The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-01-25

and artistic beauty shat he exposes
the ugliness of vice. lie let the
light on and waited to Sc the dark
ness vanish. The man himself is the
antithesis Of all that is low in art or
sordid in life. So finely does he i'm
personate his own ideal that one
were prone to seek that ideal in being
like him, if it we're not vain to at
tempt counterfeit Of what is so di-
rectly coined from natures gold.
Abont him is a womanly tenderness
that tempts you highland yet coupled
with this is something divine that
forbids too near approach.
No man of his century, or any
other century we might say, has a
character so nearly on level with
his lofty thinking and aspiration as
the author of ''Nature.' He may be
a hereto in doctrine; nut the purity
and sweetness of the man are a per-
petual delight to his friends and ad.
mirers. The irreproachableness OF
his character stands in tn midst OF
degenerate wo:ld as granite shaft
against which the darts of envy are
broken and hurled away. He was
not, to be sure, exempt from envy.
Indeed, with his independence of
thought, his bold speculation and
con suming enthusiasm. his escape
from envy's pointed arrows had been
miracle. No one better than he H.
lustrates his own words: ''Enthnsi-
asm is the height Of man; it is the
passing from the human to the di
vine" On this height his pure soul
rested as that of an ''Olympian bard
who sang divine ideas below"
An unfailing charm about Emerson
is the fervor with which he worships
nature. It was as a poet that he
paid devotion at her shrine. And.
like Wordsworth. who inaugurated
new era Of poetry in which the disci-
pie has excelled the master, he saw
her spiritually alive. He delights
''To look on nature, not as in the hour
Of thoughtless youth; but hearing often
times
The still, sad music of humanity
A characteristic incident is told of
Wordsworth that illustrates as well
as Emerson's love of nature. A Wis
ltor called one day on the author of
"TinterD Abby and asked to be
shown into the study of the great
poet. A servant informed the in
quire1 that the poets library was in
the house but that he studied in the
fields. Of himself Emerson has said
"The forest is my loyal friend,
A Delphic shrine to me.''
Not a few are found who love the
forms ef nature, who love to
ramble in wood and field ard watch
her changing aspects. or toy with her
as with the LOCKS of a
freakish maiden. But the number is
small who have keen appreciation
of her spiritual side and who feel a
sympathetic heart.throb with the
pulse beats of he spiritual laws. How
much this love Of nature Influenced
his character and thinking, opens
field of it's own. Yet it seems rele.
want to say here that no one can
thus live under the power Of her en-
chantment without being better in
thought, in feeling, and in purpose.
Whatever the opinions of the cir
cumstance by which the Reverend"
was voluntarial,y dropped from his
name and lie became plain Mr.. En-
erson, no one can fail to admire the
sincerity of the man. lhe sweetness
of religious sentiment expressed in
the hymns for the church Of which he
was pastor, The broad synpathies,
by mere technicalities
that show themselves in his last pull
pit discourse. the tenderness OF his
''farewell'' letter, all Dear testimony
to what George Elliot has wisely
said 1T is possible, thank Heaven !!
to have very erroneous theories and
very sublime feelings
Emerson was not a man of action.
But so long as ideas are such potent
factors in human affairs. so long as
spiritual forces are stronger than
material, SO long as beauty Of charac-
ter and heroism Of mind inspire to
nobler achievements the races OF
men, so long will it not be lanented
that the forces of Emerson's life
were spent in action less and more in
thoughts. As an inspirer of others
to chivalrous deed is his influence
most powerful. Here we look for
the fruits Of life; which we turn to
the nobleness of his nature, the pure
and lofty spirit Of the man, as leg
acy of which not only his country.
but the world may be proud.
w. H. OSBORNE.
1t is said that pencil drawings
T. Il L.. II