New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
.rnr sroRY or WILLIAM AND LUCY SMITH.
Edited BY George ( Merriam. LIMO pp' GOO

Edited by George Merriam. LIMO. pp' 600
the story of william and Lucy Smith Is record
AZ two beautiful and harmonious lives. william
smith wss man of letters, scholar, student and
ry1ftc but ono whose work, Ike that OF hundreds Oh
finely sttaned spirits was Anonymous For fame nc
never cared at all, but lived his own sencenued
pse tranouily happy IN the sympathetic companion
49,, a, . vtfa who understood him and was In all
xays his sptrstual complement Smith worked largely
Ear pankvood's Magazine" his forte being literary
criticism He wrote two novels "Thorndyke' ana
srxyenhursts They are both freely quoted In these
pages aud It is easy 10 understand why they failed
OF popularity. Their author was not fitted for fiction
MIS- restless and subtle intellect forever shaping
,betrse questions, and his novels are philosophical
alscorses In thin disguise. In the chronicle of these
o,fiot Nyes there Is very httle acon and even less
vfcassitude The couple were fortunate IN the con-
ahmed possession Of q modest competency. They
were enabled 10 live the higher life which was most
onpeoia TO them; and the evolution of their minds
A Of deep interest principally because it represents
the influence upon q man and woman Of exceptional
tuiiro refinement and intellectual capacity, Of those
odern views and ideas which constitute the spirit of
fae age.
Both were evidently deeply religious, but neither
believed In religious forms. The were unable TO re-
reiye dogmas. They were, however, not Agnostics,
but Deists and while their reason precluded absolute
reliance upon future which they could not regard
a. demonstrated certainty their whole scheme OF life
such prepare them for the highest possibilities
open 70 human conception. In William Smith there
appears to have been q certain aloofness which one
esnnot holp fancying must at times have chilled
friendship but there Is evidence enough that he was
not only admired but loved by circle Of strong ana
sensitive souls who must have felt themselves ad-
mitted to real intimacy with him. Lucy smith must
have been a very beautiful and noble woman, pecu-
Harry adapted to the husband Of her choice, living
constantly terms Of the profoundest sympathy ana
appreciation, and constantly manifestng spiuai
and mental elevation not less remarkable than MS
oyn They thought alike on all important queSuohs'
abe trpartinx TO her views her womanly tehaer-
ness and dolicacy; he differing from her only In the
exhibition of vir1le force and superior bodness OF
flight
Smith had long been invalid and at length ne
was taken away. It a great deprivatiou OUT sor-
row only brought out the fine qualities OF the mouner
more clearly and her solitary widowed years are per
hans even fuller of sweetness and light than those OF
her unshadowed happiness The plane upon which
these dear companions and mated souls moved was
high one and their discourse and interest vere con-
ce4ned with the deep problem of existence All these
are dealt with IN the writings and letters which Mr.
Merriam cI,os here and the most earnest and the least
fettered modern thought is represented with rare fu
ness and scope The memoirs, indeed, not for the
indolent hours of the summer hammock The minds
which hero stand sefrevealed not those Of so
eetys people or men and women "of the PERIOD &c
eoiing 10 colloquial slang but OF two earnest keen
strongly spiritual and profoundly liberal types. the
s.,,dy of whom may be cordially commended to such
"a desire b know what heights within the reach
Of seekers after truth who find 1t no longer possible
30 accept the guidance Of the past.