Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-18
Mattress of New Books.

5YLNIE AND BRUNO CONCLUDED.
By Lewis Carroll. With fOrty-siX Illus
trations 10y Harry Furniss. New York:
Macmlnn & CO. al pages. Price $50.
Lewis Carroll is an artist IN apprec!a-
ton and an artist in style. a student OF
nature, n student OF character, and an
incsve critic. The fairies, Sylvie and
Bruno. and Mein Herr and the Professor.
serve the author in giving play 70 the
most whimsical fancies and grotesque
suggestions, which, however, always point
moral and are the framework OF some
gem Of thought and are frequently
brought into sharp contrast with pathos
and intense realism. We fan IN love i'm
mtiiatoly with Sylvie and Bruno. They
are real children 70 Us. The one fasci-
mates by her sweetness and the other
capuvates by his child wisdom and phi
losophy. Mr.. Carroll says that some OF
the phrases he has put into the mouths
Of Sylyic and Bruno were caught from
children, and We can well believe him.
The manner in which Sylvie ard Bruno
unseen. save by the author bring Muriel
and Arthur together is most happy
Concolt. and nothing could BE- more
touching than their reformation OF Willie.
Men Herr says Tor us things We have
often thought and felt but could not
put into words and satrizes In an mimi
table way some Of the "fads," foiole5,
and humbuggery Of the age.
The theory on which the story is con-
structed IS very interesting, and. as given
In the preface. IS an index 70 the range
Of fancy INDUCED. Mr.. Carroll says: IN
the story is an attempt 10 show what
might possibly happen, suppos'ns that
fairies really existed ana that they were
sometimes visible 10 us and We TO them,
and that they were sometimes able 10 as.
same human. form, and supposng, also.
that human beings sometimes become
conscious of what goes on in the fairy
worldly actual transference OF their i'm
material essence such as We meet vita In
Esoteric Buddhism.
g! have supposed n human l. ing capa-
be Of various psychicll states with vary
ing degrees of consciousness, as follows:
(u The ordinary state with no conscious
errie state in which, while conscious OF
actual surroundings. he is also conscious
OF the presence OF fairies. (cl a form OF
trance In which. while unconscious Of ac-
tual surroundings and apparently asleep
his immattrial essence migrates 10 other
scenes In the actual world or In fairy
land. and IS conscious Of the presence Of
fairies.
Il have also supposed q fairy OF be-
INK capable Of migrating from fairyland
into the actual world and assuming at
pleasure a human form. and also to be-
capable of various psychical states-tiz. /:
Cp The ordinary state with no conscious
ness OF the presence Of human beings
90 "A sort Of eerie state III which he Is
conscious II in the actual world, OF the
presence Of actual human beings. ii in
fairyland. Of the presence Of he inmate
rial essences Of human beings"
The author illustrates In the web and
the wool of his story all the phases OF
his theory. but it must not be assumed
from what we have quoted that he makes
any real concession 10 skepticism. lie
not only makes his characters give express
sion 20 beautiful orthodox Christian SEN
timents, but declares his own faith in the
following terms
Il believe that there IS life everywhere,
not material only, not merely what is
palpable to our senses. but immaterial
and invisible rs we'll. We believe in our
own immaterial essence-call IL soul or
spirit, or what you will. Why should
not other similar essences exist around
as not linked on TO visible and material
body? Did not God make the swarm OF
happy insects 10 dance in the sunbeam
for one hour of bliss for no other pur-
poses that We can imagine than to swell
the sum OF conscious happiness? And
where shall we dare draw the line and
say: He made all these and no more p"
The difference between perfect mechani-
cal correctness in musical rendition
aud the soul OF music Is brought out 10
its fullest in the chapter In which the
performance of the brilliant society
player is followed by that OF Sylvie.
Here Is a characteristic outburst from
Mein Herr: "Mein Herr threw up his
hands wildly, What, again? he cried. L
thought II was dead fifty years ago! Oh.
this Upas tree OF competitive examinB-
tons. beneath whose deadly shade all
the original genius. all the exhaustive
research. all the untiring lifelong dill
gepee by which our forefathers have 30
advanced human knowledge, must slow
ly hut surely Nithpr aWav and rive MIA "a