102 William Wordworth: Interviews and Recollectionson the verge of entering the dining room of Edward Moxon home, took Tennyson arm and, in an ingratiating way that was irresistible, said, ome, brother bard, to dinner.�Tennyson responded, later that evening, by telling Wordsworth of how much pleasure he had experienced while reading his poetry. Wordsworth confessed that he could not maintain his indifference any longer, even though he was convinced that Tennyson entertained little sympathy for what he prized most highly in his own work, iz the spirituality with which [he had] endeavoured to invest the material Universe� and he moral relation�under which he had wished to exhibit ts most ordinary appearance�1 He hoped, nevertheless, that Tennyson would ive the world still better things� Tennyson, a poet forty years younger than himself, had graduated to become he st of our living Poets� And, even if each of them continued to cone to friends that technical deiencies prevented complete enjoyment of the other poetry, a new civility prevailed.WW, L, VII, 686�: letter from William Wordsworth to Henry Reed, 1 July 18452I have as usual been long in your debt, which I am pretty sure you will excuse as heretofore. It gave me much pleasure to have a glimpse of your Brother, under circumstances which no doubt he will have described to you. He spoke of his health as improved, and I hope it will continue to do so. I understood from him that it was probable he should call at Rydal before his return to his own Country. I need not say to you I shall be glad, truly glad to see him both for his own sake and as so nearly connected with you. My absence from home lately was of more than three weeks. I took the journey to London solely to pay my respects to the Queen upon my appointment to the Laureatship upon the decease of my Friend Mr Southey. The weather was very cold, and I caught an inmmation in one of my eyes which rendered my stay in the South very uncomfortable. I nevertheless did in respect to the object of my journey all that was required. The reception given me by the young Queen at her Ball was most gracious. Mrs Everett the wife of your minister among many others was a witness to it; without knowing who I was. It moved her to the shedding of tears. This effect was in part produced, I suppose by American habits of feeling, as pertaining to a republican government like yours. To see a grey haired Man 75 years of age kneeling down in a large assembly, to kiss the hand of a young Woman is a sight for which institutions essentially
