The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-06-28
Profossnr sonllocles.


One of the most delightful bits Of biography
seen for many day Is the sketch OF the late
Professor ~Ophocles of Harvard, IN The At
lantic." Therein MS friend Palmer describes
with rare acuteness. taste and tenderness tho
most Homeric man he ever knew. cynical
austere and sternly reserved. % the last bear
ing TO the average college student the chorac-
tor of the sphinx the Greek was. beneath MI
this. "a singulariy self denying aud tender
soul" The incongruty be,weon his bitter
speech and his kind heart endeared both 40
those who knew him. Like his venerable
CLOAK his grotesauc language often bad
bounty underneath For be was
mover weary IN weli-doing How many
students have received lis surv beno-
factions In how many small tradesmeu.s
shops did he have his appointed chair His
room was bare; but IN his native town an
agueduct was built. his lmpOrtunate and I'M
grateful relatives were penslOned. tie monks
OF Mount SINAI were protected against want.
the children and grandchildren OF those who
had befriended his years n America were
watched over with a fnther's love and by
care for helpless creatures wherever thoy
crossed his path he kept himself clean e
seihshness.
zone winter night. at nearly 10 o'clock I
was called 10 my door. There stood SOphOcles.
When / asked him why he was not in
bed an hour ago a has gone home, he
said. / know it, | answered. for A. was a
young instructor dear 20 ne He i sick. he
went on. Yes lie has 10 money We'll,
we will see how he will get along But you
must get him some money. and must know
about it, And he would not 60 back INTO the
storm-this gray beard professor, solcltous
for an overwOrked tutor tai ! assured HIM
that arrangements had been made for con
tinuing As salary during his absence. de
clare IN telling the tale ] am ashamed. Am
wrongiug the good man by disclosing his Sc
cret. aud saying that he was not the cynical
curmudgeOn Tor which he tried 10 pass, But
already before be was IN his grave tho secret
had been discovered, and many gave hun per-
si,tently the love which he still tried 20 wave
away.
Toward dumb and immature creatures his
tenderness WAS more frank. for these could
not thank him Children always recognized
III HIM their friend. A group or curly heads
usually appeared in his window on class day.
4 stray eat knew hlm az once, and. though
he seldom stroked her. would quickly accom-
modate herself near his legs. By him spiders
were watched and their thin wants supplied.
But MS solitary heart went out most unre-
servediy and with the most pathetic devotion
toward fragile chickens. and ont OF these un-
interesting little birds he elected a degree If
responsive intelligence which was startling 10
see 10 eat q chicken itself was
kind OF cannibalism from winch ms whole na-
ture shrank. DO not eat what ! love he
said. rejecting the bowl OF chicken broth
pressed upon him IN his last sickness"
1.-THE Well of English Undefled."
II cannot be said TOO often that there is no
basis for tho belief that somewhere there exists
a sublmated English language, perfect and
impeccable This is the fawle-s ideal 10
which all artists in sty Ia strive yalny 10 attain,
whether they are Englishmen or Americans.
Australians OF Canadians Irish or Scotch.
But nowhere is this speech without stain
spoken by man in his daily life not IN Lon
don where cOcknevisms abound. not IN Oxford
where university slang is luXuriant and where
pedantry fourishes Nowhere has this pure
and undefled language ever been spoken by
any community. Nowhere Will IL ever Dc
spoken other thanby few men here and there
gifted by nature or trained 10y art. The speech
of the people in the mouthof thescholar, that
is the absolute ideal which no man can hnd
by travel and which every man must make
for himself by toll avoiding alike the tendency
of the people toward slouchng inaccuracy
and the tendency of the scholar toward AGA
demic frigdity, OF the two. the more whole
some leaning is toward the forcible idioms Of
the plain people rather than the tanner pTecis-