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274OF EMERSON, THE GIANT Mrs. Peattie Defends the Literary Memory of the Philosopher of Concord. The Earnest Tribute of a Follower-another Phase of "The Secular in the School." Never did I more sincerely congratulate myself upon the secular policy of our public schools, than the other day when in reading an article by the Rev. John Williams, I was made to realize that did our schools sense to be secular. One of the writers, whose books would be expunged from the curriculum, was Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mr. Williams, in talking concerning text books, says: "Given as text books, Emerson, Fiske, Huxley, Tyndal, Hegel, etc., and teachers more or less in sympathy with them and the high school is already anti-Christian, and a large proportion of his pupils perverted, at the cost of a Christian -public, taxed to maintain it." To set about proving the none of these gentlemen would pervert the youthful mind would be a task far too large for my knowledge and too extensive for my space. I remember great words from all of these writers. But it may be that some of them have spoken foolishly. I have not read all of their books. Life is short and books are many. One may read, but a few. And it is best-I have Emerson's word for it-to read those which will help one quickest to an understanding of the course of the world, and of the development of thought. Among those of whom I have read something is Emerson. He has made dark days bright for me, he has taught me how to find the beauty in common life, he has preached to me of the greatest commandment of all. His has lifted me up, when I might have sunken. Sweet as rain after drought have been his words after the idle clamor of the many. In my opinion, the greater single misfortune could befall the public schools than to have the words of the modern philosopher taken away from the students of the high school. When the term "anti-christian" is applied in such a community as this, it is meant, I take it, as an opprobrious epithet. When it is used by such a scholar as the Rev. John Williams, the Christian public-which is not necessarily the well-read public takes alarm and steels itself against the man denounced by this title. No man is so great that he cannot be injured. To be impervious to injury is to be God. And it seems to me that Emerson is injured when a very influential and much trusted man like John Williams deprecates his influence, and warns the people that he is likely to pervert the youth. One stands perplexed in entering upon the rebuttal of such a statement as this - so utterly beyond fact is it - so egregiously inconsistent with the truth. Those books which we have read with as much tenderness as if the words there written were the emanations of our own hearts-those. Words urging us to study to reverence, to unselfishness, to honesty and to peace-those yards perverters? It is like saying that truth is hateful or flowers a pest, or the faces of our children unwelcome to our eyes. It may be that Mr. Williams gathered his impression that Emerson was anti-Christian from the stern denunciation of pretense and worldliness in the church, of which Mr. Emerson sometimes delivered himself. I am bound to say that I have heard Mr. Williams express similar sentiments. It seems particularly unfair that this poet should have been misrepresented by priest "when the priest always received so high an estimate from the poet - Concerning this Emerson says: "The man enamored of this excellency becomes the priest or post. The office is coeval with the world. But observe the condition, the spiritual limitation of the office. The spirit only can teach. Not any profanity man, not guy sensual, not any Har, not any slave [can leucix?], but only he who can give who has he only can create who is. The man on whom the soul descends through whom the som speaks can teach. Courage piety, love, wisdom can teach, and every man can open his door to these angels, and they shall bring him the gift of tongues. To this holy office you propose to devote yourself. I wish you may feet your call in throbs of desire and hope. The office is the first in the world. It is quite true that the quarrels with the set terms, historical and ecclesiastical by which vulgarity and Christ. He wearies to the soul of the form when means nothing to those who observe it. He is full of disgust at those who mumble words, and lead lives which give the lie to their professions. He says boldy what he thinks not afraid of misinterpretation - too tuit of truth to care for policy. here is the sort of think upon when some people base their misconception of his religious ideas: A pagan suckled in a creed outworth than to be defrauded of his manly right in coming into natures and [hiding?], not names and places, not land and foreclosed and monopolized. You shall not be a man even. You shall not own the world; you shall not dare and live after the initiate beauty which heaven and earth reflect to you in all lovely forms, but you must subordinate your nature to Christ's nature; you must accept our interpretations, and take his portrait as the vulgar paint it. "That is always best which gives me to myself. The sublime is excited in me by the giant stoical doctrine. Obey thyself. That which shows God in me fortifies me. That which shows God out of fire, makes me a wart and a wen. There is no longer a necessary reason for lay being. Already the long shadows of oblivion creep over me. and I shall decease forever." These are, I think, the utterances most treasurable to the church which Emerson over uttered. And "if that be treason make the most of it"! It looks to me like honesty. Out of conviction such as that character is [bulied?] citizenship is maintained. It does not shark its responsibility nor aim at selfish salvation. It is the language of honor of truth. In matters not theological, but simply religious, Emerson is a guide whom one would place above most [moderns?]