The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-07-25
RALPH WALDO EMERSON
For the Democratic Advocate,
BY FRANK J. DEvTLBIss.

Despite the fifty odd years which have
passed since his memorable address to the
Cambridge Divinity School, it is now no
exaggeration to say that the name and in
huence of Ralph Waldo Emerson stand out
from the rank and file of essayists and
thinkers like Colossus; and his position
in American literature is as imposing as it
is unique No author is so incorporated,
and has become so much constituent part
of OH literary thought and expression as
he, and no one has bequeathed the amount
of coins that do not wear out, and which
are of standard value, bright and current
gold.
Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on the
25th of May. 1903, in Boston, Mass.
He was a lineal descendant from eight
consecutive generations of ministers, who
represented the aristocracy of Massachu-
setts-the aristocracy which depends upon
brains and character. His father possessed
little of what the world denominates as
riches. and. with a family of six boys,
Waldo's outlook for intellectual training
was little less than discouraging. How
ever, in his tenth year he was admitted
TO the Latin School At this early period
the bent of his mind was highly indicative
of his future He read necessarily and
attempted verse-making repeatedly, ex-
hibiting pronounced skill for one so tender
in years; but, unlike the author of Thana
topsis, he did not succeed in producing a
poem which the world will not willingly let
die until in his twenty ninth year. He
wrote nothing in after years quite similar
to it. 1t begins
Goodbye, proud world Pm going home;
Thou art not my friend; am not thine;
Too long through weary crowds roam
A river ark ON the ocean brine;
Too long am tossed like the driven foam;
But now, proud world I'm going home"
The supreme love which existed under
his father roof is attested by the recip-
rocal relations of the boys. William taught
school to help Waldo through college; Wal
do taught school TO help Edward, and
Edward taught school to help Charles, all
graduating at Harvard between 1918 and
1928.
Emerson soon chafed under the limta-
tons of school teacher, and relinquished
the profession He became a strong ally
of Christianity, and finally entered the
ministry of the Unitarian Church. His
preaching was departure from old forms
and customs, and the reality with which
he clothed religion made it as real, ex-
claimed listener, as things in the street.
He revolted against religious forms, shams
and conventionality, and entered crusade
not against religion, but against the for
NAL and narrow Interpretation Of it. His
tender, shrewd and wise face. the mellow
cadences of his voice, the living, burning
ideas which fell from his lips like sparks
from Leyden jar, won him scores of ad-
mirers, even from orthodox circles, who
were drawn to him in spite of their being
shocked sometimes at what seemed to them
irreverent teaching
Emerson was the very soul Of sincerity
At one time, he said concerning this-'If
| form plan or propose u journey, | find
a silent obstacle in my mind that cannot
account for; very we'll let it lie, think it
may pass away; if it doesn't pass away |
yield to it, obey it You ask me to de
scribe it. 1t is not an oracle. not an angel,
not dream, not a law; it is too simple to
be described; it is but grain of mustard
seed. But such as it is, it is something
which the contradiction of all mankind
L e
tain church ordinances had grown in an
tipathy to those of his denomination, and
as a compromise on his part was simply
impossible, he eventually resigned his pas
torate. Concerning this he quantity re-
marked II sometimes think that in order
to be a good minister 1t is necessary to
leave the ministry. "
With this crisis began the essentially
orgasmic period of Emerson's life. His
restless soul, beating the narrow limita-
tons of existing life and thought, now
scared into an atmosphere of freedom,
where he was wont to lean upon his own
faith, believing that there exists in man.
avn condition a complete solution for all
his inquiries That which | cannot de-
clare, he said, ''has been my angel from
childhood until now 1t has separated me
from men. 1t has watered my pillow
1t has driven sleep from my bed. 1t has
tortured me for my guilt. 1t has inspired
me with hope. 1t cannot be defeated by
all my defeats.
While Thomas Carlyle was shaking the
intellectual forces of Europe, Emerson was
becoming the disturbing and all-absorbing
factor in America Both were revolu-
tionary forces-questioning provoking
doubt of the order that was, and destroying
a sluggish composure, but not by the same
processes-one destroyed by lightning, the
other by light. Emerson intense sym
pathy with the ideas of Carlyle, inspired
friendship deep-rooted and strong, which
became a potentiality of his life. His
profound regard for the ideas of Carlyle
however, did not obscure natural repul-
sion to his frequent manner of presenting
them. When ''Sartor Resartus'' ap-
peared, he Enthusiastically observed. 80
Carlyle the merit of glass is not to be
Seeil, Dut W ne sStH tlIOuSHf but every
crystal and lamina of the Carlyle glass
shows. Pages which are rich and alluring
to others, to me have frigid and marrow
less air for the warm hand and heart |
have an estate in. But in the deeper
regions of thought and feeling there was no
divergence, no arrangement there the
lofty affection of each blended into one
With no object of paramount importance
than meeting his unseen friends, Mr.. and
Mrs Carlyle, Emerson sailed from Boston
on Christmas day, 1882 fora tour abroad
Unless one has the interesting experience
of meeting his own counterpart, he cannot
fancy the emotion of Emerson when he
faced Carlyle. They had never met,
though they had lived together-not in the
flesh, but in the higher council--the star
chamber of the soul. At Craigenputtock,
the home of Carlyle, they met Their
,naat;ne, x,,as a ,,nion ne tha hao4 that ,ros