The San Francisco call., 1899-09-24

O1r@HE philosopher of the drawing room
table is something the position
Robert Grant holds to his readers
in the "Searchlight Letters and
the contemplative soul, devoted to study
ing out the reasons of things, finds on the
pages food for thought for many day.
They are written to those in search of the
ideal, to the modern woman with social
ambitions, to young man wishing to be
an American and to a political optimist.
and convictions are so courageously and
thoughtfully put that even he who
agrees to disagree finds his intentions
wavering. The reader is carried along
uneventfully for few pages and then
suddenly hauled up with the shock of a
brand new thought-such a clever thought
at times that uncut pages would be well
come that he might right his mental bal
ance while he reached for the paper cut
ter. The value of the essay on the ideal
in life would be so difficult to explain in
review that transcription of the epitome
that closes the chapter is the wisest
course:
The ideal life of to-day is that which
maintains the noblest aims of the aspir-
ing past, cherishing unseltishness, purity,
courage, truth, joy, existence, tineness of
sentiment and esthetic beauty; but cher
ishes these in the spirit and for the pur-
poses of a broader humanity than the
melting soul has hitherto discerned in the
sunset, the ocean or the starry heavens.
There are among us men and women liv-
ing in this spirit of idealism, and they,
o my correspondents. are the first class
passengers" They may be carried In few
coaches.
In the letters to the socially ambitious
woman the fourth is the best and states
the case intimately and directly. 1t is
something of defense of the woman who
would be socially effective. IF every
woman" says the author, were simply
n a
affectionate to her family, reasonably
charitable and do her daily task the world
esthetic interest" The surface element
in society is recognized and dismissed as
unimportant but one is warned against
the common error of choosing to despise
Intelligent society woman who is always
a force in any. community. The authors
Idea of the socially effective is the woman
who can be 'in touch with modern social
tendencies and yet be true to the finest
instincts of aspiring womanhood." How
many will he find to realize his ideal is the
question. But the ideal is irreproachable
The bustling club woman (the ostenta-
tious one, for there are delightful excep-
tions) Is shown up In all her offensive
variety and many wholesome dose is
given in sugar-coated pill The modern
woman with social ambitions Is pictured
potent factor in advancing civilization,
but she is advised Ito hold fast to the old
and everlasting truths of life in her strug-
gle toward the stars"
The problem of undoing, rather than do
ing. faces the young man who would be
a true American, and a knotty problem it
is But the political optimist gets the
best lesson of the four. if he will but heed
it. The revelations of 1.-The Honorable
Peter Sterling are mild when compared
with the doings of the people in Mr..
Grants political drama, enacted by twelve
principals and full-voiced chorus. A
startling paragraph reads thus: 1.-The ur1-
written inside history of the political
progress of many Of the favorite sons of
the nation during the last forty years
would make the scale Of public honor kick
the beam though 1t were weighted with
the cherry tree and hatchet of George
Washington. In one Of our cities where a
deputation Of city officials attended the