The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-12

regretted that circumstances did not per-
NIT Of my remaining through the entire
course; but heard the week on Plato intro
duced by an amusing bit of by-play. A
Bostonian smiled down upon western
sister, saying, Il suppose you are not well
acquainted with PlatoP
The answer came with entire simplicity.
"a friend and have been studying him
good deal for the last six years"
"In translation of course" urged the Bos-
tonian"
~Oh, no. always in the original" was the
reply. CONSERVATION and hasty retreat.
Well, the week Oh Plato is ended, and l
hear from a friend that she got 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 Using or thinginS things"
One lecturer said these ritat points were at
first, 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 n
duh boy; so To relieve the philosophic mind
there are occasional picnics and receptions.
One breezy metaphysician, of the feminine
gender, though quite unknown to everybody,
gushingly invited all the students to her
ROOMS, generously extending her invitation to
tho lesturers and some of the I@ople of Con-
cord She declared her intention beforehand
of making her "at home" n 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-"have 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
oh rose, l love thee,
Fair rose, love thee still!'
There was no appearance of aifectation or
conceit, the abnormal sentimentalism was
wholly sincere. She had come a long distance
she said, to throw herself ut 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 IA delightful informal
reception at Mr.. and Mrs. Hoar's, and several
happy meetings with Louise Alcott Con-
versation with the charming wife of Frank
b. Sanborn made me doubly sorry i'll missing
his lectures
Mis-, Alcott calls herself, in referring to her
fathers protfef the School of Philosophy,
"a naughty outsider" The description APP
plies to most Concord people. The doctrine
of the Hillside chapel is not food to their souls
1t is exceptional to see an "od inhabitant"
present. They smile good naturally at the
whole venture, and, with patronzinS tone,
forctell its deceasr fl, IN season to season.
What has kept il alive IL to them and 10
MANY others n mystery.
But to return To Miss Alcott; she is n
woman given Ia practical effort, and really
has no leisure to devote to fruitless theorizng.
She talks exactly like her books, and is just
frank, just rs charming rs they She has
a keen sense of Eumor and recognizes the
can't of the 'isrns" heard her graphically
describe a community her father once started
1t was more tho .ough going than Brook
Farm-no compromise there with degenerate
humanity The wearing of linen was their
supreme doctrine. no other material for
clothes was permitted One disciple declared
nudity was the chief necessity, and would
have ridden his uaked hobby but for the
monstranccS of good Mrs. Alcott. At last
this son of Ada,I adopted fig leaf, in shape of
linen sheet. with hole in the center for
his head to slip through. In this
meagrc attire he wandered away over the
hills into the forest primcvaL Pie fed ON
berries and roots, but, alas! was picked up
and brought home n,sushlc ut the end of
three days. Another dis, iplc thought cooked
food the root of all evil, AMI ate his potatoes
beans and peas raw. Another joyous mem
Der believed Juliet's philosophy whats in a
name" and used to say damn you" for God
bless you," holding that he WAS known to
Ia 1, man running over with the milk of
human kindness a curse from him was tender
greeting Still another festive gentleman
there who claimed the right To do
just what he felt like mt any given mo-
ment. Often at the midnight hour little
Louise was awakened 10y the shrieks and
bowls of this aspiring soul He would roll on
the floor, making melody the while, the
PLANTATION being: Il feel like it." But through
the fiery furnace Louise Alcott passed un-
scathed. She is a brave, common sense
woman, who quite single-handed has won
an honored name in American literature.
Her finenes~ of feeling and good Judgment
came out strongly upon one point. A we'll
Intentional but unwise person persuaded Mr..
Alcott to go to the school morning.
Miss Alcott opposed this until opposition was
fruitless. l shall never forget the womanly
tenderness, the injured pride in her tone, as
she said in referring to the occurrence, II
dislike exhibitions of infirmity." As we
parted from Miss Alcott she said, Get up
a school of the phiianthropies andi'li join"
HARRIoT STANTON BLATCH