New-York tribune., 1873-07-25

or,, onerotor meets with equally amusing INSTANCES
ODe RECENTLY related the following iheiuon'' . -
man came to my Office TO send mesS"s', on
wrinp H. waited as people often do at smai oinceS' ~
" - 80 called ONCE, and the operator al the
.,h and of the line came to the key ana sau' busy
wait a minute so leaned back IN MY on", "
,voit when the gentleman said Have you scnt w
said NO they say they are bnsy-to M "aIt 'i'"",
vhereupon he said, looking surpriseu' "ny' u.n
rear them :, and then iaddod Frightening up as II ne
~ ,hor-bt n, rho reason hut I'm little deaf in one
oorp think managed 10 keep straight face I'LL he
Iof, bpt e. was hard work" "Tcn Years Among the
Rowing Men," is an admirable paper by Wm' Blllhle'
giving the results OF long experience In connection
with aquatic athletes. In the Easy Chair when ls az
present occupied by the Row. DIR. Osgood, tribute Is
paid TO Mr. X. W Emerson which considering the wldo
differences Of opinion that separate him from the writer
must be regarded as a and high example OF literary
generosity We arc not ashamed TO let our best men
and women rppear abroad specimens OF wsat We
have TO show and no man who has ever gone from US
abroad has carried gna thinking and exquisite
dicon than the quiet poet and philosopher VINO mas re-
turned from Europo keep his seventeth birthday In
his Concord home among admirng and nleDdV neigh
bors does not belong to the old or the new hopes
but he is willing to think for himself and to encourage
others in the freedom As fun OF vii ana as free
from prejudice and pretens0n az old M0ntalgne ne rises
with Fchte to the peaks Of intellectual vision, and he Is
perhaps by emnence tho prophet OF indlNduallsm-a
lonely brd who yet gathers about him great company
OF loving listeners He has about score of remarkable
disciples or associates who have made their mark in art
and science poetry, philosophy, and leters-a set as
choice and as Influential in their way as any living author
can show. We may sometimes quarrel with MIN Tor
being what he is, and not thinking ana Wrltlhg
as Others do we may wish that he were less severely
Greek in his temper and judgment, and insisted less
upon perfection OF mind and body which most OF US
cannot have and which Heaven itself does not ask OF
ftp
he is noble man. and broader and genter, more loving
70 e household the flag and the race as the years roll
on more rpe aud largehearted now than when be re-
turned from Europe over twenty years ago. Nc nave
Ralph Waldo Emerson home now, and we ada our cor
dial word to the greeting Of his neighoors and friends
We need men like him, who never sacrifice sefrespect
TO the tyranny Of numbers and who never forget that
no gold or pOwer pleasure worth sacrificing IN Its
behalf whatever is true and good and trustful."
The opening paper in Scribner is devoted to
the island OF Nantucket which, LONELY, antique spot sex
citing more and interest on account OF the reminls
cences OF the past which suggested by every rambe
in It's quiet walks. Mr. John Burroughs contributes one
Of his charming descriptive papers Unnatural history the
subject this time being that mystic harbnGer OF peace in
whom the celestial and terrestrial strike hands ana are
fast friends" the buebird who brings soft skies and
the rddy brown OF the fields" An article on Modern
skepcisn" aggressive In tone and dogmatic IN temper
rel a
as fatal 10 the interests OF religion In this the writer IS
true 10 the laws OF historical sequence In the progress
of science Every new discovery ia in the first instance
denounced as hostile to religion from tho law OF gravi
tation to the use of chloroiorm 1t is thus compelled to
pass through searching Ordeal which always sooner
or later results IN the advancement Of truth. The
present situation as regards the received theology
thus described with how much correctness we leave Tor
others better informed the subject than ourselves to
decide.
Thus vital and fundamental, there'ore-and without
dwelling more at length just now upon the dealls-I3
the issues raised between the rans3tantc skeptGa p
schools Of thought and the TRADITIONAL OhIlsau ath
and system. All questions concerning the merely OUT
ward forms and ceremonies however Nltdl, OI 1.Ii5
anity, which can either agitate or even cOIs,ite,a
Christian sect or body are comparatively hslgmncah|
Even the most monenous doctIual features 0I CAiis
uany whether lsputed aIIOuE t.ie ~ ~ ~ -, ~
decided the Reformation not TO be Thought or Tor
single instant at such perious religious epoch
fan miracles the Christian Christ; the Christian
before the bar Of modern Thought aud culture Wen
may Fgoude aver in behalf Of christians everywhere,
lions that nave been raised" Wei may DR.. Uhlhorn
add, that " the contest is no longer upon single gues-
tanty is the more correct but the very existence OF
Christianity at stake" And well may Premier Glad
now only The Christian Cburcn or only the Holy scrip
rure or only Christianity which IL attacked The dspo-
Hon is boldly proclaimed to deal alike WIN root an an1
branch and to snap the ties which, under tle h1lH
venerable name OF religion, unite mnn "II WI" th tnc
-
woes OF life Dy the hope OF better land.
the fact, and fundamental character Of the modern
religious unsettement Of Europe being thus firmly fixed
in mind let Us now for moment dwell more specncaly
upon ts popular, and in fact its almost universal prev
aieuce. Thus, Froude speaks above OF "a general
doubt :" and LiddOu Of ga widespread unsettcmenti
and the Lord Bishop Of Gloucester and Bristol Of the
szepcism and unbelief OF all classes while the Lord
Bishop OF Winchester assetts thdJ DOUBT Is every
nI on'n af sCailod adI This contest re-
spectHg the foundation OF religious BELIEF Is not con
fined as it used generally 10 be- within certain circles OF
n. 4
Influence has involved rich and poor learned and un-
learned, III tins great conflict"
The practical inference from the positions Of the
writer expressed in earnest appeal to the fears OF
the faithful. whether looked at therefore, from the
stand point very general preparation Of read
ing and thinking Tor the more or less entire
ception OF all the vital forms OF transatlantic antchrs
tan thought, looked at from the standpoint OF the
popular progress which these thoughts have already
made among our reading and thinking masses, every
Christian lwho in the least concerned that Christian
views Scripture aud Christian views Of miracles and
Christian views OF Christ and Christian views Of God,
should survive in the future struggle for existence in the
minds all these masses-that Christian say, may
well be startled For not only is the public reading and
thinking mind Of America all these, aud all other
cardinal Christian questions in very state of tnder
Strauss, Renan, Darwin, HuxleyA Tyndall Herbert
Spencer, not 10 instance Others either in person or
through their disciples, ana by means OF the formal
volume the lecture the essay the poem, and the very
novel, are sweeping through and through this public
mind like constant flaming OF cona grafton.
This means fire. Indeed, the flames have already
and everywhere caught and kinded, and are
at this moment everywhere spreading" Other
articles OF interest in this number an "Epi-
sode of Fiddetown," by Bret Hare, and a poetic
sion OF an Oriental legend the Law of DEATH" by
John Hay, which has vital unity TO admit OF
tract. Mr. f. c. stedman also contributes poem Be
yond Portals recited before the literary societies OF
Dartmouth College, from which extract his too SOM
Der picture Of the state OF modern culture.
HRRA PROBES.
But, now far other days