The herald., 1893-07-23


publishers Of the memoirs of A. Bronson
Alcott; His Life and Philosophy, by I
B. Sanborn and William T. Harris
Whatever may be the estimate OF AL
eott's philosophy by the scholsre OF fu
ture generations, his life and his work
cannot fail to interest Americans OF to-
day. This work is biography that
will be eagerly welcomed by those who
wish to obtain a clear knowledge OF
man of remarkable originality and
genius, who was true to high ideals un'
der discouragemepts and disappoint-
ments that would have daunted one
less heroic and sincere. Mr.. Alcott had
the courage of his convictions, and never
hesitated to express his views regarding
the duties and possibilities of life, no
matter how bitter the opposition was to
his belief and teachings. His theories
regarding education were principally the
offspring of his own meditatione, and he
was the pioneer of some methods OF in
struction that are now popular. The
two volumes which give sn account OF
his career and his philosophy have been
carefully prepared, though there are a
few repetitions that might have been
avoided.
"The material for the work." we are
told, "has been derived from the copious
biographical papers left by Mr.. Alcott,
or furnished by his daughter, Mrs.
Pratt, from sources in her possession.
But an important addition was made
through the kindness OF Mr.. Edward
Waldo Emerson, from his fathers ps-
pers, not hitherto published /; and some-
thing also has been drawn from the pa
pers left behind by Mr.. Thoreau, and
those in possession OF William Ellery
Charming. of Concord, and Mr.. B. M.
Watson, of Plymouth" The chapters
devoted to the various schools with
which Mr.. Alcott was connected are full
of food for thought, and throw much
light on his unselfsh character. The
Record of Boston School gives valua-
bfe information concerning a subject
that has been much misunderstood. The
chapter entitled Transcendentslism and
Social Reform, is also one of great iu-
terest and DR.. Harris estimate of Al
colt, the philosopher, is exceedingly
accurate and comprehensive. The Al
colt Family in Literature, too, is por-
ton of the book that will receive undi-
vlu6u dbb0AblOA, lOl 1tb CllbICdl OpiApuS
and conclusions are eminently just and
discriminating. No one canp lay down
these two volumes without having
higher idea Of human nature and of the
lovable qualities of man who, with all
sincerity, chose to be himself, rather
than conventional collection Of world
ly affectations. 1t ia noble and endur-
ing figure that is here presented with
such simple and direct truthfulness.
His most famous school was the Temple
school in Boston, in which Mar
garet Fuller and Elizabeth Peabody
were associated with him at
different times. After the failure OF Mr..
Alcott'e school-lsrgely in consequence
of the transcendental ideas which he
held and insisted on teaching to hi5
pupils--he removed to Concord, at
Emerson's suggestion, and later-again
through the influence of Emerson-Mr.
Alcott made visit to England, hoping
to be better appreciated there than he
had been at home. The trip, however,
was really disappointment in this re.
spect. Carlyle. to whom be bore let
ter of introduction from Emerson, was
barely civil to him. From physical
point of view the long voyage did him
good; but it was not until Louisa Alcott
had become successful wrter that the
Alcotts lived in anything like comfort.
It was she who saved the family from
the. condition into which her fathers
'sphilosophy" had plunged it. Phe Sec
ond volume is particularly interesting,
dealing, among other matters, with the
Concord Idyl Renewed, the closing years
of Mr.. Alcott's life and ends with a
chapter on the Philosophy of Bronson
Alcott, and the Transcendentalists. The
volumes contain few illustrations.
%*x
Among the books published by George
Routledge & Sons of New York is story
by Mr.. B. L. Farjeon, entitled, Some
thing Occurred. The author will be re-
membered by his interesting books,
Grif, In Silver Sea, Great Porter
Square, and many other popular tsles.
This new one is one of the most anus
ing and brightest lately issued. 1t is q
perfect relief from the food OF psyche.
logical analysis and realistic common.
place that mark 30 many novels OF the
day, to come across book full OF humor
and pathoe, and frankly introducing
The Genius OF the Utterly Absurd as an
agent in developing the incidents. Mr..
Farjeon has taken an idea from the old
fairy tale and the Three Wishes. His
hero and heroine, young married
couple. find themselves at the close Of
their first year of welded life at the end
of their available resources. They can
only wish for money, when The Genius
of the Utterly Absurd appears in the
guiee OF an old man and promises to
grant four wishes. Each wish ia limited
to two thousand pounds, and they are
told that when the wish ia granted
something will occur" The first
wish is granted, and as they look ct
each other, after examining the pile OF
gold, they find that they have changed
heads; Edwina's head is on Harold's
shoulders, and Harold's on Edwina's.
Their conduct under these cir
cumstances is described with
keen sense of the ridiculous.
At the second wish Edwina assumes the
form of her grandmother. while Harold
remains unchanged. An aunt comes IL
to oomplicate matters, and Harolds de-
voted atten tions to the seeming grand
mother at balls and elsewhere lead to
most laughable complications The
third wish transforms Harold into
negro blacker than Othello, but leaves
Edwina unchanged. while the fourth
metamorphoses them both into their
childhood's forms This last change
may remind some readers of Vice Versa,
where father and son change forms, but
the treatment OF thie incident, as we'll