Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-09
A "REMINISCENCES OF gMsRsov.

Many years ago, | was one day journey.
ing from Brattleboro TO Boston, alone. As
the train weat on from station to station,
1t gradually filed, until there was no seat
left unoccupied in the car excepting the one
by my side. At Concord, the door of the
car opened, and Mr.. Emerson entered. He
advanced few steps into the car, looked
down the aisle, turned, and was about to go
out, believing the car TO be entirely full.
With one of those sudden impulses which
are acted upon almost before they are con.
sclously realized, | sprang up, and said,
son, Mr.. Emerson, here ia q seat -
As ne came towards me, with his serene
smile slowly spreading over his face, my
courage faltered. saw that be expected
to meet IN me an acquaintance, and as he
looked inquiringlY and hesitatiugly in my
face, made haste to say, "You do not
know me, blr. Emerson. | never had the
pleasure OF seeing you before. But | know
your face, and l could not resist the temp.
tation of the opportunity TO speak with
you. You know that so many people, who
are strangers to you, know you very well.
Perhaps there should not be the word
stranger in any language" he answered
slowly, IN tone and with kindly look
which at once set my timidity at ease. 81
do not know any good reason for it.
In short time, with that rare faculty
which he hsd for drawing out of each his
Utmost thought, he had led me into speak.
ing to him, with half-familiar freedom, of
my own personal history, and of my expe-
rience as a mother, Hardly by question SO
much as by tone and expression, he made
me feel at liberty to confide to him some of
the many perplexities and doubts with
which every young mothers heart is bur.
deRed.
His replies were more IN the form of sug-
gestions than of solutions to the doubts, or
direct meeting of the perpexities. He told
me much OF his own theories, somewhat of
his own experience. Many of his words
renamed vivldly present with me for years,
and more than once required to my mind
in situations when they bore the weight
came in with the appropriateness of
spYi1c advice, in immediate emergencies.
One point L recoilect Sc most earnestly
dwelt upon was the uDspeakable value of
simplicity of life and surroundings as an
agency IN the formation of character. OF
this ne spoke at length, and with great fer
vor. He said that the children of rich
men were born at such disadvantage in this
respect that it was question if all their
other advantages, such as educational facil.
tiles, travel, ETC., could make up for it.
This is the true meaning" he SAID,
half humorously, g. of scripture which is
much misquoted-that it is easier for the
camel to 90 through needles eye than for
a rich man TO enter the kingdom of heaven.
1t does not mean that the rich man must
necessarily find it harder not to sin than
another man on the contrary, he is re.
moved from some of the deadliest forms of
temptation TO sin. But the kingdom of
heaven which the creative worker knows is
shut against him. Into that heaven we
have to be driven, either by need or by
the narrowing of the ministering horizons
of our lives"
One sentence which he spoke in con.
Hection with this was said with such lin.
gering emphasis that it stamped itself in.
delbly upon my memory. He said !:
When think how [ am sparing my boy
all that made me-the barefoo led chambers
and the stern denisls of poverty-I know
l am making mistake. Bat" he added,
after pause, 81 cannot help it"
In later years / had the privilege and
pleasure of seeing Mr.. Emerson frequently.
At one time | spent few days with him in
friends house at Newport, Rhode Island.
There was something in the dreamy seren-
ity OF the bay, upon which my friend's
house stood, that greatly charmed Mr.
Emerson, and his remark on first looking
out over the water was characteristic
one. Ii was from the dining room win
dows that he looked. We had given him
seat from which he could see the bay.
As we took our places for breakfast, he
gazed acroEs The shining silver surface, and
said half dreamily, "Aud there are clocks
in Newport ?"
1t was some minutes before any one per-
ceived the precise drift of this question /;
and during the brief interval of our be-
wllderment the smile on Mr. Emerson's
face deepened and spread, until his whole
countenance beamed with humorous enjoy
ment on our perplexity.
How precious is every memory of those
days. The tender yet bensficent way in
which Mr.. Emerson listened for replies to
the searching questions he sometimes put
had In it a certain expression of uucon-
scious royslty that no words c1uld convey
and it kindled in ones breast that mingled
sentiment Of affection and incentive to all
possible effort for which allegiance is the
only fitting name. As time goes on it will
be more and more sure that he is the one
truest representative our republic has
borne, his thought and bis words the truest
rendering of the republics idea, and his
life and character the truest fulfilling oil
the republics IDEAL Atlantic Monthly.