Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-08-21

said, "hey, prestoi" and could have watched
the fair lecturers as they vanished, one by
one, into some moated castle, and seated
themselves at the embroidery frame. Car
such be the result of the refinements of Bos-
ION ~culturei Better, then, the less highly
-efaed education of the west that gives
more exact knowledge Of history, and so
fuller appreciation Of or century.
I regretted that circumstance did not per-
init of my remaining through the entire
course; but | heard the, week on Plato intro
duced by an amusing bit of by-play A
Bestonian smiled down upon a western
sister, saying, Il suppose you are not well
acquainted with Platof"
The answer came with entire simplicity.
"a friend and l have been studying him a
good deal for the last six years.
,"In translation of course, urged the Bos-
tonian.n
"Oh, no, always in the original was the
reply. CONSERVATION and hasty retreat.
Well, the week on Plato is ended, and l
hear from a friend that she got a few clear
conceptions, though, on the whole, she is still
vague as to the oneness of nothingness and
the finiteness of infinity. She thinks she
sees that what is isn't, and what isn't be-
comes, but is not wholly convinced that "the
mind is always ising or thinging things"
One lecturer said these Uitdl points We're, at
first, a little obscure, and the audience
actually had enough sense left to greet the
assertion with roars of laughter.
But all work and no play makes Jack a
dull boy; so to relieve the philosophic mind
there are occasional picnfcs and receptions.
One breezy inotaphysician, of the feminine
gender, though quite unknown to everybody,
gushingly invited all the students to her
rooms, generously extending her invitation to
the l~esturers and some of the people OF Con-
cord. She declared her intention beforehand
of making her "at home" a complete success
When the multitude was assembled in her
diminutive apartments she asked two of the
School of Philosophy speakers if they had
anything to say. Naturally, they had not.
The courtesy was returned-'shaye you moth
ing to give us yourself?' The fair hostess
proved to be a poet who had been doomed to
sing unheard. Here was her opportunity,
She breathed out her inmost soul. One OF
the deepest thoughts was
'Gi rose, i love Jnee,
Fair rose, love thee stillY'
There was no appearance of atfectatlon or
conceit, the abnormal sentimentalism was
wholly sincere. She had come a long distance
she said, to throw herself at the feet OF
| one lecturer-one of the masculine gender
naturally.
Concord and its inhabitants are the chief
glory of the School of Philosophy. Among
pleasant experiences was q observation-disclosures
reception at Mr.. and Mrs. Hoar's, and severa!
happy meetings with Louise Alcott. Con.
versation with the charming wife of Frank
b. Sanborn made me doubly sorry in missing
his lectures.
Miss Alcott calls herself, in referring to her
/ r,tI,,,l. ,,,.,tSr5 tho SrbnpI pf pbi1ocnnbJy
"a naughty outsider.' The description ap,
plies to most Concord people. The doctrine
of the Hillside chapel is not food to their souls.
1t is exceptional to see an "old inhabitant'
present. They smile good naturally at the
whole venture, and, with patronizing tone,
f~oretell its decease from season to season.
What has kept it alive is to them and tc
many others a mystery.
But to return to Miss Alcott; she is @
woman given to practical effort, and really
has no leisure to devote to fruitless theorizing
She talks exactly like her books, and is JUS
as frank, just as charming as they. She ha'
a keen sense of humor and recognizes thu
can't of the "isms." 1 heard her graphically
describe a community her father once started
1t was more thorough going than Brool
Farm-no compromise there with degenerate
humanity. The wearing of linen was thei
supreme doctrine; no other material fol
clothes was permitted. One disciple declared
nudity was the chief necessity, and woult
have ridden his naked hobby but for the re
monstrances of good Mrs. Alcott. AT las
this son of Adam adopted fig leaf, in shape o
linen sheet, with q hole in the center TO
his head to slip through. In thi
meagre attire he wandered away over tn
hills into the forest primeval. He fed o,
berries and roots, but, alas! was picked VI
and brought home insensible at the end o
three days. Another disciple thought cookies
food the root of all evil, and ate his potatoes
beans and peas raw. Another joyous mem
Der believed Juliet's philosophy whats in
NAME" and used to say "damn you" for SEC
bless YOU" holding that as he was known t.
be u man running over with the milk o
human kindness n curse from him was tende
greeting. Still another festive gentleman
there was who claimed the right to d
just what he felt like at any given me
ment. Often at the midnight hour Gttl
Louise was awakened by the shrieks an,
bowls of this aspiring soul. He would roll o.
the floor, making melody the while, the ex
PLANTATION being: II feel like it," But througl
the fiery furnace Louise Alcott passed un
scathed. She is a brave, common sens
woman, who quite single-handed has ,~o
an honored name in American literature
Her ineness of feeling and good judgmen
came out strongly upon one point. A vel
~intentioned but unwise person persuaded Nh
Alcott to go to the school one morning
Miss Alcott opposed this until opposition wa
fruitless. l shall never forget the womanl
tenderness, the injured pride in her tone, q
she said in referring to the occurrence, 4"
dislike exhibitions of infirmity." As W
parted from Miss Alcott she said, "Get u