The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-10-24

uay as ever. vast sums OF money are
thrown away every year in abortive
charities. Much more harm than good
is done in many cases. Fantastic
experiments and sentimental rel ef
schemes need to have put into them
little of the hard common sense for
which Scott was noted. The whole Sc
cret of true charity lies in his method
helping the poor to help them
selves. Large educational enterprises
of course belong under this head, es-
pecially of the manual training school
variety, but indiscriminate alms-giv-
ing, and general out of door relief
are very far removed from it. Very
familiar also sounds this brief entry:
sour harvest is almost all in, but as
farmers always grumble about some
thing, they are now growing about
the lightness of the crop" To an old
friend he writes after many years
parting: "And when | look around
me, and consider how many changes
you would see in fortune, farm, and
fashion, amongst all you knew aud
loved; and how much, no sudden
squall, or violent tempest, but the
slow and gradual progress of life's
long voyage, has severed all the gal
liant fellowships whom you left
spreading their sails to the morning
breeze, | really am not sure that you
would have much pleasure.
"The gay and wild romance of life
is over with all of us. The real, dull
and stern history of humanity has
made far greater progress over our
hearts; and age. dark, and unlovely,
has laid his crutch over the stoutest
fellows shoulders" There is a breath
of sadness already in this, although
it was written at the food tide of his
fortunes, long before any of his SER
ious troubles had begun to settle
down like pail upon him. OF
Byron's Gain" he writes: II do not
know that his music has ever taken
so lofty flight amid her former soar
ings. He has certainly matched
Milton on his own ground. Some
part of the language is bold, and
may shock one class of readers. i.
But then they must condemn the
Paradise Lost, if they have mind to
be consistent"
"The great KEY to the mystery is,
perhaps, the imperfection of our own
faculties, which see and feel strongly
the partial evils which press upon us
but know too little of the general
system of the Universe to be aware
how the existence of these is to be
reconciled with the benevolence OF
the great Creator"
Scott apparently was dosed by his
doctors almost as savagely as Mrs.
Carlyle, who recorded SO many battles
for life against the medicines with
which she was so constantly assailed.
Many records like this are made:
"Slept twelve hours at a stretch,
being smuch exhausted; totally with
out pain today, but uncomfortable
from the effects of calomel, which,
with me, at least, is like the assist
ance of an auxiliary army,-just
one degree more tolerable than
the enemy it chases away" This is
what he thought of the Yankees in
1924: 81 am not surprised at what
you say of the Yankees. They are
people possessed of very considerable
energy, quickened and brought into
eager action by an honorable love OF
their country and pride in their insti-
tutions; but they are as yet rude in
their ideas of social intercourse, and
totally ignorant, speaking generally,
of all the art of good breeding, which
consists chiefly in postponement of
ones petty wishes or comforts, to
those of others. By rude questions
and observations, an absolute disre-
spect to other peoples feelings, and
a ready indulgence of their own,
they make one feverish in their com
pany, though perhaps you may be
ashamed to confess the reason. But
this will wear off, and is already wear
ing away" In December 1926 he be.
gins to foresee the financial calami-
ties which soon overlook him. He
writes: "What life mine has been!
half educated, almost wholly ne
elected, or left to myself, stuffing my
head with most nonsensical trash,
and undervalued by most of my com
panions for time; getting famous,
and held a bold and clever fellow,
contrary to the opinion of all who
thought me a mere dreamer; broken
hearted for two years, my heart hand
somely pieced again, but the crack
will remain to my dying day. Rich