New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-19
A CHRISTIAN TEACHER.
HIS BIOGRAPHY WRITTEN BY HIS
DAUGHTER
HIS

AUSTIN PHELPS. A Memoir. BY Elizabeth stuart r
Phelps. 12mo, PIP. $50. Charles Scnohers eons
The author of this memoir observes in the course
OF II that daughter does not make good DlogFapher
meaning, doubt. that daughter naturally fais W
der suspicion OF prepossessons which must disable her
from forming perfectly candid and Impartial esumale
of the father In the present case it WILL we thlnk
have TO be admitted that the fha impulses are sum-
GENTLY In evidence TO warrant some doubt on the gen
eral question doubt, however, which II un1ustlhed
by facts wrongs q singulary noble consistent and COM
plete character. SO 10 perfection, Indeed, does
this picture of Austin Phelps approach that those VINO
had no knowledge OF the living man may not I'M
naturally II uncharitably resent the ascrpton 10 MIN
of virtues and qualities almost superhuman But INC
story Miss Phelps has TO tell is full a very human
interest and it is told with the eoquenee grace ana
power to be expected from that accomplished author
The incidents of this indeed comparatively
few and not other than usual The real career OF
Austin Phelps spiritual and Intellectual IL was as
teacher, as great influence upon the mnos OF young
men, one of the leading energies OF Andover' ana
ns writer of stimulating religious literature that he
was known and honored
There Is little in the account Of his childhood and
youth to foreshadow eminence in any kind. He was
quiet sudious lad, rather delicate IN health, having
strong religious tendencies and clearly htted LOT ao
career Of preacher which he elected almost as matter
Of course. We do not place so much weight as ms
biographer does upon his precocy but the statement
that lie never child is certainly significant AT
twenty he was settled Boston parish and there
remained very acceptably for six years. All this time
ne himself was full of doubts to his adequacy for
the post he had been called to; but his work soon
attracted attention. his people grew to feel deep
affection for him, and the impression made both by his
preaching and his personality strong and abiding
At the close of these useful and instructive years the
trustees of Andover Seminary elected him TO I'LL the
chair of sacred rhetoric and hometics at that insttu
ton, and after much difdent hesitation he accepted
the honor after removed to Andover and TOOK
up what was to be the real work Of his life. For
thirty years he was one of the strongest supports Of
the seminary, securing to II influence and reputa-
ton far beyond what it had formerly possessed and
he himself believed that much more extended useful
moss was before him when the great tragedy OF his life
opened, and, stricken by incurabe and prostrating
disease, he was doomed to twenty years of painful
invaldism.
His bOgrapher gives impressive description OF
his professorshp; OF what he in the classroom;
Of the and effect of his teaching; OF ms
personal influence upon the students and OF the feel
lngs with which they regarded him. In his letters
selection from which appears appendix TO the
memoir, much light is thrown upon his views as to
the significance scope Of his duty and also as to
the right methods of fulfilling the obligations of the
ministry. All Of this will be found highly interest
ing and Illustrative. but to the account OF his
domestic life appeals with the greatest force for here
we have key TO the mans real self. Too commonly
as Miss Phelps remarks mems public and private
lives are sharply Differentiated. Tn: statesman, the
orator. the patriot the leader of great cause, the
writer whose works are benefactions, the phil
anthropist whose soul seems Overfowing with love
and compassionate quite other to their families
In the penetralia OF home disguise is dropped. To the
intimate companions of privacy the least noble and
estimable qualities stand revealed in all their uglnesS
The sharp temper the harshneSs the hardness, care
fully concealed from the outer world find free exercise
in the homo: and wives and children often listen
with feeling of inevitable cynicsm to the popular
praises Of those with whose dement's they themselves
ere best acquainted. When therefore encounter
O who has not two faces and characters-one
for the world and the other for his famiywe cannot
but be deeply interested for here beyond question: is
q thoroughly sincere and strong soul, disciplined
through and through, and showing forth truly Christ
like spirit
Such according 10 the testimony of his daughter.
was Professor Phelps is it possible TO suspect the
candor and deep feeling Of the narrator Such home
life as he gave his children IS priceless inheritance
Such q home he maintained is a liberal education
in ITSELF His children have all hOnored their paentage
in their own lives and this to have been eX-
pected for surely no child with clean blood in its
veins could pass through such experience and not
grow up pure and honest, holding sacTedly TO the
rules Of honor fearing only meanness and untruth
above the coarser temptations of life, feeling its seri
ousness and aspiring TO its nobler prizes only The
chronicle general it is and must be- Of this beau
far the most charming and moving episode in the
memoir IL we except the account of that long martyr
dom which 10 emphasize all the sufferers high
est qualities. Insomnia his burden, and In all
the catalogue of tortures there is nothing TO equal
this in destroying and agonizing power. 1t c.osed
his academical at the very pitch of his efficacy
and energy and thrust him from his chair at Andovcr
with relentless force This fearful blow to him.
vet lie bore up bravey and refused to abandon work.
He could no longer lecture but he could write, end to
the end Of his life lie wrote, and wrote unanimously
The death of his favonte son Stuart, who YVES
killed while hunting by the accidental discharge Of
his own gun, another AID far heavier afction.
but he did not sink under it, the contrary, the
long period of physical and mental torment stretched
over the years, the racked soul grew by dint OF suffer
ing 10 sercner heights, and, developing the spiritual
powers those Of the body declined, derived support
from those airs Of Heaven which the emaciaed sufferer
seemed already to breathe at times. His last days
were full of peace resignation and patient endurance.
For years he had been compelled to spend all his
summers at Bar HarbOr, where he had a modest cot
tage. The ozone Of the sea was necessary TO him,
and it here, at the oceansde that his happiest
hours were spent. Here too he died. with little
ing and painlessly 1t must have been welcome
lease from protraced suTerngs. His bographer has
made wise choice Of the highly characteristic letters
which occupy the last hundred pages of the volume.
and the memoir whole must be pronounced an
excellent piece Of literary work. apart from its claims
upon public attention as the account of a good mans
unselfsh and useful life Miss Phelps has. moreover,
done well TO pass over in silence her fathers con
nection with the Andover Controversy. Nothing
could have been gained, and something might have
been lost by introducing that breeder Of dscords into
the book.