The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-05-18

Davis street, on 1.-THE Second Coming
of the Ideal"
The poet came through from the
east without stopping in Chicago, and
went directly to the residence of Pres
ident Henry Wade Rogers, whose guest
he is.
man, with keen, well-cut face, and
the great mass of hair which has been
so much advertised.
His reputed popularity in dress could
not manifest itself in the orthodox
evening clothes in which he was seen
last night, except in the size and free
dom of the necktie. He speaks with
the quick, crisp diction common to his
nation, and with considerable SimIlici-
ty of manner.
You know I can scarcely say much
about Chicago now, as I came direct
Iy to Evanston without stopping he
said. But 1 am looking forward to
seeing 1t with great interest. They say
New York IS not America at all, and
that one finds it much more here, and
think this must be so in a way.What
| admire is the rush and vitality. And
then you seem more interested in all
the new ideas, movements, and new
books.I confess this life and movement
appeals to me more than the conserVa-
tive attitude of some of the eastern cit
les.
Notwithstanding. it would not sur
prise me to see Chicago the literary
center some day. 1 don't know a great
deal about your literary men, though
am great admirer of Eugene Field.
And then you have such a lot of clubs
and that sort of thing, I am told.''
1t was suggested that his own books
We're read considerably in the west
though not always admired. The poet
replied:
Really? But, of course, one cannot
write things that everyone would ike
Sometimes L am called the most popu-
make enemies I think my enemies
make me as we'll One of my books
was published in Chicago"
He was asked about his reception in
the east. 20, they treated me Well,''
| he said. "Of course there was a lot of
! guying' by the photographers, but I
don't really mind that, you know. One
has to overlook that 1 daresay it's a
part of your enterprising Journalism.
You know, L confess 1 rather like
| this yellow Journalism that is getting
! so much abused. It's the same idea of
| vitality that 1 referred to in regard to
| Chicago. These papers are alive and
| keen, and that is a most commendable
| trait. It's about the highest praise for
| almost everything to my mind It's the
same thing that makes some of your
| American men of letters great, this
| strong Hfe-Walt Whitman. for in
| stance.
| 80, yes, I shall be about here for quite
| a time. Later on L shall be able to say
much better what 1 think about Chica-
go, or even the war with SPAIN
| Mr.. LIE Caffeine said in part at his
| lecture:
THE value of a mans faith depends
| upon the amount of doubt he holds and
| still believes, and similarly also the
| value of a mans idealiSm depends up
on the amount of ugliness it has been
| able to look upon and live. 1dealism tC
| be of any value today must be hard
! wrung from the sternest and most un-
| compromising experiences. If you cal
| yourself an idealiSt, may I ask how
| many hard and ugly things have you
| faced, how deeply has sorrow wrune
| you? Have you known the intense bit
| terness of death? Have you looked up
| on the bloody and vulgar face of war;
| The idea1ism of today is different from
| the idealism of our grandfathers. What
| our grandfathers called ideahSm Woulc
| perhaps be best expressed by the wore
| idealize.'
Our grandfathers actually found Il
necessary to idealize this wonderful hui
man life. They threw over it a rose
light from the outside. To them poetry
and art were the pictures and interpre
tation of life, as if the world was no
more beautiful than anything that has
| ever been written about it.
1.-THE new IDEAL however, instead O.
throwing across life lights from the out
side is bent to make the revelation O
the inner side. Have you seen cruelty
| face to face? Have you walked through
| hospitals?
Have you listened without fear t.
| the last cold words of science, and d.
| you declare life good and the soul o
| things beautiful? Have you drained al
| the sorrows and bitterness of the worlt
| and has it yet remained sweet? Onl!
| such an ideal as that is of any use to
| day.
| 1.-The new idealism believes LITERAL!
| that miracles never cease, that tn
| golden age is always with US, that tn
| heroic age is never past, that human
| life in London and New York and Chi
cago is just as poetical as it was il
Rome. or Florence, or Athens; that Co
! not only made the country, but that n
| also made the town, and If he canno
| Give us back our ancient heaven it il
only an evidence that he has discovere'