Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-16
INSTITUTE LECTURE.

Delng taken INTO account, az eAoeA.~s -
dience in attendance. The lecture proved to
be profoundly philosophical, and was devoted
to the consideration of the traits OF the mind
of George Eliot, and an analysis of the chief
works Of that writer He did not enter into
any biographical account, but proceeded sc
| onea to examine into the rank of George Eliot
among the English fiction writers. Always
excepting Shakespeare he placed her as
second to none, and led his hearers to
the conclusion that she was greater
than the others. There were things
concerning which women could never
write or do as well as men, it
had been said by De Quincy. They could
hardly produce from their ranks an equal to
Mozart or Michael Angelo, but even this
judgment should be modified, and George
Eliot rose in her sphere superior to the con-
clusion stated. NoFelists deal in incidents,
recitals and events, or in character. One
class treats entirely of the acts of people, the
other of the people themselves, their motives,
thoughts inspirations, ambitions and hopes.
George Eliot possessed Mlltonlan mind,
and whether she could do other things well
or not, was not the question, so long as she
was machless and unapproachable IN her
philosophy of human beings and motives,
systemless as it was. The attributes ct hui
mainly, not It's acts alone, gave her themes.
s'Daniel Dsronda" and s. Adam Bede'
were her greatest works, the former differing
from all others in its intense dramatic inter
est and in the lofty conception typitied in the
hero Of the story, clothed in almost the per-
lection of justice and love. Her views
of the moral nature OF man were not narrow
and one-sided. but were broad and exalted.
She reflected in her works the lottlness OF
her own mind We see in our fellow-men
s., ~, o,rpuolvsn I'hn N yUhO
abuses all mankind, and pronounces all men
rascals, is nearer to that state than those he
would make out so vile. Those select ma
lures who find nothing in pants or petticoats
euual.to or good enough for themselves are
the peculiarly narrow souls that sffiict the
earth. A great politician it was who told
great musician that as for him, he had too
much talent TO be musician, and the latter
replied that the trouble was SO many men
had too little talent to be great musicians.
He considered the grandest exhibition of
Eliot's 1nasterly power to be in the contrast
between Dinah and her opposite. The
one the loftiest of natures, the other
too shallow for any sense of shame.
Upon the character of Dinah he enlarged,
and analysed the wonderful picture the
genius of Eliot produced in that mastery
touch. The work she had in hand in these
two characters was as great as any writer
below the immortal bard had ever conceived
of. In considering the question, What is
the root of George Eliot's philosophy ?" he
said the tendency of the thought of the times
is to modify responsibility BY the circum-
stances surrounding the individual-taken in
the broadcast sense. To regard man as link in
the chain of causes and an item in the result
in other words, to increase the power of cir
cumstances. This marks the revival of hui
manity, and has, for instance, revolutionized
the treatment of the insane. It has filed all
thoughtful minds with a sense of the
awfulness of existence. But like all great
truths it is exposed to the risk of being taken
for the whole truth, and when SO taken it
does away with human accountability. To
this extreme George Eliot tended, and this
accounts for the shadow on her path. In
regard to her the student of her works feels
that she was greater than her writings, that
she adapted herself to narrow channel her
nature did not seek. Had she been possessed
Of the faith and hope of her own Dinah, she
would have arisen to be one of the grandest
human beings that ever lived. but her failing
in this regard led him to bemoan her mistake
and sorrow over her error. During the lee
ture, which was abstruse and concise and
analytical. the speaker read many passages
from Eliot's works illustrative of the views
he entertained of her mind.
EQUESTRIAN DIsPLAY.-Day before yes
terday, just at evening, a society gentleman,
well known in Sacramento, walked home
with couple of young ladies to the vicinity
of Eighth and l streets. just as they
reached the gate another young gentleman
rode up horseback upon frisky steed, and
was asked by the first one if he might take a
ride Assent was given, and he mounted
and started off, while the ladies observed his
equestrianism. The horse was not used to
his new rider, and from appearances the
rider was not much used to that class of exer-
else, for as the pony started up in pretty
frisky manner and rapid gate the rider CON-
menced an iuartistic and unpleasant shuttle
movement from the saddle to about two feet
above, in which position he played back and
forth at the rate of about 120 per minute.
The exercise was too vigorous and exciting
to permit the maintaining of self-coni-
dence, and he dropped the reins and
anchored himself firmly with both hands to
the pommel of the saddle. The horse was
frightened at the new method, and sailed
down the street at furious rate, leaving the
riders hat behind in its course. Just as he
was about to disappear in the distance from
his watching friends, by bad steering on. the
part of the horse he came in collision with
the horse and carriage of DIR. Summons, that
happened to be in that part Of the city, and
although he escaped the necessity of surgical
attention on the part of the doctor, one of his
shoes was nearly torn off, and he was left in
a promiscuous condition. His disgust over
his experience at horseback riding in the
presence of his adorable was so pronounced
that he failed TO return for his hat, or to in
form the owner of the pony in which direc
ton his steed was going when last seen.
ASSUMES CHARGE-Sergeant J. a. Bar
wick assumes charge of the Signal Corps
Station at this point, in place of Sergeant
Sickler. to-day. and the latter leaves with
his family for San Diego next Monday. MIR.
Barwick has been employed in the Signal
Service for the past eight years, during which
time he has successfully had charge of the
Signal Stations at st. Paul, Mimi, Yankton,
D. T., Mount Washington, n. H., Denver,
Col, and Alpena, Mich. The press at the
East, in mentioning his departure to this
post refer to his services in the Signal Corps
with highly complimentary remarks.
THE WRIT OF PRoHIB1TIoN.-The papers
IN the proceedings recently had to restrain
the State Controller from issuing warrants on
the allowance of claims audited by the
Drainage Commissioners of District No. l,
were served yesterday on the Controller by
the Bailiff of the Supreme Court. Duplicates
of the papers were served also upon the State
Treasurer. It is understood that the Attor
ney General will appear for the Controller,
and that he will be aided by Judge Belcher,
of Marysville, and other counsel representing
holders Of claims against the district.
ONLY ONE TEAM.-The Forester Gun Club
of Sacramento, with view to completing the
requisite number of teams to the shooting
tournament to be held at Folsom, commence
ing on the 9th instant, offered to make up
and enter second team, if desired. Objec-
ton, however, having been made from Ger
tain club to the entry of the second team, the
proposition for the two teams TO go from this
city has been withdrawn. The only object
upon the part of the Foresters in making the
offer was to fill out the entries.
MERCHANDISE REPoRT.-The following
freight for Sacramento passed Ogden on the
18th: For c. H Gilman, case dry goods; G.
w. Chesley & Co., barrels liquor (; Stand
ard Oil Company, 1,0S0 cases coal oil Vein
stock & Lubin, case hats, GA nested trunks
w. D. Comstock, Is boxes chairs Hunting
ton, Hopkins & Co., bundles iron, 20 crates
wheelbarrows, cases brushes; r. Stone Il
Co., cases webbing; Mohr & york, 2
boxes sausage.
POLICE ARREsTs.-John McMahon was