Memories of Hovey

I HAVE just finished reading Professor Allan Macdonald's brilliant and satisfying biography of Richard Hovey, our Dartmouth "Poet Laureate."

The story of Hovey's brief and fateful career recalls many cherished memories of our short acquaintance. My first meeting with Hovey was on the occasion of his delivery of the "Dartmouth Ode," in the old Bissell Gymnasium, on June 10, 1894, the year of my own graduation. Hovey did not read his "Ode," he spoke it in that rich-toned voice of his, standing almost motionless. We lost the man in the dignity and marvelous cadences of his speech. It was for me an unforgettable occasion.

We already had some correspondence the year before, in connection with an extended sketch of him and his first published volume, "Launcelot and Guenevere," in the Dartmouth Literary Monthly, of which I was then editor. In preparation for the article, I asked Hovey for biographical data, and he replied with a four-page biography of the Hovey family, going back to the early Vikings. Hovey wrote me that this was the first lengthy appreciation of him and his writings to appear. His father, General Hovey, kindly supplied me with the printing plate for Hovey's portrait.

I chanced to spend the winter of 1895 in London, and had several visits with Hovey and his wife, who were there on their honeymoon.

Several years later, while living in Minneapolis and promoting high school and college text books for Ginn & Company, I conceived the idea of a collection of "Dartmouth Songs." At that time, the only distinctive Dartmouth song was one written by Bill Segur, which had not then been set to music, being sung by rote. I engaged Addison F. Andrews, a Dartmouth man and well-known musician in New York City, to be the Musical Editor of the book. I also wrote Hovey, asking him to write two new songs for the book. One song began "Oh, Eleazar Wheelock was a very pious man," and the other, "Ho, a Song by the Fire! Pass the pipes, pass the bowl." I arranged to include "Barney McGee," which had just been issued as sheet music.

Before the Dartmouth Songs volume was published, I received a telegram from Hovey saying that his father, General Hovey, had just died and had left Mrs. Hovey "stranded in New York," and he asked me to anticipate the payment of $100 for the two poems, which I was glad to do.

I called Mr. Andrews' attention to Hovey's poem, "Men of Dartmouth," which had won the Baker Prize of $100 for the best words for a Dartmouth song, several years before, but no one had succeeded in making an acceptable musical setting for Hovey's inspiring words. Andrews made a setting, which was awarded the $100 prize by the Baker Committee. Harry Wellman '07 later made a setting, which is the one now sung.

One poem which Hovey wrote for the first edition of Dartmouth Songs was entitled "The Spirit of Dartmouth." Unfortunately, I could not get this set to music, and I later presented it to Dartmouth, and the "Baker Library Press" issued it in a booklet entitled "A Poem and Three Letters" by Richard Hovey.

In 1924 I arranged with Professor Bisbee, the College Librarian, to hire an undergraduate to go through the files of all the College publications and collect all poems credited to Hovey. I selected the poems related to Dartmouth, or to college life — 46 in number, which were published, with an Introduction by me, by Small, Maynard & Company, in Boston, under the title Dartmouth Lyrics. The book ran through several editions and I finally purchased the publishing rights and presented them to Dartmouth College. Later, the book was reissued in an attractive form.

Hovey died on February 24, 1900, and I wrote a two-column appreciation under the title "Dartmouth Laureate" for TheBoston Transcript.

Later, in Washington, I had the rare pleasure of meeting "Mother Hovey," who was employed for many years in the U. S, Department of Education, and I spent a memorable evening at her home, where I met Julian Hovey, who was then a boy of about seven. Mother Hovey presented me with an eight-page booklet containing one of Hovey's early printed poems, entitled "Harmonics," of which a few copies had been made while he was a lecturer at the "School of Philosophy" in Farmington, Maine. Each copy was autographed by Hovey. I cannot find "Harmonics" in any collection of Hovey's poetry and this booklet is not listed in the bibliography of Hovey in Professor Macdonald's recent biography. For this reason, it may be appropriate to quote it here.

HARMONICS

Truth is not a creed, For it does not need Ever an apology. Truth is not an ology; 'Tis not part, but all. Priests and savants shall Never solve the mystic Problem. The artistic Mind alone of all can tell What is Truth. Poet, thou art wisest; Dogmas thou despisest - Science little prizest. Tell us, for thou knowest well, What is Truth?

Spake the seekers to an holy Bard, who answered mild and lowly This, all this, was in the olden Days when Saturn's reign was golden

"Shall I read the riddle - Tell you what is Truth? Truth is not the first, Not the last or middle; 'Tis the beautiful And symmetric whole, Embracing best and worst, Embracing age and youth.

"All the universe Is one mighty song, Wherein every star Chants out loud and strong Each set note and word It must aye rehearse, Though the parts may jar, The whole is as one chord.

"See you now the mystic sense Of the rhythmic elements - Harmonies that thicken and throng? Song is Truth and Truth is Song."

So he spake in days Saturnian. Now, with noses in Falernian, More as in the days of Flaccus, Sit we, singing hymns to Bacchus, Or listening to Astarte's fiddles, And leave old Pilate to his riddles.

The poet with "Mother Hovey," whom Mr. Grover visited in Washington.

Prof. James F. Cusick of the Economics Department will serve as Director of the Great Issues Course next year. He was Vice Chairman of the TPC Subcommittee that worked on the new curriculum announced in this issue of the Alumni Magazine.

DR. GROVER, who resides in Winter Park, Florida, is Vice President and Professor of Books, Emeritus, of Rollins College. When named Professor of Books in 1926 he was the first person in the country to hold such a title. He became Vice President of Rollins in 1938 and held that position along with his professorship until his retirement a few years ago.