New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-04
MASSACHUSETTS, CLUBS.
THE FEDERATION OF wOMEN'S ASSOCIA-
T1ONS MET AT SPRINGFIELD
YESTERDAY.
MAIN PAPER OF THE DAY-TUE BUST
OF BACCII-s AMONG CHERISHED

i"E PSYCHOLOGY OF THE BEAUTIFUL" THE
MAIN PAPER OF THE DAY-TuE BUST
OF BACCHUs AMONG CHERISHED
TREASURES AT WELLESLEY
Springfield, Mass. Feb 3-Thc meeting Of the Fed
Grafton OF Women's Clubs OF this State was opened
this morning about II o'clock. Mrs Julia Ward
Howe presiding After n brief address in which she
welcomed those attending she introduced several
speakers. among them Professor A. +. Morgan. Of
Wellesley. and Miss Mabel Foster OF Auburndalc:
Miss Morgan speaking on the "Psychology OF the
Beautiful and Miss Foster. On the Need OF the
Beautiful in he Home" Miss Morgan said in part:
Friends. art interprets our life; but Nature sends
her Bacchante 10 awaken the joyful child in our
humanity. else Athena would offer the beautiful
wisdom Of art TO eyes without interest in her theme
Through the fellowship which even the daughter OF
Puritans may inherit In tho rich soul of Plato have
received a different Interpretation Of the ideal
Bacchus OF the Greeks from that entertained by the
writer or editorials in one OF the foremost OF the
New-fork literary reviews. He Is that
Bacchic impulse Is subject whose associations sIg-
gest nothing but drunkenness and lust that have
hold firmly by my Plato in order resls. his
hypno:zing dogma
1T is fair. think. 10 let the subtle psychologists
who sctptured the Greek language with the Greek
mythology ard art Justify their truth far they
can. This modern Ncw-Yorkcr confidently con-
graduates the inexperienced city OF Boston in her
CHOIce OF a library committee because she holds his
opinion. When the later decision Of the eminent
critics constituting that library committee accepts
tho Bacchante this courteous reviewer promptly
accuses them Of moral cowardce. Since in his view
no other than his Interpretation of the Bacchante
- possible 1t follows that his charity can find no
other interpretation o. the character OF the COM
mttce who allow this Joyous play OF abstract human
ty to compose with the play the upspringng foun-
tain in the outer court Of the trelsure-house of
wisdom.
AT the risk OF sharing this condemnation I mus.
oHer my word o. loyalty TO the high idealIsts Of
Greece I must confess myself as holding bronze
DUST or Bacchus among tho cherished treasures in
my Wellesley study. I'm my days OF trying to ex-
plore everything ! went far sunny Naples
In tracing Greek sculpture toward its source The
Plato OF the Naples Museum attracted me with a
VIVID Impression that it must be the very image
OF the rcvercd father OF philosophy In his most
genial and approachable mood-the mood in which
the joyous boys OF Greece would delight TO find
him in order to be led in the ways of peasantness
by his cheerful energetic steps and our boys would
leave their football trainer for his fascina
ion-the strong attraction of active life succeed
ing and helping everybody 10 succeed instead of
kicking neighbors out OF the way.
My copy in bronze OF this ancient marble por-
trait was brought to me 10y on" OF the Wellesley
alumnae who was studying archaeology i'm the
Naples Museum | had tried interpret for her the
joyous elasticity. OF Plato which was suggested to
my feeling by this portrait Her gift OF the copy
in bronze dark. grcenish. mixed substance.
seemed to reveal the spirit OF the portrait in a
mysterious liberty differing from the unchang-
ing substance OF Plato as the mysterious mixed
metal OF the upspringing youth OF the coming gem
crations differs from the unchan9ing human CON
stituton. What mystery Is blacker In unsearch-
ableness or greener in promising hope, than this
OF the old and the new in the unfolding
humanity of any ordinary baby? No wonder that
the most deop-sceing psychologists are intent upon
such laboratory specimens,
Let consider well the hereditary ways of tho
Bacchic impulses before We permit our bookmen
to dcspisc them. We recognize the Marble Faun'
OF Hawthorne one OF the best gule-bOOkS
to the real meanings OF artistic Rome. Is not the
vital charm OF TIawthorne's Donatello I'm that he
life, that IS the dancing fOrerunner OF art? iaW-
thorncs psychologists, In the chapter on the pedi-
tello was not merely a sylvan faun; but the genial
wine god in his very person. If IN any way we
can preserve this divine wine Of Nature, It will
defend our youth from the appetite OF alcohol
when, later in her course in ancient sculpture.
aeologists had declared that reyered Greek marble
to be Bacchus. | suffered brief conflict whether
the Bacchus degrade the Plato? a word from Ten
nysons Interpretation OF the mysterious warfare
Of human conduct saved my Piaio without Gonnct
pellcent. says in the Idylls OF the King, where
She speaks In the role OF the witness In nature 10
the validity OF Arthurs royal claim
Win ' 'a afae ne a sse ann AMI c yf Words
n!eyoni my ,onsue to 'elI the brhel q,
i MONETARY likeness Of the King.
This insight OF Tennyson proves his kinship with
he author OF this Greek sculpture. Both discover
he play impulse OF human constitution as worthy
Of place in Patos round table OF efficient knights.
This Naples Bacchus has kept that m nor ,,n
him minister in frequent need OF his recreat
ng froc.
When we are considering whether to approve of
the Bacchante in tho outer court Of our building
or the advancement OF learning. we must remem-
Der that the children cannot feel the inspiration
IF this great learning which they have not yet |
Experienced"
II