St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-23
Why Dar,oim Did Not Care for Poetry and
Religion.

I have heard it said that the sagacious and
admirable naturalist whom we lost not long
ago, Mr.. Darwin, once owned to friend that
for his part he did not experience the neces-
sity for two things which most men find so
necessary to them-poetry and religion, sci
ence and the domestic affections, he thought
were enough. To born naturalist, l can
well understand that this should seem so. So
absorbing in his occupation with nature, so
strong his love for his occupation, that he
goes on acquiring natural knowledge of and
and reasoning upon it, and has little time or
inclination for thinking about getting it rela-
ted to the desire in man for conduct, the de-
sire in man for beauty. He relates it to
them for himself as he goes along, so far as
he feels the need; and he draws from the do
nestle affections all the additional solace nee
essary. But then Darwins are very rare,
Another great and admirable master of ma
tural knowledge, Faraday was a Sandman
ian. That is to say, he related his knowledge
to his instinct for conduct and to his instinct
for beauty, by the aid of that respectable
Scottish secretary, Robert Sandman. And
so strong in general is the demand of relig-
ion and poetry to have their share in a man,
to associate themselves with his knowing,
and to relieve and rejoice it, that for one
man amongst US with the disposition to do
as Darwin did in this respect, there are fifty,
probably, with the disposition to do as Fara-
day.
Education itself lays hold upon US by sat
isfying this demand. Professor Huxley
holds up to scorn medieval education, with
its neglect of the knowledge of nature, its
IF CIR i4s 81
logic devoted to Showing how and why that
which the church said was true must be true
But the great mediaval universities were not
brought into being, we may be sure, by the
zeal for giving jejune and contemplate
education. Kings have been their nursing
fathers, and queens have been their nursing
mothers, but not for this. The medieval
universities came into being because the sup
posed knowledge delivered by Scripture and
the church so deeply engaged mems hearts,
by so simply, easily, and powerfully relating
itself to the desire for conduct, the desire for
beauty. All other knowledge was dominated
by this supposed knowledge and was subor-
dinated to it, because of the surprising
strength of the hold which it gained upon
mems affections by allying itself profoundly
with their sense for conduct and their sense
for beauty.-MATTHEW ARNOLD, in The
Manhattan for April.
Ed,yiT1 Booths EueIy-day appearance.
Of sorrow, trials and disappointments,
Mr.. Booth has had his share. Has his not
been life free from the shadow of affection
nor has he been able through the aid of
cold and serene philosophy to reach.
ssThe lucid interspace of world and world,
Where never creeps a cloud, or moves wind,
Nor ever falls the least white star of snow,
Nor ever lowest roll of thunder means,
Nor sound of human sorrow mounts to mar.
Their sacred everlasting calm
Instead of this he has suffered as all fine
temperaments and sensitive natures suffer.
But amid all his trials he has proved himself
a man, and the discipline of sorrow has so
sweetened and purified his nature that even
in his daily life and social contact ne seems
the ideal Hamlet. A pensive air of sadness
sits upon his brow, but there is no appear
ance of fixed and sullen gloom. Indeed it is
| impossible to speak with him five minutes
without perceiving that sad sweet music per-
vades his nature and fits him naturally into
| the character of Hamlet. In man of such
1 a temperament the darkness of human life
is illumin ated by the beauty of an ideal world
and in this way the spiritualized intellect
recognizes in sorrow a means OF culture and