. The dignity which he refuses into life gives is almost a heroic cast, and the young man or woman who rends him understandingly must needs be filled with reverence for the work of God. He perceives why he must do the best to develop his brain and beautify his body and refute his soul. He perceives above all other things, how he can never escape from his relation to his neighbor. Anyone with a prehensile mind, who would follow the directions he gives in his famous essay on books, would find himself fitted to meet with serenity any sorrow which the world might bring him. Vulgarity and he would be an ocean apart. Gentleness and courage could not fail to be his attributes. He celebrates the education of man. He says: He gives lessons in fine manners. He educates his readers in what well-mannered men do. "I wish cities could teach their best lesson-of quiet manners. It is the [folble?] especially of American youth - pretension. The mark of the man of the world is absence of pretension. He does not make a speech; he takes a low business tone avoids all brag, is nobody, dresses plainly. promises not at all, performs much, speaks in monosyllables bugs his fact. He calls his employment for evil tongues their sharpest weapon. " Emerson talks of mobility in youth, and seems always to be writing to some strong young man or woman who will hitch his wagon to a star. "A man in pursuit of greatness feels no little wants. How can you mind diet, bed, dress, or salutes or compliments, or the [figure?] you make in company or wealth, or even the bringing things to pass, when you think how paltry are the machinery and the workers. Not that he depreciates concentration or industry. But he does not believe in recognizing obstacles. He instructs one how to make an act of living. "A man is a beggar who lives only to be useful, and, however he may serve as a pin or a rivet in the social machine, cannot be said to have arrived at self-possession. I suffer every day from the want of perception of beauty in people. They do not know the charm with which all moments and subjects can be embellished, the charm of manners, self-command, of benevolence. Repose and cheerfulness are the badge of the gentleman - repose in energy. The Greek battle pieces are calm, the heroes, to whatever violent actions engaged, retain a serene aspect, as we say of Niagara, that it falls without speed. A cheerful, intelligent face is the end of the culture, and success enough. For it indicates the purpose of nature and wisdom attained. No one could be a poltroon and follow the teaching of this paraclete. Listen to this: He helps the young to hero worship. He wants them to have ideals. He is not afraid of beautiful illusions - so long as they are not delusions. Beauty, truth and goodness are not absolute, they spring eternal in the breast of man; they are as indigenous in Massachusetts as, in Tuscany or the Isles of Greece. And that eternal spirit, whose triple face they are, molds from them forever for his mortal child, images to remind him of the infinite and fair." If ever man preached the potency of earnest work, Emerson did. He talks to no [juler?]. He cannot conceive of a man without a message, a business and an obligation. He believes in the expansion of the human. He does not confuse the inadequacy of man with the dispensations of God. He does not encourage a man to think that providence is responsible for his shiftlessness his treachery or his failure. "Ah!" said a brave painter to me, if a man has failed, you will find he has dreamed instead of working. there is no way to success in our art, but to take off your coat, grind paint, and work like a digger on the railroad all day, every day. " Emerson touches us all up with a friendly criticism. We never know when we are going to be hit. He says for example, and this touches many of us: "Though a man cannot return onto his mother's womb, and be born with new amounts of vivacity, yet there are two economies which are the best succedanes which the case admits. The first is the stopping off decisively our miscellaneous activity, and contracting our force on one or a few points, as the gardener, by severe pruning, forces the sap of the tree into one or two vigorous limbs, instead of suffering it to spindle onto a sheaf of twigs. "Enlarge not thy destiny, said the oracle; endeavor not to do more than is given thee in charge. The one prudence in life is concentration; the one evil is dissipation and it makes no difference whether our dissipations are coarse or fine. Property and its cares, friends and a social habit, or politics, or music, or feasting. Everything is good which takes away one's plaything more. and drives us to add one stroke of faithful work. You must elect your work; you must take what your brain can and drop all the rest." This is the man, then, who is a perverter of youth! The man whose books menace our students! Do we not take shame, remembering how gross and material our ambitions are; remembering how greedy we are, how oblivious of our eyes best good or of the good of others; remembering poor language and impoverished thought: remembering poor development of perceptions and sensibilities, that we should look down upon this man, in our stiff Puritanism, or Episcopacy, shutting him away from us, though