The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-02-14

many writers delight to mystify th
reader-showing thought, reasoi
and a generous knowledge. H
crowns these brilliant yet simpl
talks with the conversion of Isaacs
to the dangerous ideality of woman
on earth, and the Immortality 0
her spiritual being. Ram Lal, tn,
adept, who exerts himself NOR,
than once in behalf of Isaacs, is 6
character of rare type, and though
he constantly leads us int
the realms of Buddhism, yet 81
skiiiully and beautifully does tht
author WELD his pen just here, tha'
we are apt to lose sight of the dan
gers of this fair haven of whicf
Ram Lal gives US glimpse,and to the
casual reader he would possibl,
symbol the perfect christian. His
life and character call forth some OF
the authors best thoughts. Isaacs
is led to discuss with his friend
Griggs higher Buddhism, transcen-
dentalism, synthetic and objective
thought, he compares the learning
of the adept not the ascetIc whom
he scorns) but the higher adept,
with that of the European philoso-
pher. He essays to show how one
gains his knowledge through bodily
senses, which are often deceptive,
the other by his thorough knowl-
edge of the laws of nature, and the
highly analytical method he uses,
subdividing phenomena to a sur
prising extent, and observing the
strictly abstemious life they deem
necessary to attain the high degree
of sensitiveness essential to the per-
ception OF the more subtle phenome-
ma. And thus Isaacs is made to speak
of transcendental analysis as ap-
piled to the every day affairs of
life, with familiarity that startles
his friend, and yet there is a natu-
ralness about him-everything he
says and does, that we never for a
nom ent call him a god or a saint
or huma an wonder, but unconscious
ly regard him as a good and great
man. Just here, too, we feel the
convictions of the German philoso-
pher, Kant, make powerful and
brilliant the logic of Griggs, and
we can not but consider the picture
in this light as dangerous as attrac
tive.
When Isaacs is blessed with the
love Of the woman he adores, it is
by no sacrifice or pronounced effort,
but simply the fascinating powers
of heart and mind which owe their
strength to pure goodness and wis
dom. The character of the young
the revenue commits
sioner, and John Westonhaugh, are
well drawn and play easily and
naturally the parts assigned them.
AS for the poor old miserly Mahara-
jah, he is one of the authors most
life-like and vivid conceptions,
and the boldness that characterizes
the sketch is no mean effort OF the
artist. He gives US a miserable,
contemplate man, yet breathing
withal. Mr.. Crawford does not
make the marriage scene the
grand finale, but bids US stand with
Isaacs by the death bed of Cath
aine Westonhaugh, to whom he is
and who returns his calm
but powerful devotion with all the
strength of her womanly nature,
but as is too often the case in this
life of ours, the cypress is trimmed
where we looked but for the orange
flower. But tits to the beautiful
words of comfort and consolation
that fall from the lips of Ram Lal
we turn, and willingly forget that
counsel so pure and holy is after
all Buddhist counsel. But here
again does the author show his
subtle skill and knowledge; so ten
derly and lovingly does he appeal
to our better nature, so soft the
haze of self-abnegation, and so bril-
liant the future and glorious the
eternity which he paints that we
would fain lose sight of the
fact, that stripped of it beau
ty and viewed as nude fact,
it is simply pantheisn, and
most dangerous pantheism, since
the inaccurate mind is likely never
to recognize it. But we prefer to
remember Mr.. Crawford's book
simply as one of the brightest,
most pungent original books that
have been given US for some time.
We prefer to lose sight of empiri-
cism and materialism on. the one
side and transcendentalism on the
other, and see only in Ram Lars
idealism, beautiful thought, and
chaste expression, his counsel typi-
cal of pure religious ideality, for we
can only charge to him at farthest
the sin of omission, certainly not
commission, and why can we not
think that q savior was in his heart
and hope though never once ut
tered. ii.