Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-03-06
Walt Whitman's science.

From Val WhInidn's Forthcoming Dolunie.l
Without being a scientist, have thor
Swans and experimentalists of our time aud
OF the last hundred years, and they have in
teriorly tinged the chyle OF all my verse for
purposes beyond. Following The moiern
spirit, the real poems Of the present, ever
solfdifying and expanding into the future,
must vocalize the vastness and splendor and
reality with which scientism has Invested
man and the universe, (all that is called Gre
ation,l and must henceforth launch human
fty into new orbits, consonant with that
vastness, splendor and reality, unknown 10
The old poems, Ike new systems OF orbs,
balanced upon themselves, revolving In
limitless space, more subtle than the stars.
Poetry, 80 largely hitherto and even at pre-
sent welded to children's tales, and TO mere
amorousness, upholstery and superficial
rhyme, will have TO accept, and, while not
denying the past nor the themes Of the past,
Will be revivined by this tremendous inno-
walton, the kosmic spirit, which must hence
forth, in my opinion, be the background and
underlying impetus, more or less visible, of
Only (for me, at any rate, In all my prose
and poetry, joyfully accepting modern
science, and Loyalty following il without the
cognized still higher flight, a higher fact,
the eternal soul OF man (of all else too,) the
spiritual, the religious-which is to be the
greatest office OF scientism, In my opinion,
and OF future poetry also, TO free from fables,
crudities, and superstitions, and launch
forth in renewed faith and scope a hundred
fold. To me the worlds OF Righteousness, con-
ception of the Divine, and OF the ideal,
though mainly latent, are just as absolute In
humanity and the universe as the worlds of
chemistry or anything in the objective world.
To me, the crown of savantism is to be,
that 1t surely opens the way for a more
splendid theology, and for ampler and divi-
ner songs. No year, nor even century, will
lurking behind the ideal, which 1t is ali for
There 10 also In the intellect OF man, In time,
far in prospective recesses, q judgment, a
loCf n 70 ~ ,t<.k. L.
A NICE PLUM.-Mrs. Plum, being desert
ed by her husband At Bridgeport, VT, gave
sublimate, which caused his death. She
swallowed some Of the same poison herself,
but her life viii probably be saved.
&An inquest on the body OF frozen man
In Seneca, CAL, was interrupted by his
thawtpg out and coming to life.
~The Boston Gazette says that the
Melancholy Montague Walk" is much cul-
tivated by young gentlemen Of that city.
D6It Ia said that figures won't lie; but the
figures Of some women are very deceptive,
VFemaIe highwaymen, TO put IL In rather
awkward English, infest the neighborhood
OF Troy, Indiana.
HMs. swisshelm says we need a religion
which means sixteen ounces OF sugar for Q
pound and no sand In IL.
~The great coal companies have decided
10 continue the suspension OF coal mining
until Monday, the 10Th OF March.
~Thomas j. Judge. one OF the justices OF
the supreme court OF Alabama, died In
Montgomery At O'Clock last night.
~The Paris papers allude TO the Belknap
scandal, and lament the decadenee of moral
ity In the United States.
~In Chariestown, Mas, yesterday
Spencer Decker, twelve years old, was held
in e5 900 bond, charged with casusing the
death Of Chas. n. Pressy, . playmate, nins
years old.
n0Zug & Co.. proprietors OF the Sable
ment yesterday. Liabilities estimated at
$3.50, 900; assets more than sufficient 70 cover
indebtedneos, and it IL thought an extension
win be granted.
ga Temperance society on q novel plan
has been organized In Chicago. Tue mem
bers are pledged, IL they wish 10 drink, In no
case TO exceed three drinks q day, aud re-
or ale at each meal.