FAREWELL ADDRESS AS
PARKMAN PROFESSOR OF ANATOMY IN THE MEDICAL SCHOOL OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY,
NOVEMBER 28, 1882. FROM A PROOF PRINT IN THE POSSESSION OF DOCTOR JAMES
R. CHADWICK.]

Fortunately for us both, a tap was heard at the door, and Mr. John
Holmes appeared, his brother. Mr. John Holmes has not chosen to
publish the bright things which he has undoubtedly written, but in all
circles where he favors people with his presence he is known as one of
the most agreeable of men. Everybody is glad to set him on the lines
of reminiscences. The two brothers, with great good humor, began
telling of a dinner party which Doctor Holmes had given, within a few
days, to a number of gentlemen whose average ages, according to them,
exceeded eighty. One has to make allowance for the exaggeration of
their fun, but I think, from the facts which they dropped, that the
average must have been maintained. One would have given a good deal to
be old enough to be permitted to be at that dinner. This led to talk
of the Harvard class of 1829, for whose meetings Holmes has written so
many of his charming poems. He said that they are now to have a dinner
within a few days, and named the gentlemen who were to be there. Among
them, of course, is Doctor Samuel F. Smith, the author of "America." I
noticed that Doctor Holmes always called him "My country 'tis of
thee," and so did all of us. And then these two critics began
analyzing that magnificent song. "It will not do to laugh at it.
People show that they do not know what they are talking about when
they speak lightly of it. Did you ever think how much is gained by
making the first verse begin with the singular number? Not _our_
country, but '_My_ country,' '_I_ sing of thee'? There is not an
American citizen but can make it his own, and does make it his own, as
he sings it. And it rises to a Psalm-like grandeur at the end." "It is
a magnificent hold to have upon fame to have sixty million people sing
the verses that you have written." John Holmes said: "How good
'templed hills' is, and that is not alone in the poem." Both John
Holmes and I plead to be permitted to come to the class dinner, but
Doctor Holmes was very funny. He pooh-poohed us both; we were only
children, and we were not to be present at so rare a solemnity. For
me, I already felt that I had been wicked in wasting so much of his
time. But he has the gift of making you think that you are the only
person in the world, and that he is o