those
beautiful vales, until his thoughts were ready to be uttered for the
good of his fellow-men. And there had come back to him offerings of
love, and gratitude, and reverent admiration, from a greater multitude
than had ever before paid their homage to a living writer; and these
acknowledgments have been for benefits so deep and lasting, that words
seem but a poor return. But I will not attempt to describe further the
feelings which were strongly present to me at that moment, when I seemed
most to realise in whose presence I stood.

* * * * *

He walked with me as far as the main road to Ambleside. As we passed the
little chapel built by Lady Fleming, which has been the occasion, as you
remember, of one of his poems, there were persons, tourists evidently,
talking with the sexton at the door. Their inquiries, I fancied, were
about Wordsworth, perhaps as to the hour of service the next day
(Sunday), with the hope of seeing him there. One of them caught sight of
the venerable man at the moment, and at once seemed to perceive who it
was, for she motioned to the others to look, and they watched him with
earnest gaze. I was struck with their looks of delighted admiration. He
stopped when we reached the main road, saying that his strength would
not allow him to walk further. Giving me his hand, he desired again to
be remembered to you and others in America, and wished me a safe return
to my friends, and so we parted. I went on my way, happy in the
recollection of this, to me, memorable interview. My mind was in a
tumult of excitement, for I felt that I had been in the familiar
presence of one of the noblest of our race; and this sense of
Wordsworth's intellectual greatness had been with me during the whole
interview. I may speak, too, of the strong perception of his moral
elevation which I had at the same time. No word of unkindness had fallen
from him. He seemed to be living as if in the presence of God, by
habitual recollection. A strange feeling, almost of awe, had impressed
me while I was thus with him. Believing that his memory will be had in
honour in all coming time, I could not but be thankful that I had been
admitted to intimate intercourse with him then, when he was so near the
end of life. To you, my dear friend, I must again say I owe this
happiness, and to you it has been denied. You also, of all others of our
countrymen, would have most valued such an interview, for to you the