Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-10-24
Ancient Art.

lish proposition for q Systematic and
competent exploration of the seats oil
ancient empire in western Asia, says
that Z" the success which has attended
the exploration of Palestine and the
limited research that has been made il
other parts of Asia Minor give assur.
ance of grand discoveries to result
from such an enterprise. Speaking Of
the relics already possessed, throwing
light on the ancient Babylonian empire,
the London Globe remarks that they
cannot but fill with establishment any
one who will take the trouble to ex.
anime them, showing, as they do, that
in an age of the world which we are &C.
customed to regard as an age of all
but universal darkness and savagery
there fourished degree of learning
and civilization which seems in many
respects to have been but little behind
our own. It is really startling to find
library catalogue compiled some 4, O00
years ago, appended to which is q di-
rection to the student to write down
and hand to the librarian the number
of the book he wishes to consult, just
as he would have to do to-day ut the
British museum or the Guildhall Ii.
brary. There are now in the collection
at Bloomsbury, Assyrian bass.reliefs
testifying to an extinct but advanced
civilization to an extent of which com.
paratively few persons have any idea.
Which leads us to make deprecatory
remark or two. "The age in which
we live" has advanced in natural sci.
ences more than in anything else. We
have our steamboats,, railroads, tele-
graphs, telephones, steel bridges, and a
million others. The earth is no longer
fiat. We travel round and round it,
until its fniteness becomes symbol OF
intiDity. We count the stars and tell
their seasons. From the smallest to
the greatest of natures magnifcences,
the constant developments of science
are opening golden doors. Algebra
and the telescope prophesy the comet;
and the microscope shows us the Won
ders of gnat's heel. Ere long, the
spy may walk among us, with little
phonograph in his pocket, and repeat
our private conversations in our own
voices. The greatest discovery that
We have made is that nature is undis-
coverable. Her wonders never
cease"
But in aesthetics, the ancients were
not little behind our age, but in adj
vance of it. Considering the scientific
knowledge which we have and they
had not, their superiority is beyond
calculation.
The most beautiful architecture of to.
day is the everyday architecture of
ancient Greece. The only real depar-
ture from it is the Gothic; and even
that, in its medieval ruggedness, is
sublime beside our Mansard roofs and
pigeon-hole towers. The ruins of q
more ancient architecture, the Egyp-
tian, show massive stones at height
where human ingenuity cannot put
them now. Who can make Damascus
blade? There is not in the world to-
day, a library like that of ancient Alex
andria. Every discovery that IS made
among those "ruins of the past" shows
little subtleties of art which we cannot
compass. Even our laws are those of
ancient empires, modified only by con-
stantly recurring necessities, and soft
ened by the influences of higher re.
ligion.
The more we look back, and the more
we look forward, the more modest we
will be. Our ignorance of the lost arts
may be as great misfortune to us as
to Archimedes was his ignorance of the
steam engine. Our forward look shows
US universe that is still unknown, into
whose mysterious depths we are creep
ing every day. In this progress, "the
light CT other days" will help us vastly;
and it will shine on US to the end.-
Burlington Ha,rheye.
A L1TTL HERo.-A house belonging
to Captain Bennett of Mackinac, stu
ated on the north shore, near the
Schneaux, was burned recently. The
three children of the Indian who had
charge of the place had been left locked
up in the house, while he and his wife
were visiting his wife's mother. The
eldest OF the children was boy eight
years of age. The house took fire in
the night, and the boy, not being able
to get out of the doors, and the windows
being securely fastened, was only able
to escape by taking an axe and chopping
his way out of the window. He then
took the younger children out. They
remained about the house till morning,
wrapping their feet up in some blank.
cts to keen them from freezing. They
waited until noon the next day fol
their parents to come, and they not
doing so, the little fellow put the two
smaller ones on hand-sled and hauled
them down to their grandfather's four
miles Observation-Disclosures (Mich.) Irib
une.
A Washington teacher says that
pupils should not be allowed to study
more than three subjects contempt.
raneous1y, except, perhaps, in grammar
schools ; that all other instructions
should come in general exercises, and
that not more than one half of the
time Of pupils in the school-room, in
GLIDING general exercises, should be
occupied in recitations. Another teach
er says that pupils should have more
time for the matter and manner of let
ter writing in all its branches. since
they do not comprehend the different
forms of friendly, social and business
letters.