his wife and son came to
Amesbury to give his lecture, because, as has been said, he could be
the guest of Whittier, Lizzie felt that if the opportunity to display
the cake-basket was ever to come, it should be then. But how could she
do it? For her uncle, with all his pleasure in his guests was not too
much absorbed in his brother poet to omit the preliminary survey of the
table.
The cake-basket was not there. Well-pleased, he returned to his guests.
It was when the summons to the evening meal had been given and the
company was about to be seated, that Lizzie appeared, in her hand the
well-filled cake-basket which she placed conspicuously upon the table
and made haste to seat herself behind the teacups.
If the poet, who never missed the humorous side of anything, did not
strike his hand upon his knee and cry his familiar utterance, “Capital!
Capital!” it was because at the moment the situation made it impossible
to him. He surely appreciated his niece no less because she--one of his
own family--had done what his foes, political and personal, had never
been able to accomplish--outwitted him!