of MacDowell was singularly impressionable,
imaginative, idealistic and romantic. He loved the beauty,
grandeur and solemnity of Nature not only for its outward aspect,
but for what he thought it symbolised. His sensitive character
made him extremely sympathetic towards human nature, although he
never used his understanding of his fellow men to cultivate by
trickery or device their favour and praise. He loved and
idealised the ancient days of romance and chivalry, when men
lived the wonderful tales of heroism that are now discredited and
fading before the materialism of modern civilisation, and in this
respect he had an affinity with the English composer, Elgar. He
derived enjoyment from fairy tales and folk-lore, and these were
his apparent consolation in his tragic last years. He was a man
of rare qualities, noble, sincere and unselfish to an extreme. He
hated insincerity in any form, and if he had been more tolerant
in this respect his path would have often been easier. He had a
curious and charming love for the growing things and creatures of
the woods, and although an excellent shot, he could never enjoy
hunting or shooting, as it hurt him to kill birds or animals. He
abhorred the copying, by Americans, of European aristocratic
"sport," for the nobleness of his nature could not descend to the
vicious customs of those only noble by assumption or in title.
His intellectual bearing, his catholicity of tastes and his
learning presented a striking contrast to the narrow outlook and
brainlessness of the average high-brow type of musician, and in
this respect again he was like Elgar.

He dipped deeply into literature, both ancient and contemporary,
and was always working out aesthetic and philosophic problems
concerning music. His knowledge of his art would have done
justice to a learned academician, though this he certainly was
not, and he always held shrewdly formed opinions typical of his
countrymen, on subjects that interested him. He had a healthy
dislike of fashionable "at-homes" and dinner parties where music
is "adored" and "loved" by those who may have a good knowledge of
social matters, but who have little or no ability to comprehend
the deeper significance and power of the art. In fact one
suspects that they adopt high-class music chiefly in an attempt
to indicate an intellectual status they do not possess. For
sincere and able criticism, however, MacDowell always had respect
and interest, and he was always