The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-03-26
RALPH WALDO EMERSON.
Essay on His Life by Grace
GOurdeau, Pupil of L'Anse
High School.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was born
in Salem, Mass, May 20, 1903. He
was Americas greatest philoso-
pher and belongs to group OF
literary men known as Trans
cendentalists Emerson S father,
grand father, and as far back as
seven generations, were ministers.
Emerson, therefore, inherited a
pious, lovely nature, and did not
find it hard to do right. His father
died when he was 8 years old and
left five children, Of whom Ralph
was the second His parents were
very poor and Emerson S mother
had to fight hard with poverty in
order to give her boys an education.
Emerson 5 brother William earned
money by teaching school, part of
which went to help Ralph in college
At the age of 10 he went to q Latin
school, and at II to Harvard. He
did not care for honors, and while
at school he did not try to dis
tinguish himself He had no talent
for mathematics but loved poetry.
In 1921 he graduated from Har-
ward, and two years later began to
study for the ministry under Chan
ming, whose influence over him was
great In 1923 Emerson was ready
for the pulpit, but ill-health took
him to Florida. In 1929 he was APP
pointed pastor Of the Second Uni
tiarian church, of Boston That
same year he married Miss Ellen
Tucker, who died a few months
afterYard. Emerson did not be-
lieve ali the doctrines OF the church
and soon resigned and devoted his
time to literature.
In 1888 Emerson went to Europe.
While there he met distinguished
people, among whom We're Thomas
Carlyle, an eSsayist. Wordsworth,
poet of nature. and Coleridge. the
poet philosopher Emerson 5 friend
ship with Carlyle was never broken.
After his tour in Europe, with the
exception OF a few lectures in the
United States. Emerson lived quietly
at Concord, once the home Of Haw
thorne. In 1886 he wrote his first
essay on Nature, He says nature
is given to teach our minds and
that the laws of nature are the
same that govern our souls.
Emerson was born with a dispo-
sition nearly angelic. He lived by
sort of divine instinct. Al the time
of his death he was the author OF
about "a dozen volumes of essays.
Emerson is good reading for the
young He makes them think for
themselves, putting into their minds
high ideas and aims. When Emer-
son turned from his books to real
life he never entered into realities.
His sayings for the soul are true,
but not for the body. We are told
that the published writings of
Emerson are few compared with the
unpublished.
In everything and everybody
Emerson saw only the good and
beautiful. never the bad Most of
his poetry is very deep, but the
youngest child can read and enjoy
The Mountain and the Squirrel
Carlyle, very bitter writer, says of
Emerson "One of the most lovable
creatures in himself we had ever
looked upon. All that ever knew
him say the same. He was always
ready to talk and listen to every
school-boy or girl. He loved
children and once II year he used to
them at Concord. 1t is
said even the babies loved him.
Here is one of the beautiful things
that Emerson has written:
Thou canst not wave thy staff in air,
Or dip thy paddle in the lake,