ridge, but Friendship stops
at the Common."

After the death of his wife Mr. Dwight had many lonely years. He was
very fond of young people, and as my younger children grew up he became
strongly attached to them. As editor of the "Journal of Music" he was
the recipient of tickets for musical entertainments of all sorts. His
enjoyment of these was heightened by congenial company, and to my
children, and later to my grandchildren, he was the great dispenser of
musical delights. He was to us almost as one of the family, and to him
our doors were never closed. His was a very individual strain of
character, combining a rather flamboyant imagination with a severe
taste. He could never accept the Wagner cult, and stood obstinately for
the limits of classical music, insisting even that the performance of
Wagner's operas perverted the tone both of strings and brasses, and that
it took some time for the instruments to recover from this misuse. He
had much to do with the formation of the Harvard Musical Association,
and the programmes which he arranged for its concerts are precious in
remembrance.

Dr. Holmes sat near me at Mr. Dwight's funeral, which took place in the
Harvard rooms, whose presiding genius he had been. The services were
very simple and genial. Some lovely singing, a poetical tribute or so,
some heart-warm words spoken by friends, mingled with the customary
prayer and scripture reading. In the interval of silence before these
began, Dr. Holmes said to me, in a low tone, "Mrs. Howe, we may almost
imagine the angels who announced a certain nativity to be hovering near
these remains."

Otto Dresel, beloved as an artist and dreaded as a critic, was an
intimate of the Benzon household, and was almost idolized by Mr. Dwight.
He had the misfortune to be over-critical, but no less so of himself
than of others. He did much to raise the appreciation of music in
Boston, possessed as he was with a sense of the dignity and sacredness
of the art. His compositions, not many in number, had a deep poetical
charm, as had also his soulful interpretation of Chopin's works. As a
teacher he was unrivaled. Two of my daughters were indebted to him for a
very valuable musical education.

Boston has seemed darker to me since the light of this eminent musical
intelligence has left it. I subjoin a tribute of my affection for him in
these lines, which were suggested by Mr. Loeffler's rendering of
Handel's "Largo" at a concert, especially