The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-10-08
INTHELITERARY WORLD
WEEKLY CHAT REG/RDISG WIKI
TIERS AND BOOKS.
The intellectual Life-Purity. Cleanliness
and Hsalthfuiness of Mind-1nds-
pendence and Power.
The Mind Triumphant.

his mind difficulties which are none
Of MACPHERSON.
The present need Of appreciating the
! above stated truth and applying 1t to
| IN intellectual life Is very serious and
impressive. The large and imperative
demands made to-day by The world upon
all classes of men are unparalleled In
history. To be sought out and claimed
by society is the inevitable fate OF all
ennentiy successful peopie-a man no
longer is allowed to go his way in peace,
| choosing his own pleasures at his own
| convenience. The profound writer, the
| great artist, the man of science, all alike
, are claimed as parts OF a vast social
| system, which seeks 10 absorb into Itself
| everything of wealth and Of genius ana
of beauty in the world.
| Strength Of character and persstency
OF purpose alone can keep the intellect
clean and heaIthful. preserving its vital
force and originality untouched by the
vitiating influences to which il is ex-
posed. The task is not an easy one.
The solitary artist is often weary and
disheartened. There are times when the
sacrifice seems too great, when In disgust
he cries aloud "the game is not worth
the candle'-the game being so uncer-
tain, and the candle life itself. Yet,
with these seasons of despair conquered,
strong, healthful Intellectual life can
be lived, producing the most useful re-
suits; and though the accomplishment
Of II is not easy. the temptations away
form 1t being often so persuasive, 1t Is
very simple and very natural thing.
We recognize che force OF certain
|
steal health Is dependent upon cieanii-
ness, upon the regular exercise and
development Of all the different parts
of body, upon. wisely selected and
properly administered food. and upon
large, generous drafts of pure air, free
from diseased germs of every kind In
the case OF the intellect the same laws
apply, yet are more imperative In their
demands. In organism the intellect is
SO delicate and intricate that the slight
est Iaxity regarding its health Is result
tapt in serious consequences. Cleanli-
ness. absolute pure and simple thought.
IL requires, strengthened and expanded by
nourishing food, and daily exercise OF its
powers while Constant and intimate
companionship with nature affords 1t a
sweet rtfreshment.
Law is supreme. Any violation Of II
brings the inevitable consequences attach
ed thereto. In face OF this fact II is
easily apparent that a clean, health
full intellect can only exist where the
life Is serene and steadfast This does
not mean years Of self-imposed solitude,
nor separation from human ties and
human sympathies, but It does mean
selection of choice and sensitive spirits
as companions, and fostering only of
those pure, holy affections. which. while
they soften the heart, allow the mind 10
keep with perfect sweetness the IN
dependence of solitude"
Modern literature furnishes a conspic-
uous illustration OF the point in question
Living in seclusion, Withdrawn from the
inane vanities of society. and persistently
guarding himself against the intrusion
of the Philistines, Tennyson possessed
the ability to keep his individual life
clean and distinct, and at the same time
TO keep alive and warm one Of the larg-
est and kindliest hearts that ever beat
When quite a young man, unknown, ne
planned his life work, ne had the wisdom
to see that IL could only be accomplished
In the quiet Of the country with nature
as his best friend.
This is in striking contrast 20 the young
author who after his first success rushes
off TO London or New York, there for a
time to be made lion Of: and then, weak
kened and ruined. 70 be cast aside by q
ened and ruined. to be cast aside by q
In defence OF this continuous rushing
about. drinking tea with this one, dining
with that one. spending the winter here,
and the summer there the artist pleads
the necessity Of the case. A man must
keep abreast of his times, must mingle
with life TO know life and truly depict |
it, Every one recognizes the need Of |
knowledge II man IS TO teach, yet no |
knowledge obtained at the expense OF |
character, at the expense OF strength, |
can ever be turned TO account. Some one |
has truly said, you cannot live your |
romance and write It too" The truth |
implied IN this is, you cannot become |
overworn by emotions of your own, and |
then hope TO have strength enough left |
to weave the experience into truly great |
drama. Leading his distinct. individual |
life, pure and steadfast In its aim, giving |
his whole time and mind TO thought and |
observation, Tennyson is still 1.-The glass |
OF fashion and the mould OF form" Of |
the Victorian age as truly as Pope was |
that Of the reign of Queen Anne. Not |
only does Tennyson reflect the spirit |
of his age. but ne does it in the most |
faultless verse of modern poets. In Ian |
guage beautiful and clear, the water |
from a spring crystalline, he gave "the |
people OF his best" Living on the heights |
ne saw farther than men living on level |
can see, and from his position he gained |
a clear view Of many truths. His song |
was Of the moral life Of its supremacy |
over the physical or the mental. II is his
conviction that the humblest child of man
has a duty, an ideal a destiny TO fulfil; /
that love- love everlasting and supreme,
Is tho Only safe haven of the soul. In |
sweetest most enhancing music he sings,
inspired Wy the one great truth his own
life had taught him:
"Howeer IL be, it seems to me,
TITS only noble to be good"
Greatness once and forever has done
with opinion" The man who wrote these |
words was one who aimed to teach Amer
leans to fashion life upon self-reliant
plan, obeying the dictates Of their own
souls. This man was Emerson, whose
highest distinction is the depth and fer
vor OF his moral conviction, yet a man
whose greatness Of intellect Is equal to
his greatness Of character. II is con-
sidered by many a rather clever trick TO
deride the man who has n message TO
deliver. AS soon as his purpose is known
he is pronounced a tiresome bore Yet
who dare deride Emerson And he is
as a man with a message !
As n writer he had but one aim--to in
spire his readers with the nobest and
highest there was In him. From begin
ming to end he was n preacher, and every
essay of his is In n certain sense a ser
mon. Because OF the rare effectiveness
and charm Of his style this fact is not
so much considered The reader is helped.
inspired, as naturally as a man is re-
freshed by a breath Of mountain air He |
is conscious of no effort on his part; the |