The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-11-14

love for the art side of life, and en-
joyed the galleries and architecture
less by far than the countries them
selves. He thought life too short to
"do" all the European sights, and
that one would better confne himself
to Italy and Greece, with perhaps a
peep at the East, which he never
got himself. 1t will surprise some
that he should prove to have been
deeply religious man.
Nowhere in literature is such ad-
miration for the Scriptures expressed
as in his letters. He reads and
studies them constantly, and refers
to such readings very often in his
home letters. OF course he read them
as literature, but his poetic nature
was deeply stirred by their sublim-
ity, and he never tired of re reading
what was already as familiar to him
as household words. Orthodox Chris
tians to whom literature and dogma
has been a book tabooed, would be
blessed indeed could they get tithe
of his pleasure and profit from the
Bible. And he loved the church and
her stately service, and if he had
bit of contempt and dislike in his
heart it was probably for dissenters
of all sorts and conditions.
In the letters we can easily discover
the defects of his qualities. But his
faults were frankly betrayed in them
to his dearest of kin, with no thought
OF an unsympathetic world ever view
ing the pages. There is somewhat of
English arrogance and conceit, the
naive literary vanity which is almost
universal among authors,-a rather
too bitter contempt for the Philis.
tines,-a touch of the inevitable Eng
lish snobbery, - yet nothing that
seriously impairs our love and ad-
miration for the man.
He was English of the English,
but liked the French people very
much. He had no love for the Amer
leans until after his visit here, and
some of the most amusing passages
in the letters express his dislike of
us and our ways. But he appreciates
us better after his visit, though some
of our faults seemed unbearable to
him. Very bad taste has been dis
played by the editor in publishing
some of the American letters. They
should have been severely pruned
before seeing the light of day. No
doubt they add piquancy to the vol
ume, and some American critics seem
to have seen nothing else in the two
long books; but good taste, one al
most says common decency, required
that many of his criticisms, made
more to amuse his family than any
thing else, one suspects, should have
been held sacred. One cannot but
remember that he forbade life of
of him to be written, as did Thackeray,
and shudder to see the most intimate
letters of his life spread before carp
ing and critical world. He always
hated publicity and personal men,
ton, and our newspapers were his pet
aversion, yet here he is given far more
than newspaper publicity in an en-
during form. Not that there are any
revelations like the Carlyle revela-
tions,-rather than contrary. The
whole family life is one record of
sweetness and | ght and it's publica-
tion will make for righteousness.
But there are few judgments of
men that one fancies he would not
have made public, like his comments
on Tennyson, and one or two on
Gladstone, and Disraeli.
But the fact that Tennyson was
not poet to his mind is rather in
teresting one to come across. Some
of his innocent fun-making about
America, particularly two or three
personal illusions, should have been
left out by his friends, although the
paragraph is rather piquant where he
declares "he would rather be poor
priest in Quebec than a rich hog
packer in Chicago"
He died at 65 years of age, six years
after his dear friend Dean Stanley,
whosedeath he celebrated in his poem,
Westminster Abbey. The loss was
great to literature and morality. Like
Emerson he was one of those who
lived in the spirit. The remnant"
was smaller after he was gone. Dear
and beautiful SOUL In the quiet of
thy cloistered home
"Mayest thou the rapture of peace
Deep here embTeathed at the core.
COLUMBUS. WIS.
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The Presidential Election.