TENNYSON AND HIS TORMENTORS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 781, 2 April 1910, Page 9

TENNYSON AND HIS TORMENTORS.

"Putnam's Magazine" for February contains the first of .a series of "Talks with, Tennyson," by Elizabeth Rachel :Chapman.. The writer-madettuyac-quaihtanco of the pqotj'iii.! Gctobef, j 1889, when;.he was in She. spent an afternoon^at !;"Aldwpr'th, the summer home'!of his "later!; years. Tennyson remarked that'he"lio" longer cared, for Farringfordj because " tliey leave mo no peace there. They crowd and stare as if I was a wild beast. Here, at Aldworth, there was a! naughty little American woman who forced her. way in, determined to see. me. I hid myself for an hour and a half, till I thought she was gone. Then I went out into the garden and said, 'Well, that American woman is gone at last!' and there she was behind a bush, and heard me!"

Tennyson confessed to his visitor that he had grievances against the press:— "They are always telling lies about me, and think of the lies they will tell about me after my death I" ■ His companion, with a fine scorn:. ••,"Why : should; you mind?" .As who should say: ."Do.you not'know that the.irresponsible scribblers.,: cannot .■touch y. your /greatness ? ■Why.should you mind?",, "But I do mind," in a tone-leaving.. no question whatever as to , -his.sincerity.;,'. ,;,■■, . "Then-they say I smoke all day. ' I don't; I smoke only twice a day—after breakfast and after dinner."