SOME STORIES OF THE “AUTOCRAT.”

Wairoa Bell, Volume 5, Issue 371, 13 November 1896, Page 6

SOME STORIES OF THE “AUTOCRAT.”

The biographer of Oliver Wendell Holmes appends at the end of his first volume a dozen or more anecdotes, of winch the following form a part A Scotch gentleman who sent him a book called ‘ Burns and the Kirk ’ had from him a note of thanks, in which he said, ‘ I find it full of interest, for it treats a question which has long puzzled me—how straitlaced Scotland could clasp her national poet to her bosom without breaking her stays.” Walking down Beacon-street one day a physician told Holmes of an amusing marriage, a “ love match, ” which had occurred in hfs family, wherein the bride was eightyeight years old an i the groom only a trifle younger. The doctor was greatly amuse 3. Coming to his house, he walked slowly up the steps, then suddenly turning, running down, and calling after his companion, he said, “ (>1 course they didn’t have ,ny children ; but. tell me, did they have any grand children, ” Mr Howells, early in his career, introduc* ed himself to Mr. Lowell ; and, thereupon, Mr. Lowell took him into town to call upon Dr Holmes, The handshakings being completed, the doctor turned to Mr. Lowell and said, “ Well, James, tbig is something like the apostolic succession—-this is the laying on of hands-’

He kept on hand little pile of autograph extracts from his writings, and when a visiter had reached the extreme limit of a call, jet seemed unaware of the fact, the doctor would kindly hand him one of these extracts, courteously asking him to keep it as a keepsake, 4 They can’t stop after that, however tough,’ he said. ' I call the extracts lubricant; it greases the way send them off.’