New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-22
writer's. These little ones had lately como from
the Divine presence, Wordsworth sang:

writers. These little ones had so lately come from
the Divine presence, Wordsworth sang:
Our birth Is but sleep and forgetting;
The soul that rises with US. our life's star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting.
And coneth from afar
Not entire forgetfulness
And IN utter nakedness
But trailing clouds OF glory DO We come
From God. who is home;
Heaven lies about in our infancy.
Victor Hugos worship Of childhood has made his
group of poems entitled The At OF belns 9roa
e fTee a1 With ms love- T'g and G tenderness
Mrs Browning has given US IN Miriam am p chiiu:
Browning, in Pippa Passes has Interpreted the ethi-
cal and spiritual influence OF childhood In each
sonscjousv touches conscience and saves soul
II is the apotheoss Of child in the spiritual
NO children are better known than Dckenss
David Copperheld and Paul Dombey. He did no,
has possibly caused more tears to be shed than any
other child son ek s d Tvea b ms sed to be
a devoted reader OF Dickens Paul Dombey was my
George Eliot gives us her own c:hildhoodc-the
inner life Of her own childhood-in Maggie Tul,
parallel between george y aG 3ss and Mrs Browning
acquaintance q ours had just published in re;
George Eliot What gents dig bo she ms9eI
''The most effective use that George Eliot makes
Of child-life from purely literary standpoint, Is
in 'Silas Manner where II serves as the dramatic
motive. The isolation OF the old weaver OF Rave
loe through losing faith in God and his fellow
his absorption In money boarding and the utter
wreck OF his life when his treasure Is stolen leads
his lost gold his hand encounters soft. warm
curs. and the soul-cure begins with the budding
of new sympathies and the occasion for renewed
activity.
for Jean Vatican: and both these authors simply
elaborate what is suggested in Browning's 'Pippa
Passes centring on one soul the influence that
Pippa radiates Ike sunshine as she passes
Miss Ford then read the scene at the grave OF
Grizers mother the conversation between Tomme
and Grizel in which he learned how she yearned
for affection. and the scene in which Dr.. Mcqueen
catches the little runaWays and decides TO take
Grizel into his own home. During the reading OF
these extracts q comparison OF GriZel with La
Petite Fadette" and with Hawthorne's Pearl in the
Scarlet Letter" threw light the subject
and added interest 10 the recital
Child-life Is n Christmas theme; but Miss Ford
did not treat II in the conventional way How
ever al close Of her address she called atten-
Christ taught, the first clause OF which that
must become as little child 10 enter the
kingdom of Heaven had given the poets of child
hood their oew and 70 Him might be traced much
of their inspiration. In the worship OF the Christ
child is symbOlized the alteration Of divinity and
innocence expressed by Richter in his Il love God
and little children.
Miss Ford said. in closing that now while all
NeW-IOrk s discussing Ian Maclaren's creed il
might be- in order to suggest that Jean Paul Rich
ter's creed might be adGed TO It without doing
violence 10 It's noble expression OF the ESSENTIALS OF
religion.
Among the other speakers were Mary Lowe
Dickinson who told OF the work Of the National
Council of Women. and Mrs. Gertrude V. Nc
biographical sketch OF Whittier. and read few
selections from his works