Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-30

nys0n. on she contrary, showed n passion
ate yearning simply TO learn facts as they
are. There was no pride, no dogma
tism; but the simplicity OF child-of
IAN infant crying for The llght'-alongside
OF the penetrating and sensitive intellect
ual nature. TO the very end he had the
teachab cness OF true greatness, and his
views seemed to grow more accurate
and true 10 his last year
And here we have, think, the quality
which made his conversation on these
subjects 30 peculiarly impressive. one
felt its intense candor and truthfulness.
/ use the word Intense" advisedly. With
many a man one knows that on such
subjects there IL no lack Of ability or
sincerity. But he Is ready 10 theorize
and develop theory with ingenuity; and
what began as a candid attempt TO solve
the mysteries OF the universe soon be-
comes untrue 10 fact. Tennyson, on the
other hand. tested every STEP questioned
again ana again his own conclusions, de-
tectcd and allowed for the least shadow
of prejudice or prepossession; re-examined
his old statements IN the light Of further
experience He seemed 20 be ever look
ing upward at the mysteries OF the
world behind the phenomena Of sense,
intently eager 10 miss no fash Of light,
however momentary. which might break
through the clouds and reveal the heavens
beyond
His accuracy as t. quite trivial mat
tiers was even scrupulOus II a story were
told with the slightest inaccuracies OF
detail he would spoil it by repeated
rather than let them pass.
He was equally severe with himself, II
memory tripped in the smallest degree.
In his "All Along the Valley" the open
ing lines run thus
All along the valley, stream that flashes
white.
thy voice with the deepening
Of the night.
All along the valley, where thy waters
flow.
1 walk'd with one l loved t@o-and-thirty
years ago.
One day he discovered that he was
wrong by one year-that only thirty-one
years had passed when he wrote the
poem. lie was much vexed, and talked
seriously OK changing the line. SO, too
IN speaking of historical or social facts,
dates and numbers were always prom,
ncnt and always accurate. Talking or
and its later division into so
many sects, he gave At once, with per-
feet exactness, their number and the
dates and circumstances of the chlel
schisrns. And above all, he remembered
and delighted in the facts Of astronomy.
Such n book as Balls Astronomy hlled
his Imagination. He would point TO
fixed star. tell one the exact pace
at which IL was moving and give the
distance from US OF each planet, ana
calculate the time the suns light taxes
to reach us. and make his figures sun
more vivid by comparing them with the
speed of things familiar to us on our
own earth.
The problems Of the physical universe
and Of mans physical life alternated as
q theme of conversation with meta
physics, themselves. and thus claim thelr
share in my notes.
He spoke OF the mysteries OF metaphys-
les. AFTER religion" he said, meta
phvsics are the great hope for mankind.
They must stem the tide of materlallsn.
Thev show materallsts that you can't
escape from mystery by escaping from
He insisted strongly on misuses of the
word God" and often condemned the
immortality Of extreme Calvinism. one
could not but trace to the memories OF
The Calyinistic surroundings of his boy
hood the deep feeling evident In such
poems as Despair and "Demeter
against the conception Of a VindictVe
Deity. Il remember one woman who used
10 vyeep for hours because God was so
infinitely good. He had predestined tshe
said most OF her friends to damnauon
and herself, who was no better than they,
TO salvation. She shook her head at
me sadly, and said: Alfred. Alfred.
whenever I lock at you 1 think of the
words Of Scripture, Depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire."
rf1T Vearhqng
his greatest trial in popular religion
Another was the anthropomorphism
which regarded the Supreme Being as a
sort OF "macni1ed clergyman" But ne
admitted that his was almost inevitable
with some OF the uneducated. "These
nfsuses OF the word God make me pre-
fer another name" he said. Il prefer 10
say the Highest or the Supreme Being
In the Ancient Sage ! have called Coo
tho Nameless' / have sometimes de-
INJURED 20 the phrase personal az APP
piled 10 God COR that same reason IL
has been used as though personality were
quite similar IN God and in man. But
only mean that His personality Is higheT
than ours Lotze says the lack OF person
alitv is in US God is unknowable as He
IS IN Himself. but he touches us at one
point. That point IS the conscience. ii
he conscience could be further developed,
ae might I'm some sense see Cod And
again: THE conception I'm us OF per
feet being realizing our highest ideals IS
some proof OF Gods existence, though
not 2 conclusive proof Why should we
conceive Of such n being unless IL were
put into us 20 do so?
Harrington used to say 10 me- he con-
iinued. That II there were no other world
THIS world would be all the more valuaDle'
on the contrary. feel II Is only the
light shed on our earth from anotner
world which gives IL any Value. Inc
thought Of working for the human race
Is not incentive enough to virtue II man
Is NOT immortal. The whole race VIII lie |
axtinct. probably in a few thousand |
years. All the greatest aspirations are
without meaning If man be not Immortal.
Religious belief is necessary 10 give lie /
INV meaning or value. A man without |
religious aspirations is only half man.
Speaking Of free will. he said: man is |
woe bur only free I'm certain narrow /
fn,its HIS character and his acquired |
habits limit his freedom. They are ike
he Gagged bird The bird can. mop az |
win from one perch to another, and TO the |
loor of the cage. but not beyond its bars. |
Evolution was very taVoflte toPic /
With him. He made a close study or H.
ND Huxley once ftll 70 hiV VIC. -.--s- /
on's grasp OF the principles OF physical |
ciencs was equal to that OF the greatest
xperts. Wallace's book on Darwii,ilshl
vas not published until 1889. but lons
,eforo that time Tennyson often SPOKE OF
Ms genius. and was disposed 10 think ms
onciugions more exact In some respects
nan Darwin's: wallace pointed out that
nan has a prospective brain-that ne mas
aciilties in excess of his physical needs
-his would show that you can't account
or his higher faculties by natural selec-
Of mans /