The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-19
THIS CENTURY'S GL0RIES.
cor. INGERSOLL SAYS THAT r
LAUREL Is on DARWIN'S BRoW.

LAUREL Is ON DARWIN'S BROW.
The Nineteenth Century Has Excelied All
Except in the Marbles of Grceco and the
Plays of observation-disclosures the Great
Observation-Disclosures of tho Last Half
of tho Century Better Than That of
the First-The Poets and Novclists.
The laurel Of the nineteenth century Ia on
Darwln's brow. -. said Robert q. Ingersoll tho
other day. This century has been the great
est Of all. The Inventions. tho discoveries. the
victories on the fields OF thought. the id
vances in nearly every direction OF human
effort are without parallel In human history.
In only two directions have the achievements
OF this century been eXcelled. The marbles
OF Greece have not been euualled. They still
occupy the inches dedicated 10 perfection. The
sculptors OF our century stand before the
miracles OF the Greeks in imT otent wonder.
They cannot even copy. They cannot give the
breath OF life to stone and make the marble
feel and think. The plays of Shakespeare
have never been approached. He reached the
summit. filed the horizon. In the direction
OF tho dramatic. the poetic. the human mind.
in my judgment. in shakespeare PLAYS
reached its limit. Thu field was harvested. all
the secrets Of the heart were:told. The buds
OF al nODGR DbDSSOneu, ull seas were CTDSSeu
and all the shores were touched.
with these two exceptions. the 'Grecian
marbles and the Shakespeare plays. the nine
teenth century has produced moro for the
benefit OF man than all the centuries OF the
past. In this century, in one direction. |
think the mind has reached the limit. / do
not believe the music Of Wagner will ever be
exoelled. He changed all passions. longings.
memories and aspirations into tones. and with
subtitle harmonies wove tapestries OF sound.
wheraon were pictured the past and future.
the history and prophecy of the human heart.
or course Copernicus. Calico. Newton and
Kepler laid the foundations OF astronomy. 1t
may be that the three laws Of Kepler mark tho
| highest polnt in that direction thai the mind
has reached.
In the other centuries thcrs Is now and
then q peak. but through ours there runs a
mountain range with Alp on Alp-the steam
shin that has conquered all the seas: the rail-
way, with it's steeds OF steel with breath'of,fiame
covers the land the cables and telcEraphs.
along which lightning is the carrier Of thought,
have made the nations neighbors and brought
the world to every home: the making Of PAGER
from wood. the printing presses that made It
possible to give the history of the human race
each day: the reapers, mowers and threShers
that superseded the cradles. s,ythes anSflails
the lighting OF streets and:houses with gas and
incandescenL lamps. changing might into day
the invention OF matches that made fire the
COMPANION OF man the process OF. making steel,
discovered by Bcssc'ner. saving for tho world
hundreds Of millions n year: the discovery OF
anTsthetics, changing pain to happy dreams
and making surgery u science: the spectrum
analysis. that told us the secrets of the suns
the telephone. that transports speech. uniting
lips and ears; the phonograph. that holds in
! I.t- anl IA - tho anhoAo ~ ~ y-rrJe tla
marvellous machines that spin and weave,
that manufacture the countless things of use.
the marvellous machines. whose wheels and
levers seem to think: the discoveries in chem
istry. the wave theory OF light. tho indestruct-
ibility Of matter and force; the discovery Of
microbes and bacilli. so that now the plague
can be STAYED without the assistance OF priests.
The art Of photography became known. the
sun became an artist. gave us the faces Of our
friends. copiesoftho great paintings and statues.
pictures Of the worlds wonders. and enriched
the eyes of poverty With the spoil OF travel.
the wealth of art. The cell theory wns ad-
vanced. embryology was studied and science
entered tho secret house OF life. The biolo-
gists. guided by fossil forms. followed the
paths OF life from protoplasm w to man. Then
came Darwin with the Origin of Species.' Nat
urnl Selection and the Survival of the tittest.
From his brain there came n flood Of light. The
Old theories grew foolish and absurd. The
temple OF every science was rebuilt. That
which had been called philosophy became
childish superstition. The prison doors we're
opened and millions of %convicts. OF unc onscious
slaves. roved with Joy over the fencelcss fields
of freedom. Darwin and Haeckel and Huxley
aud their fellow workers filled the night t. of ig-
norance with tho elitterinG stars of truth. This
is Darwin's century. He gained the greatest
victory, the grandest triumph. The laurel OF
the nineteenth century Is on his brow"
How does the literature OF to-day compare
with that Of the first half OF the century. in
your oplnion?" was asked.
There is now no poet OF laughter and tears.
OF comedy and pathos. the equal of Hood.
There is hone with the subtle d~elicacy. the
aerial footstep. the fame-like motion of Shell
ley: none with the amplitude. sweep and pas
sion. with the strength and beauty. the cour-
age and Royal recklessness Of Byron. The
n~ovellsts OF our day are not the equals OF
Dickens. In my Judgment Dickens wrote the
greatest Of all novels. The Tale OF Two
Cities Is the supreme work of fiction. It's
philosophy is perfect. The characters stand
the blood and flame, the ferocity and sell. sac
rilce Of the French REVOLUTION. In the bosom
ri n 81 rs. 'S NSftR Tow is .h siI heart one S %h ths borrow aSrrow
drove beyond the verge, rescued from death
by insanity, and we see the spirit Of ~; Man
WV avg Wv thli llilI ICE
Getween:the night of dreams and the blessed
day. where things are as they seem. as a tress
OF golden hair, while on his hands aud cheeks
fall l.uciss blessed tears. The story is filed
with lights and shadows, with the tragic and
grotesIue; While the woman knits. while the
heads fall. Jerry Cruncher gnaws his rusty
nails and his poor wife "tlops' against his
business, and prim Miss Pross, who in the des-
~peration and terror of love held Nine. Defarge
In her arms and who in the flash and crash
found that her burden was dead, is drawn bv
the hand OF a master. And what shall | say OF
sydney Cqrton!, or his last walk, OF his last
there a more wonderful character in all the
realm Of fiction? sydney Carton. the perfect
lover; going 70 his death for the love OF one
novels are The Tale OF Two Cite 8 by Dickens.
Les, Miserables.' by Hugo and 'Ariadne' by
Ouida.
les Miserablcs' is full OF faults and ner-
%fectious. The tragic Is sometimes pushed to
the Grotesluo. but from the depths it brings
the pearls Of truth. A convict becomes hoIicr
than the saint, q prostitute purer than the nun.
This book fills, the gutter with he glory Of
heaven. while the waters OF the sewer reflect
the stars,
TN Arladne' you find the aroma Of all art. IL
is q classic dream. And there, too, you will
find the hot.blood OF full and ample lie. Ouida
L