New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-11
WOODBURY'S EMERSON.
TIE SAGE IN CONVERSATION.

d. Taylor Coz
This volume is dedicated by the author 10
the Youth of the Land who Aspire" IL Is pr
haps one OF the most remarkable OF Ul"""s "
the personal influence which Emerson eAerciS'"
over Young men for the author. though he has
passed from youth to middle-arc since the CONVEX
sations here recorded were held. writes OF inc
Master with an enthusiasm and an emotion as
strong as if the tones of his teacher still fingered
in his ears lie was college undergraduate wheh
he knew Emerson. and he and his comrades 'h
under the spell. Emerson was induced T." lecture
10 them and his cult was pursued with noylsh en-
ercy Mr. Woodbury. must have taken aihpc
notes of the talks he then had with the sage "'
Concord and he has added much TO the value oil
his hook by frankly describing the reaction mat
presently followed the burst of enthusiasm. Inc
influence of Emerson over the young possibly
proceeded more from the charm and sweetness OIL
his personal character than from the nature oil MS
teachings. There is plain evidence and adimis-
sion in these candid pages that the boys fouhd
great difficulty in understanding the Emcis1niah
philosophy: and moreover, when they came 10
something like familiar converse with him. II ap-
pearcd to some of them that he was not always
consistent with its princplcs-nay, thar ne
even at times seemed to hold contradictory ara
r,utuallv destructive doctrines But though
they could not comprehend him. they loved nm
none the less, and Mr.. Woodbury. was not long IL
perceiving that when he found it Impossible To
follow Emerson in certain lines the cause was
his own narrowncsS, and not his teacher ano-
guilty.
The contents of this volume are for convent
ence' sake arranged with an appearance of method
under several heads, as Counsel It ri'lclsn,
"Concordn "Transccndcntalism. "PrcSence,
method" and so forth. But Emcrsons talks de-
cline TO fall into catPgorics. lie wandcrS IN
them he did in his writings and he minG!cs
counsel and criticism and transccndenalsm IN
them with supreme indifference TO sequence ana
order Mr.. Woodbury. has given a happy frame
work to these rccollcctionS. and has enabled us to
see the mild and distracted philosopher Walking
with the eager boys convcrsing with them GEM
ally and sometimes taking particular pa'r> Il ac-
commodatc Lis soaring. penetrating thon.ht Il
their calow Icceptivi,y, pauSine - So: whittier
his purpOScy plain statements were as>lml!I,r"
Yet he never gave unnecessary explanations. act
ing always upon the principle which has made his
books impcnctrabc to many pco!,lc-,hc principle
that the writer should never tell out his whole
thought, but simply give IN" kcy-no,c which Is
TO awaken and stimulate thought III The r!d"r.
So it happened that the co.lcg" boys cncoUnt"fcd
not few dark sayings. and went away l~rplcArd.
but with the fructifring resolve To Try and thiik
the matter out for Themselves, which Emerson
had the gift of inspirnc. As Mr. W""dlury SAYS.
Can any personality he imaei ed no"r irritating
aud urging to the younr and arabc mint" And
again: With his COMM, adolescence ended and
Nirility began. lie aroused the best element, of
the soul, agitatcd it to It's DEPTHS. and pre- p'at"d
all it had of intellectual principle. He iiis'
taught us to think, and who can forget the orcrcr
Of that door,
The authors account of his first meeting with
Emerson is not without an interest of its own.
Well do l remember his tender, shrcw,l. wise
face rs first Saw il in that suurrT. no" 80 lor2
ago that one might grow from chiidhooi Ia man
hood which was not like any other. hccaIs,. II
brought Inc to face my own pcnUrX. and to trails
late my own cnl@mas. Almost before We We're
alone he had made me forget in whose presence
stood. lie was merely an od, quiet. modest gen
tlelnan. pressing me to seat near him. and all
q, once talking about college matters, the ncw
gymnasium the quarterly: and from these about
books and reading and writing. and all as if he
continually expected much as he gave. l.
wontcd to the distance demanded by the college
faculty. found it difficult 10 understand this.
regarded it as trait of first .mcc,ng. and was
prepared for ii TO disappear. Bat The nrNt day.
on our walk TO Grcylork and the Berkshire Hills
the Same heartncss AID 'coIridry inspired his
ways. And so it was ever aiter-no circumstances
So varying but, whether ! san him alone or in
the presence OF others. there was tne evrrrcady
welcome shining i'll his eyes, the same E.anl!est
gentleness and persistent preference of others.
even hired strangers.
We cannot do better than 70 give some cN-
tracts from tie notes taken ~ NJ. Woodbury.
during his many talks with Emerson. and for,u-
Hatcy The SUBJECTS ar" so g"I"r i ana the remarks
to much III III" nature of fr?.ncn,s. that il -
possible 10 quote 2in",t anywhere without much
DANGER Oh "T'S'ih~ the c"h'rN'
Inc 1n!I'wih2 upon r"iiposl''"n very clearly
oIliihcs MS own METHODS.
Inc most Ih'ctr>,ihs wiring !. 1ha' "h'"h does
hItIc thnlin,, far lin. ,I,'i vii ~. hi,..r ,'
both. Tic trouble with ians, writer, is. ,hcy
spread too thin: Tie reader /, as quick as they
ndS s1t thr!" n"'|ie' II ~ Is Icad% ana W'I'!nS
ASST him Viii ne, c,,urr,inrs II von ..'n .rr
how the haincss fits, he can. Eat make sure that
you see H. men Noh Nl"nld starr wan j."
,,, VI p" , a III ,T n'r WIN r." "
g. "d,nn war w ,r.i, " Wi- ', ''
o ,c,,;nr 1r arrrvo'." i..c,., , 80 - 49,,
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,"'o a,',t IN od my, l,d ,., Ir. ,lo "