The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-10
A STUDY IN EVOLUTION.
A New Book That Marks New Ten
Cencies.


New York, July ct is interesting
and celebrating to observe the marked
tendency toward attempting a spiritual in
depreciation of the facts of life which is be-
coming apparent In our best literature. 1t
indicates a coming elevation in our literary
ideals and aims. Such a tendency has
always marked the hest periods of national
literature-the point OF departure at which
il ceases to be initiative aud perfunctory,
and expands into originality and vitality.
Facts contain no inspirations; skill,
hunlor. integrity may lend a
charm to their presentation, but
the cheaper springs of human interest
are left untouched. The story Of mere fact
had its day and is forgotten, but the story
IN which a soul shines through the body,
has a claim to immortality, aud it depends
on the art and insight OF the author how
for that claim may be made good. The
greatest literary works come iuto being
after the same order as human creations.
There is frst an interior spiritual oonoep-
tlon-a central, shaping idea-Snd upon
this nucleus of permanent truth the bodily
presentation or manifestation develops it.
self. The resulting work of art is thsl in
| the broader sense symbol; it is
endogenous- lit gro WE from within outward
instead OF being lacking or plasterlnS to-
ningly into an apparent symmetry and sig
nidcsnos. 1t grows like tree, instead Of
hanging together like scarecrow. it ex-
lists by innate right, instead of by accident
or suferance. OF this species srs the
works OF Homer, of Dante, of Shakespeare
Of Goethe, of Hugo, OF Hawthorne, Of
Emerson. And now, after q preparatory
season in the workshop OF the Howelis
school, where we have learned to file and
polish our materials. and to note with ex-
traordinsry accuracy the manifesto tions of
visible nature, we are beginning Co emerge
into larger and freer environment, ia
which our apprentice training will furnish
US with the means worthily to drape the in
dependent conceptions Of our higher
thought.
The little volume bearing the title of
THE Master of Silence" tsa favorable ex-
ample Of the new tendency to which refer.
1t IS the work OF an author hitherto 80 far
as am aware, nearly unknown Ia litera-
ture but he is obviously man who has
observed keenly and with humor and SYM
patty, who has Thought independently and
beyond the commonplace shadows. and
who can express himself conoisely, clearly
and with a csrtain distinction which prom
ises what we call style. The theme which
be has selected is novel and absoroing, and
the treatment is rapid and compact. In
deed, atm inclined TO think that the book
is too brief rather than TOO long, and can
not help regre ting that a character so full
of possibilities as Is the hero should be for
ever dismissed almost at the opening of his
strange career.
The subject of the book is, philosophically
speaking, the potentialities Of the inner life:
the results OF the cultivation Of those facul-
ties of the soul which the superficial and
material pursuits of our modern civiliza-
ton have rendered almost exaninate and
useless. To illustrate this theme, the au-
thor has imagined a child brought up
under peculiar conditions of isolation and
training. be Is protected from contact
with the hypocrisies and utilities Of con-
temporary life; his intellect and his body
are cultivated TO the highest pitch of ell
cheney. and his emotional nature is, at the
same time, encouraged to expand in all
humane and loving ways. But his educa-
ton does not stop here. 1t also involves
the revival of faculties supposed TO have
been always latent In human nature. how
ever obscured or crippled hitherto by false
methods Of developments.
Thefsther OF this youth--Rayel-has,e ever
since the child's birth, lived in strict seolu-
sion In remote part Of Northern New
York state. His first measure was to edu-
cate him in the practice of interior speech,
unhampered and unfalsified by tho restric-
ton and conventional misrepresentation
inevitable to arttculate language. Only
music. and a dozen words of Sanscrit were
permitted to approach his ears; for the rest,
all communication was carried on by modi-
fcation of facial expression, by the language
Of the eye and by his subtle gestures. A
library brought the boy into meAtal rela-
tions with the robust and most enduring
aspects OF the world which he had never
seen; agymnasium perfected his body in
all athletic exercises and the natural turn
of his mind inclined him to the fine arts,
especially TO painting. When, therefore,
tine reader Ia first introduced TO him, 10 the
prime Of his young manhood, he appears a
type OF the nearly perfect human being
superb in beauty, lionlike In strength,
richly stored with learning, and
with disposition affectionate,
magnanimous, absolutely truthful,
simple as boy, and wise as a sage. The
story shows US the career and fate OF this
being when brought in contact with
modern civilization, and, in bis case, the
matter is complicated by the fact Of his
intuitivo powers, in comparison with which
the feats Of our teiepathy and mind read
ing are mere crude essays. Rayel sees the
secret thoughts Of the mind through the
face, or even by mere direction of his atten-
ton toward the person concerned. He be-
holds the dreams Of others as visible scenes,
and by dint of his marvellous artistic skill
is able to depict them on canvas ORe or
two very telling and dramatic illustrations
Of this power are recounted ia the book.