he comes bearing a torch that might illuminate our dark? How might we grow in grace and beauty if we were to sit at his feet and learn! How might the narrow hearts of us grow! How might the ice in us melt, touched with divine warmth! Shall Christianity forbid all goodness and knowledge except that embodied in itself? Will it call all wisdom secular except that included in the gospels? There is nothing secular but sin." Oh dear God! Thou who madest the world and all that in it is, who madest stars and dust of stars and "the wind that blows between the worlds," let us have humility nor deem we hold monopoly of truth in each spark of brightness and of beauty of reverence and of joy, may we not see a spark of there! Help us to remember that the souls of men were made for the glory of God not for the gentile, not for Christendom, not for twenty centuries. Many there are who thrill with a knowledge of thee. Many there are who bear a message which men may pause to hear. Keep down the arrogant assumption, keep down the exclusive pride, [?] the narrow definition. Break down the barriers that hinder our outlook. If they be superstitions, or fears or selfish hopes of personal salvation, or vaulty of intellect or formal scholarship then let them go. Between the and a may nothing stand! Through finer either than that we breathe, may the eyes of our souls penetrate to thee, as the eyes of the body rejoice in the sun! If looking so, all of us can see thee, with imperfect mortal gaze who shall carp because we see thee differently? Who shalt not know this to be but the faulty trick of human eye? Or with though even love us less because we do not put know what name to call thee by? Help us, in mercy to build high the temple of truth, and decorate in fittingly. Let us not doom it to ignoble size because the stones offered are not cut to our personal liking, or in imitation of the one we shaped with reverential hands! For the temple is to be immeasurable. And all the nations of earth shall add to the grandeur of it. And hands we counted humblest shall lay on it transparent quartz and onyx, veined with purple and with while. The Snow Leopard. The ounce, or snow leopard, is one of the rarest and beautiful animals of the feline family. The London zoological gardens have just secured zoo those animals. It was one of the few interesting beasts lacking in the wonderful London collection. The snow leopard inhabits the mountainous districts of Central Asia one of the most inaccessible and least explored parts of the globe. The fine animal now at the gardens came from the Western Himalayas. He was captured when young by the retainers of Thakir Debl, chieftain of Gundia, in Labania and sent as a present to Mrs. MacKay of Kullu. She brought him up as a household pet and this year presented him to zoological gardens. He is now six feet long. The snow leopard has markings similar to the ordinary leopard, but the fur on the stomach and chest is entirely white. In the other places where the fur of the ordinary leopard is yellow, it is nearly white in the snow leopard. the fur is very long and silky. The animal is also adorned with a tail of great length and beauty, according to the World. The white leopard is indeed a dandy among leopards. The expression of his magnificent eyes shows that he appreciates his own physical qualities. He puts forth proudly his fine white chest and its long wavy hair, and he carries his tail with as much grace as a well-built young woman the train of her ball dress. He is strong and swift and an excellent sportsman in his native places. But in spite of his muscular strength, he is very delicate. He only thrives in mountain air, the climate of the Indian seaports have invariably been fatal to those specimens which it has been attempted to ship to Europe. The snow leopard lives by preference at a height of 9,000 feet on the borders of the snows in the Himalayas and Tibet. He catches and eats wild sheep and goats. The cunning or astute bassoris (Bassaria Astuia) is a relative of the racoon. A bassaris is among the recent additions to the London gardens. The expression of his face is sufficient to justify the adjective applied to him. Besides all his family are noted for cunning. The astuic bassaria is round in Texas. California and Northern Mexico. He is about as large as a small domestic cat but more slender. He has a long cylindrical tall of white. Striped with seven or eight distinct black rings. This is one of his most remarkable features. He has a very pointed nose, well whiskered, and large bright eyes. The bassaria is very fond of a nice bird, and shows great skills in getting one when he wants it. A wood near a well-filled poultry yard is the happiest combination he knows of. Great Names Namesakes. The Power Of The Courts. "Do what?" "Get an injunction. Isn't that what injunctions are for--to restrain the lawless elements?" If his job had not been a federal one the assistant would have resigned. Some Summer Rhythm, When in her little bathing suit Transparent. On The Beach. Down By The Sea. A Frequent Thorn. It Is Missed. Save Time. Autumn Gay. | 274OF EMERSON, THE GIANT Mrs. Peattie Defends the Literary Memory of the Philosopher of Concord. The Earnest Tribute of a Follower-another Phase of "The Secular in the School." Never did I more sincerely congratulate myself upon the secular policy of our public schools, than the other day when in reading an article by the Rev. John Williams, I was made to realize that did our schools sense to be secular. One of the writers, whose books would be expunged from the curriculum, was Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mr. Williams, in