Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-03-27
ruE REVELATIONS OF A SOUL

In recent number of the critic, the fol-
lowing letter from Sydney Lanier TO MIR.
Paul Hamilton llsyne is so full of helpful,
inspiring thought that we give 1t to our
readers
"My DEAR Mr.. HANNE: Your forbear-
ance about that dark rhapsody of mine bank
rupts me: but my outstanding obligations
lie upon me so sweetly, and so unlike all
other debts, that l do not desire to take the
benefit of the act relieving insolvents, and
refuse to lie discharged | would not, of
course, have written to any ordinary CORES.
pondent what | write To you, for | should
very surely have been told that l was a
Iackadaisical fool, who needed work and
physic. These wonderful hells into which
we descend at all times-who will picture
them 10 one who has not dwelt in tn emr 1t
is idle to discuss colors with blind man.
AS for me, however, the good God has seen
tit TO arm me very singularly against the
dark hosts of temptations that dwell in these
places. The longing for stimulants, which
feel in common, | suppose, with all men of
like nature, defeats itself in my particular
case by awak kening certain Prlde Of Pam
chow foolish this sounds y which enables
mo to defy the whole damnable troop with a
power which seems anomalous, i'll view of
the fact that ordinarily l do not think my
will is very strong, because my sympathi1s
which are strong, easily override it
"lndeed, it is not n bad thing that | get
plunged into these awful depths for o, my
friend, they teach me lessons which are
beyond the reach of reason, beyond the ut
most of thought, beyond time, beyond my
Selfi Have you ever felt in those good
moments when the tormulge of life sink out
of memory, and the soul comes to look at
things with a sort of Before W orld simplicity
have you felt at such times that you had
tIrO SelpeS, of which one stood, a. it were, in
the continual background, calm, sedate as
eternity; looking with a half amused smile
upon the slips and errors crimes and con.
tortions and struggles of your other self in its
feverish life, as il this calm inner self were
confident that after all the struggles
and ieyers, the struggling and fcUer,
| iSh self will come out pure and
| whole, calm and strong? What do we
mean when We say, 'one is master of him.
| SeJn-'one is conscious of himself etc? In
| these and thousand similar expressions OF
| common lite are indicated some wonderful
| metaphysical facts Il hate the word psyChol
ogy y which, when the metaphysicians come
! to find the true source of their science, will
| be quickly revealed.
| AT any rate, these pleasant spring breezes
| are blow ing on my soul, on a young green
| leaf: and | way, aud sway rise and fall in
the midst Of the heavens, with a wonderful
| love and happiness upbearing me. All the
| exquisite, intense calms, which are yet full
| OF strange quckening and stir of birth
have a boy whose eyes are blue as youl
| 'Aethfa :. Every baN Wnen my Work u
| done | take him in my strong arms, and lif
| him up, and pore in his face. The intense
| repose penetrated somehow with a thrilling
| mystery of potential dctiUity, which dwelli
in his large, open eye, teaches me new
| things
| al say to myself, where are the strong
| arms IN which |, too, might lay me anC
| repose and yet be full OF the fire of life
| And always through the twilight CONT
answers from the other world, Master
| Master there is one-Chrst-in his arm
| we rest
"Tuly your friend,
| SyuSEy IANIER'