, 1880-04-28
aims ! The dTamatist who passed his life

#8AR0 E--|f 1HyI H. E~y0Nc -~ -
mon the stage. watching scenes and re-
hearsals OF scenes, would not produce
eieat work ; MOI, is it In, the midst of noise
mat mnSiclanS have learned most often to
compose 1t IS III peace that mems souls
gov, not amid the rush OF events which,
II they lasted long, would possibly even
lowersthe mental standard, lust as the
~longcontinued barbaric invasions are be.
lieved to have lowered the standard among
the citizens of the Roman Empire.
That is a bad illustration, because we
know so little OF the actual mental attitude
OF the true i" Romans" of the Barbarian
period, who may have displayed more
resource, more energy, and more self,
devotion than historians give them Gre
dit for but let Us take the ques-
ten dow to our own day. No IT,
lustration could be better than that OF the
American Civil War. which was not &C.
c~omRanled or followed by any elevation in
EDUCATIONAL Standard, or any production
! Of gEeat men and there is one event near
II nome. We are living now in what, If
we thought about it as posterity will
think, would appear a very wonderful
traction OF time,-a bit of the Victorian
Era, crammed with great events, as well
as with incidents which, if not great, nave
y certain scenic grandeur OF effect. The
world wa never more alive. There never
was q time when the world was more con-
sciOus OF stir, of great vents happening
and about to happen, of the birth OF new
and great things, of issues OF the highest
moment being almost hourly raised. Eve
ry nation is waiting for something which
IL feels will not be small. All Europe, the
only ciyilised portion OF the Old World, IS
arHing for war in such fashion that, i've
years hence, the young man who says he
has not been a soldier will, in saying 1t,
confess that he is either a cripple or d
priest. The greatest in extent OF Europe
an countries is shaken to It's centre with
revolutionary and anti revolutionary pas
sion, I'll Such events as the destruction OF
It's capital by fire, OF It's educated class
by popular massacre, OF lis dynasty
by explosions. are spoken OF DIS We
speak OF possible and not very eXtraordl-
harry occurrences. Europe stood listening
on March Ind to hear it st. petersburg
survived. In every country it is felt that
n slight incident, such as the death OF an
old hing or of a single statesman, might
produce a cataclysm or consequences which
would defect the course of all future MS
tory. In all countries men are listening
as 1t were, for telegramS which may Drlng
announcements of events such as IN Othef
ages occupied years, and were the SUD
jectS OF histories and poems. Even III our
own land, where events are usually sinai
Ter, the fall OF an entire system OF ponty,
which reaches in it's effects over the whoIe
world, may be, and it is known may be.
Immediately at hand, while the whole
cOmmunit is struggling tercely TOR ana
against radically opposed ideas. Events
could hardly be upon a larger scale, while
they effect and are watched by cOmmunl-
ties which should feel them thoroughly,
for they are communities just now Suppos.
cd to be greatly stirred with intellectual
life, discussing all things, testing all
things, inGuiring first of all into all things,
full of mental movement, and, as is sup
posed, of mental force and vigour. Ger
tainly, they are full of curiosity and specu-
latlon, and a kind of persistent, though
not very careful. watchfulness. 1t is an
age, or a bit of al age, which historians
will some day study and record as the
French do their Revolution, till we can
remember it almost hour by hour. And
yet it would be difficult to show that these
I great events in this susceptible age are
either breeding great men, or greatly ele-
waiting the national standard of any
nations life. Where are the great men
Certainly they are not here, where the
nation looks helplessly for guidance to two
septuagenarians; or in Germany, where
one man is SO completely all in all that the
nation has no brain but his, and would be
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