talking concerning text books, says: "Given as text books, Emerson, Fiske, Huxley, Tyndal, Hegel, etc., and teachers more or less in sympathy with them and the high school is already anti-Christian, and a large proportion of his pupils perverted, at the cost of a Christian -public , taxed to maintain it." To set about proving the none of these gentlemen would pervert the youthful mind would be a task far too large for my knowledge and too extensive for my space. I remember great words from all of these writers. But it may be that some of them have spoken foolishly. I have not read all of their books. Life is short and books are many. One may read, but a few. And it is best-I have Emerson's word for it-to read those which will help one quickest to an understanding of the course of the world, and of the development of thought. Among those of whom I have read something is Emerson. He has made dark days bright for me, he has taught me how to find the beauty in common life, he has preached to me of the greatest commandment of all. His has lifted me up, when I might have sunken. Sweet as rain after drought have been his words after the idle clamor of the many. In my opinion, the greater single misfortune could befall the public schools than to have the words of the modern philosopher taken away from the students of the high school. When the term "anti-christian" is applied in such a community as this, it is meant, I take it, as an opprobrious epithet. When it is used by such a scholar as the Rev. John Williams, the Christian public-which is not necessarily the well-read public takes alarm and steels itself against the man denounced by this title. No man is so great that he cannot be injured. To be impervious to injury is to be God. And it seems to me that Emerson is injured when a very influential and much trusted man like John Williams deprecates his influence, and warns the people that he is likely to pervert the youth. One stands perplexed in entering upon the rebuttal of such a statement as this - so utterly beyond fact is it - so egregiously inconsistent with the truth. Those books which we have read with as much tenderness as if the words there written were the emanations of our own hearts-those. Words urging us to study to reverence, to unselfishness, to honesty and to peace-those yards perverters? It is like saying that truth is hateful or flowers a pest, or the faces of our children unwelcome to our eyes. It may be that Mr. Williams gathered his impression that Emerson was anti-Christian from the stern denunciation of pretense and worldliness in the church, of which Mr. Emerson sometimes delivered himself. I am bound to say that I have heard Mr. Williams express similiar sentiments. It seems particularly unfair that this poet should have been misrepresented by priest "when the priest always received so high an estimate from the poet - Concerning this Emerson says: "The man enamored of this excellency becomes the priest or post. The office is coeval with the world. But observe the condition, the spiritual limitation of the office. The spirit only can teach. Not any profanity man, not guy sensual, not any Har, not any slave can leucix, but only he who can give who has he only can create who is. The man on whom the soul descends through whom the som speaks can teach. Coulege piety, love, wisdom can teach, and every man can open his door to these angels, and they shall bring him the gitt of tongues. To this holy office you propose to devote yourself. I wish you may feet your call in throbs of desire and hope. The office is the first in the world. It is quite true that the quarrels with the set terms, historical and acciesiastical by which vulgarity and Christ. He wearies to the soul of the form when means nothing to those who observe it His is tuit of disgust at those who mumble words, and lead lives which give the lie to their professions. He says boldy what he thinks not afraid of misinterpretation - too tuit of truth to care for policy. here is the sort of think upon when some people base their misconception of his religious ideas: A pagan suckled in a creed outworth than to be defrauded of his manly right in coming into natures and [hiding?], not names and places, not land and foreclosed and monopolized. You shall not be a man even. You shall not own the world; you shall not dare and live after the initiate beauty which heaven and earth reflect to you in all lovely forms, but you must subordiate your nature to Christ's nature; you must accept our interpretations, and take his portrait as the vulgar paint it. "That is always best which gives me to myself. The sublime is excited in me by the giant stoical doctrine. Obey thyself. That which shows God in me fortifies the. THat which shows God out of hire, makes me a wart and a wen. There is no longer a necessary reason for lay being. Already the long shadows of obliviancreep over me. and I shall decease forever., " these are, I think, the utterances most treasurable to the church which Emerson over uttered. And If that be treason make the most of it? It looks to me like honesty. Out of conviction such as that character is dulldog citizenship is maintained. It does nopt shark its responsibility nor aim at selfish salvation. It is the language of honor of truth. By matters not theological but simply religious Emerson is a guide whom one would place above most omderus The dignity which he refuses into life gives is almost a heroic cast, and the young man ot woman who rends him understandingly must need be filled with reverence for the work of God. He perceives why he must do the best to develop