, 1881-10-15
LITERATURE.
A Contribution to Our
knowledge Of En-
erson.
The Most Brilliant Lettor-Wri
Of the Seventeenth
Century.
Short History OF the Bible !;
md Other Theological
Works.
A Miscellaneous Collection of
Books Of Minor Inn
portance.
School l-Gtrls-NVOrks G. OIL Art
NEagnzlnes-Literary and
Art Notes.
LITERATURE.
RALpn WALDO EMERSON

RALpH WALDO EA11:lssON.
A biography Of n living man. however
carefully II may bo prepared, II nlwuys opclt
tn many objections. And ns The iffe Of tho
ssblec: of tho biography isstiil Incomplete, so
afso the work Itself IL in tlse nature nf fraE-
,ncMt. While men Tive we study them frOlM
their works. After their hcnt!l critical M
niysls and investigation assigns them their
true placc IN the gallery Of history. Tint 1t
Is necessarily incomplete II me ob]cctlon.
therefore, to sucli Il b0ok ns Mr.. Guernsey l'ns
wrlttun. There Ii Nftutl.cr. Tho alItlIUr Is
MI uyercntlusiastic adInirer mud follower of
tho tnall Of whom l,u writes. There II, tllorc-
fore, eve,, less completeness n6ollt Ills work
tlan II 1t l,a.l .been written by ono WHO
brnught MI unprc1ntticctt mind to tito
task. Mr.. Guernsey adopts, ullhesintlng'y,
every tGnet Of Tho E,nersonfnii philosophy
and itlcalsn. l1o swallows Ills pant!lc1ssn
with uyitlity, md even goes so fur ms to try
to mako clearer soino Of t!lo grand aid noble
snylngs OF tllo Concord Sage, lest through
their misunderstanding sO1Ile would-bo wor-
shIpcr may be turned FROM Ills idol. 1lo does
not improve OIL Emerson. The German
writer, Grimm, Mt first Inspection, pronounced
E,nerson's essays "Blccr NONSENSE" and
was ''obliged ti blast Ills way thro,igh tho
essays by Tho aid Of n tiett0nnry.n hut Eli
glisEl.speaking ,.coplc tiud no such difficulty
IN understanding EIlinrsol's l,laxtlls nild
writings. llis mysticism, Is not ., Of words.
tho nd0pted formula of expression. And
here neither a1r. Guernsey Ur nuy ono elsn
would be OF mitch assistance as Ill inter-
prefer.
X N,nn leading n purely literary llfo md
known 10 the w,rln only BY hls printed
works Is not apt to have NJ! cyGntfrl life.
S,tel, ns it Is Mr.. Guernsey tells no worry little
nbnut It, nor DOES l,e l'lss ally valuable critl-
Influence. i pny, well be asked, thol', .w!nt
las lie done? lie llns co1npilrd life of Eli
crsol by collecting anotntlons from tho
lattcr's works. coslncctlng them Together not
estss ys fss FEN i" s Spas 5 fE e otsr Trs," tS 'ss%
suci, rs WItpplee,, Frothlnghan', aH!
attempted, but it. nids nothing either
to hns or o10S ST c 9nnonSS a h or co',,a tS w!at
to llterature tile, volume Is Of !lttle value.
But ttlat 1t contains n,ucli nf benefit to n
reader Is rs true of 1t .ns 1T Woull be Of nny
collection Of excerpts from Einerson's wrlt-
f iofftn. It VIII cnnble many to hotter nppre.
clatu and become familiar with the wise
tenchings Of MI, iflustrIons' man. wlio. IS
Oftencr quoted tl'an rcad, aud mora fre-
tIuently consulted tliaH studied. To Qu0to
from Emerson Is by sonle considered I'd u.-
mud to Indicate the possession OF 4 n,nl of
such ynst nnti trtintt extent tint It's so!e Rp-
proprlnte Held fur labor IL i'll superficial OK
iiMt It''''S;o' 10 Study Enersoi,, to .l"iur.
stnnd him., to appreciate l!nt t,s
poet, philosopher, nnd tenct.gr. Is attenntcd
by So few that lI1 tMs come Il, be considered
by mnMy us something dangDraus-1lke n
powder Mnenzi'lc, to hu. viewed only from
afnr. The cileap.less and convenient size ut
this y0hl,llu will bring 1t within reach Of nil.
II Will not nnkn hignted wurshipers, bit
1t rluy he!p to relieve tiint ignoranGa, OF tho
with w!,!cl, Too many people who nro called
Intelligent and well-Trntl are nflllctuil.
Published III New York BY u. Appleton
s. Co.