New-York tribune., 1882-04-28

and in 1877 an essay on perpetual Forces"
characteristic Raper, presenting remarKhoe ii'"s
tration of the peculiar qualities OF the a''no'
genius and his intellectual habits and methods ~
Affords" wrote Mr. Ripley a curious comp'na''o"
of homely panness of speech ana singular io'lo
ment of thought The practical sense Oh 'no ma"
of affairs the wisdom of the philosopher anu ''.o ~
fancy of the poet are equally conspicuous III ''S
nogosv Following this appeared The Fortunes oi
The Renublic~ an address delivered in Dehaii ol 'he
effort TO save the Old South Church In Boston from
a..str,ction March 80 1873. In review OF TINS
oddross nnblished in TIE TRIBUNE, DIR. Ripley
| wrote:
| Mr. Fmerson's subtle idealism Is never seen IN
| mnre attractive light than when applied TO the
eluciGation of practical SUBJECTS lis keenno' ~ W.
| thought preserves him from the Illusions Vi ,ilo
senses while his perceptions of reality afford sale
guard against the audacious flights oil specu!a,I;n
Few living writer's possess wlder OF iHGio ,L
range of observation, and none surpass hiin III 'Ie
aptness of his conclusions from the iacts OF eAPsi
encc In the present discourse. MI Emerson @ u,s-
cusses in his serene and quiet way the Ih,ai ten
dtion of public affairs: without tne sipntIss LfI I'll
dencv TO The sprlt OF boastlng he takes cheerIuI
survey of the accomplishments OF tne pns'. nFo fa
mo- series of healthy suggestions which are none
the less available because bearing ,ne of the
fornG o The Republic are based his cony
! tions of the permanence, the supremacy ana the
benirnity of universal laws In ms cn9erIut 19 i
ait
! alone be the favored aims OF mankind tNcLy
useful every elegant art the height oil 1eason, .ne
noblest Affection the purest religion "n, nrr laws
their home in our institutions anu "IIVo oui -"
for The benefit OF nan
His last essay, " The Superlatlve," appearou III
The Century for February 1882.
Mr. Emerson was married twice. Ills hrst WIG
Miss Ellen Louisa Tucker. of Boston, dled III 100
n year after her marriage. By his secohu WHO
Lidian Jackson, of Plymouth. Mass ne hau 'nieo
children two daughters and one son, Eu"aru
Waldo who was graduated at Harvard College i'll
1866 and afterward studied medicine. vi the
daughters Edith married Mr.. William H. Forpes'
Of Milton. Mass; the elder Ellen, is unmarried.
Mr. Frerson's life at Concord was that OF the
patrarch of the village, which has recognized hln
rs one of the most useful and philosophical OF It's
citiyens as well as one Of tho most lovable OF the
several distinguished men hose fame has made
that otherwise historical locality widely known III
y different wav He was the friend not only OF
Alcott and Thoreau and Hawthorne, all his towns
men, but of the PLAIN farmers OF the vlclhage' Io
was the promoter of all wise schemes Tor the puDic
good ready upon all occasions to take part III
nnblic meetings: and notwithstanding his studious
habits bis was constant and intelligent interest III
all public affairs. When he returned from Europe
with his daughter in 1878, the children oil Tue
pnI1ic schools of Concord gathered at the railway
81 ~
greet him. A procession escorted him to his home
Nnich Ind been partially destroyed by fire before
| his denorfure and was rebuilt during his absence
BEFORE il WAS triumphal arch bearing the word
| 81 Welcome" Under this and letween the INES Oh
| children. MI Emerson entered his bone. MI
| Emerson always had the tellcitous faculty OF
creating an atcctionate personal interest," Vhousi
no man was ever more radically uLearned Ill the
arts by which popularity is won.
His interest in the social affairs of home Mr.
Emerson extended to the political affairs OF the
Y hole country. Whenever question OF humanity
or progress was moOted, he was sure to be 1ound
upon the right side, his rare common sense equalilng
fine zeal of others. while he lent something OF
poetic charm TO the most prosac details lie mas
never" says Colonel 7. W. Higginson. held him.
self aIoof like Goethe from the public agitatons oil
his time. but has always practically recognized the
truth of his own formula To-day is KING III dls-
guise'" lie was with the early abolitionists when
to be so was to risk something OF position ana OF
nubllc reputatiOn. In lS44 he gave q remarkable
address on the anniversary of eman epation IN the
| British West Indies He like his brother. the
| much lamented Charles Emerson, stood hfmly 1or
| free thought and free speech i'll Boston at time
when both were sorely assalled by the timid pro-
slavery conservatism of that city. Harriet Marti-
| neau in her autobiography, tells how bravey
| Waldo Emerson stood by her when Boston good
society osracised her for attending an antislavery
| meeting in 1856 He told me-" says the lady'
q that ne did not see that there any particular
| thing for him to do about slavery then; but when
| in coaches or steamboats, or anywhere else he saw
neonle of color il-uscd or heard bad sentiment or
| doctrine propounded, lie did what he could and
said what he thought He sgned the call for the
first National Womans Rights Convention" In
$3.50 He was one of the founders of n social CLUB
In Boston, and even took an interest III INC
| arrangements for eating and drinking, insisting
upon them when it was proposed that none shouI"
| he made Never was philosopher with more
catholic regard for the comfort. the happiness ana
| the liberty of all or with more genial toIeratlon
| for thought which was not his and which he might
not accent. He had way OF speaking plainly some
times but never sharply or ll-naturedIy; II he dll
moi wish to talk with a man woman he pleasantly
said So and that was end of the matter. do not
wish to hear you talk-I had rather go to bed,' he
once said to a wealthy gentleman whose guest he
| was: and to bed he went. IL was impossible to be
| offended for he made it understood past contro-
yersy that his own way was the only way for hlin-
SELF into whatever paths others pleased 10 wander
whether aimessly or otherwise. Some OF his say
ngs had a curt epIgrammatic turn worthy OF an ola
Greek philosopher. 81 perceive that you are stlll
! 1ounderlng in the mud of dalectics," was all the
| remark which he v0uchsaicd TO young man WHO
| had undertaken to "prove" something to him.
| When Walt Whitmans first and rather free poems
were published. Mr.. Emerson said of them " Ihey
have physical sqnint"-a summing up and settle
ment of the subject at stroke. His taste, truth
! and good-nature were equally inGomitable.
| Though he had something Of the separate atmos-
phere of the recluse about him. his life AS has beeu
intlmated, was far from being clostered. Acott
said of him: He, if any, must have taken the
census of the admirable people of his time, mum
boring as many among his friends as most living
Americans He cheerfully undertook his share OF
public work he was an OverSeer of Harvard Col