his brain and beautify his body and refute his soul. He perceives above all other things, how he can never escape from his relation tohis neighbor. Anyone with a prehensile mind, who would follow the directions he gives in his famous essay on books, would find himself fitted to meet with serenity any sorrow which the world might bring him. Vulgarity and he would be an ocean apart. Gentleness and courage could not fail to be his attributes. He celebrates the education of man. He says: He gives lessons in fine manners. He educates his readers in what well-mannered men do. "I wish cities could teach their best lesson-of quiet manners. It is the [folble?] especially of American youth - pretension. The mark of the man of the world is absence of pretension. He does not make a speech; he takes a low business tone avoids all brag, is nobody, dresses plainly. promises not at all, performs much, speaks in monosyllables bugs his fact. He calls his employment for evil tongues their sharpest weapon. " Emerson talks of mobility in youth, and seems always to be writing to some strong young man or woman who will hitch his wagon to a star. "A man in pursuit of greatness feels no little wants. How can you mind diet, bed, dress, or salutes or compliments, or the [figure?] you make in company or wealth, or even the bringing things to pass, when you think how paltry are the machinery and the workers. Not that he depreciates concentraition or industry. But he does not bleive in recongizing obstacles. He instructs one how to make an act of living. "A man is a beggar who lives only to be useful, and, however he may serve as a pin or a rivet in the social machine, cannot be said to have arrived at self-possession. I suffer every dayfrom the want of perception of beaty in person. They do not know the charm with which all moments and subjects can be embellished, the charm of manners, self-command, of benevolence. Repose and cheerfulness are the badge of the gentleman - repose in energy. The Greek battle pieces are calm, the heroes, to whatever violent actions engaged, retain a serene aspect, as we say of Niagara, that it falls without speed. A cheerful, intelligent face is the end of the culture, and success enough. For it indicates the purpose of nature and wisdom attained. No one could be a poltroon and follow the teaching of this paraclete. Listen to this: He helps the young to hero worship. He wants them to have ideals. He is not afraid of beautiful illusions - so long as they are not delusions. Beauty, truth and goodness are not absolute, they spring eternal in the breast of man; they are as indigenous in Massachusetts as, in Tuscany or the Isles of Greece. And that enternal spirit. Whose triple face they are, molds from them forever for his mortal child, images to remind him of the infinite and fair." If ever man preached the potency of earnest work, Emerson did. He talks to no [juler?]. He cannot conceive of a man without a message, a business and an obligation. He believes in the expansion of the human. He does not confuse the inadequacy of man with the dispensations of God. He does not encourage a man to think that providence is responsible for his shiftlessness his treachery or his failure. "Ah!" said a brave painter to me, if a man has failed, you will find he has dreamed instead of working. there is no way to success in our art, but to take off your coat, grind paint, and work like a digger on the railroad all day, every day. " Emerson touches us all up with a friendly criticism. We never know when we are going to be hit. He says for example and this touches many of us: "Though a man cannot return onto his mother's womb , and be born with new amounts of vivacity, yet there are two economies which are the best succedanes which the case admits. The first is the stopping off decisively our miscellaneous activity, and contracting our force on one or a few points, as the gardener, by severe pruning, forces the sap of the tree into one or two vigorous limbs, instead of suffering it to spindle onto a sheaf of twigs. "Enlarge not thy destiny, said the oracle; endeavor not to do more than is given thee in charge, The one prudence in life is concentration. the one evil is dissaption and it makes no difference whether our dissipations are coarse or fine. Property and its cares, friends and a social habit, or politics, or music, or feasting. Everything is good which takes away one's plaything more. and drives us to add one stroke of faithful work. You must elect your work; you must take what your brain can and drop all the rest." This is the man, then, who is a perverter of youth. The man whose books menace our students! Do we not take shame, remembering how gross and material our ambitions are; remembering how greedy we are how oblivious of our eyes best good or of the good of others; remembering poor language and impoverished thought: remembering poor development of perceptions and sensibilities, that we should look down upon this man, in our stiff Puritanism, or Episcopacy, shutting him away from us, though he comes bearing a torch that might illuminate our dark? How might we grow in grace and beauty if we were to sit at his feet and learn! How might the narrow hearts of us grow! How might the ice in us melt, touched with divine warmth! Shall Christianity forbid all goodness and knowledge except that embodied in itself? Will it call all wisdom secular except that included in the gospels? There is nothing secular but sin." The Snow Leapard. Great Names Namesakes. The Power Of The Courts. Transparent. On The Beach. Down By The Sea. A Frequent Thron. It Is Missed. Save Time. Autumn Gay. |