Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-12-07
Mrs Specht thinks II should b read

Mrs Specht thinks u should d teao
more than once
Alfrieda is represented q very learned.
In holding discussion with the Doctor.
in which she continually sstonished him
by the depth and profundity (beg par
don I've caught IL y OF her wisdom.
she utters this erudite remark: "The
members Of your profession are too
much engaged in looking only upon the
physical symptoms, which are not al
ways the cause" No; am not IN NJ.
d., but would venture good deal that
symptoms are not always the cause.
Mrs. Specht is undeniably right there.
Again she says to the Doctor: "You
would be lost in asionished surprise at
tho dense ignorance and mal-administra-
ton that is (sic) often practiced in tho
name of the healing art" This is
not so clear. Tie maladministration
might do. but l don't quito see that
dense ignorance ispracticed by anybody.
That is clearly one OF Mrs. Specht's new
novelties. Again. to the same doctor !:
Ell admit that medical science is only in
its infancy and therefore, many impor-
tant truths are yetuudiscovered and mis-.
understood" Undoubtedly We must adj
nit this too. II they are undiscovered
they are surely misunderstood. Again !:
"But mans five senses OF perception can
never apprchend anything physical or
spiritual. for they must be discerned by
the soul faculties" This may be right,
l don't know. Ii is wholly and entirely
too profound and deep for my limited,
finite capacity and ability. We arc told
that during this conversation she had
"the marks of smothered tear-traces !"
in the depths of her eyes, and that a
bright tear stole unconsciously down
her face and purled its way to the floor"
It's pity that tear didn't know what it
was doing and that it should have had
such a rough road to travel. Here is o
Judgment OF Solomon by the Doctor !:
al believe with Nautilus that the world
could not contain humanity If none
ever died." Amongst the natural curl
osities should be included this: sit
would take long years Of bitter conflict
before the heart-breaking pro-
baton period could show the rare fruit
in all its full-bearing powers" That
ought to interest the nurserymen. who
the ignoramuses have always said that
the tree bore the fruit. The heroine IS
portrayed at one time rs "resting IN tho
placitude of unconscious slumber,' and
another character as possessing "su-
peressence of lively spirits" Evidently q
new dictionary is needed. or this one q
girl. freckles are said to have added
piquancy to her face. The red-haired
girl may therefore pluck mp her spirits.
There is q crow in the story named Dnie
Poe, ga small edition OF Poe's funereal
raven" bound in feathers, l suppose,
though the author doesn't say, which
gorged itself on scuppernong- grape
tarts. Says the narrative: "He had
gorged himself to repletion and now
stood with distended, stretched-out there
it is again neck. trying his best to shake
down, swallow, and relieve the much
becrammed state OF his gullet. y
Poor creature 1t must have found it
rather difficult TO swallow the state of its
own gullet. L hope it succeeded. for 1t
might get good situation in museum
or II sde-show.
But we will let this astonishing aero
batic display close this performance,
which has endured too long already
and yet We have not passed the seven.
tieth page OF Mrs. Spechts book, and
have even been compelled to omit many
precious morsels in going only that far
1t is obvious that to keep on would be to
fill the entire DISPATCH. From what has
been given, however, l think it is EVIL
dent that in " Alfrieda a treasure OF ex-
IRENE richness has been added to htera-
ture, and il the authors views on theo-
sophy, and other such simple subiecte, OF
which / say nothing, are " OF kind" 1t
is valuable indeed, and more than sus-
tains the st. Louis papers opinion
quoted above. u. w. q.