The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1899-03-04
EDWARD BELLAMY
Continued from Page I.

, than angelic and little less than god
like. This is the way Bethany should
have treated Madeline Brand. The
Heidenhoff process may be dream,
but the divine process is not.
We charge this fault to the authors
lack Of experience, and not to his
heart. When we pass to Miss Lud-
ington's Sister," we have nothing of
which to complain. Here are art and
originality combined. In this and in
THE Blindman's World" Bellamy has
added to literature two new stories.
Edward inherited the genius of his
mother and the heart of his father.
This may account somewhat for his
double nature-on the one hand a
mystic, seer, what the theosophists
would call psychical sensitive on the
astral plane; on the other hand, such
a lover of humanity that he subordi-
mates his genius to the cause of re-
form. AS reformer, Equality is
his greatest work, some critics and
spiteful editors to the contrary not
withstanding; and not only is it his
greatest reform work, but it is the
greatest, clearest, most definite state
ment Of the socialistic problem ever
written. 1t may have period of OBJ
security; but, when men come to the
study of the problems of social reform
in real earnest, it will be revived and
become the text book of the toiler,
and finally it will be regarded as the
classic of reform literature.
Mr.. Bellamy was an omnivorous
reader, and yet he read with pur-
pose. He had a son, Paul, named af-
ter the hero in Miss Ludington's Sis
te1," and in his fourteenth year at the
time of his fathers death. The dying
author and reformer wished this son
to be Thoroughly prepared to carry out
his own unfinished work. eff Paul is
smart" he used to say, Il will turn
him loose in my library. If he is not
smart, I will send him to college,"
The last thing before MS death he
wrote in little notebook a course of
historic reading for the boy. In this
course special attention is directed to
the periods of the Thirty Years War,
the French Revolution, the rise of the
Dutch Republic, and the American
Revolution. He mentions Carlyle as
unfortunately not Democrat, but
an author who must be read.
The fathers evident purpose in this
course of reading was to nave the son
well grounded in the history OF the
struggle for freedom, and OF the
growth of political and social equality.
The incident of this little notebook
is suggestive and pathetic. 1t was
great souls last effort to direct the
thought Of the world.
The question is often asked: Was
Mr.. Bellamy a Christian: The ans
wer will depend on the conception OF
what Christianity is. If we approach
the question from the standpoint OF
the highest ethics, we shall decide in
the affirmative. If we approach from
orthodox standpoint, we may, IT we
are of the bluest stripe, decide in the
negative. Mr.. Bellamy did not attend
church, and would not send his child
rem to the Sunday school. He was
afraid, he said, that they would be
taught more error than truth, and
preachers as a rule had very little OF
value to say. This sounds little
harsh. and to those who did not I'M
derstand his motive it seems a little
unfair: but the truth is, Mr.. Bellamy
was a spiritual sensitive. He was q
profound lover of the truth, and
could not bear what seemed to him
the slightest error. With him the
great essentials OF dogmatic utter
ances of the pulpit were ofttimes like
discords in music; they were simply
unbearable to his refined ear.
Mr.. Bellamy's Christian character
shines out most clearly in his ethical
relations to life. There is nowhere
an impure suggestion in any OF his
books. In business matters he was
more than upright. He leaned back
ward. He did not take legitimate
chance that came to him, because
they did not square with his refined
notions of right. and all ordinary
chances to exploit the public in his