File:The digressions of V. - written for his own fun and that of his friends - by Elihu Vedder; containing the quaint legends of his infancy, an account of his stay in Florence, the garden of lost (14579775198).jpg

Identifier: digvwr00vedd (find matches)
Title: The digressions of V. : written for his own fun and that of his friends / by Elihu Vedder ; containing the quaint legends of his infancy, an account of his stay in Florence, the garden of lost opportunities, return home on the track of Columbus, his struggle in New York in war-time coinciding with that of the nation, his prolonged stay in Rome, and likewise his prattlings upon art, tamperings with literature, struggles with verse, and many other things, being a portrait of himself from youth to age ; with many illustrations by the author.
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Vedder, Elihu
Subjects: American Art
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Contributing Library: Whitney Museum of American Art, Frances Mulhall Achilles Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Metropolitan New York Library Council - METRO

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in full bloom: they are—thoseI gathered and those I neglected to gather — dry enough now. To me the heights in Florence were chiefly those of Bello-sguardo — although all my distinguished friends lived onheights. On these heights I found the air too pure and thin formy vigorous young lungs, so I lived in the vale below. They were all intellectual, highly cultured, literary and artistic-r- above all literary. Some lived their own lives, but, with theexception of the really great, these good people seemed to live alittle, fussy, literary life, filled with their sayings and doings: infact — taking out the deeds — each one would have furnished allthe materials for a splendid biography. I say a few lived theirown lives, but most of them seemed to be living up to the greatones of their acquaintance or up to each other — somewhat likethe inhabitants of that Irish village where they lived by takingin each others washing. I once saw a flock of fan-tailed pigeons showing off to each
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ENCHANTMENT(PaintcJfor Kate Field) THE GRAND DUKE 149 other and standing so straight up that they almost tumbled overbackwards. In one corner was a little one who swelled up for allhe was worth, quite unnoticed by the rest. I wonder if they knewhow funny they were. I cant remember where I saw this, butit must have been in Florence, Boston, or New York. Anyway itreminds me of what George Butler once said, when the boyswere swelling out their chests and taking the measure of them: It is nt the man who can swell out the biggest who counts,but the man who stays swelled out. For all these reasons I remained, with an occasional ascent,on the lower levels, until Kate Field swam into my ken! Shewas the first woman of charm and intellect I had seen, and herbright smile and hearty laugh, combined with her innate refine-ment, quite bowled me over — and I then felt a strong inclina-tion to live up to her level, but never could. But before her advent a great day came for Florence. Before I tell

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