New-York tribune., 1900-01-14


TATIoN
Dear friends desire TO direct your attention
this morning TO these lines of an unknown early
English poet:
There was an old woman, and what do you think?
Eiefuals and a1d ar drink were & the shief Of ne aer die
When, as in this case. the meaning OF poem
lies deep, the first impression made on the mind
Of the reader is likely to be Of its form, rather
than of its substance. We are first struck, then.
with the simplicity and the grace of these lines
smooth. even finished with the touch Of a mas
ter workman-not a word too much or too little,
not a thought hanging loose or disconnected
These things touch the ear at once as with a
soothing balm. We feel them, we admire them,
we wonder at them, but need not dwell upon
them. For we have more important matters to
discuss. I shall speak 10 you first OF the in
tellectual stimulus and elevation 20 be derived
from these few lines, and secondly of the
ennobling influence and the final peace and com
fort to be obtained from taking their lesson 10
heart. Thus I may designate the two heads Of
my discourse as the DoeticaI and philosophical
First. the poetical- Observe with me, dear
friends how the imagination OF the reader is
fired by the second line Of this poem
she lived upon nothing but victuals and drink"
aIl-embraciug, The author does not try to tell
US what victuals and what drink supported life
IN this woman. He leaves that TO own
thought. And how glorious it is TO range mental
" through the possibilities Of victuals and drink
and 10 construct for ourselves, as it were, the
diet of the heroine Of this work! And how skill
fully the author has led US Up 70 this position
and TO this privilege in the first line with those
ringing words; What do you Think"
And what are we TO think? Are We 10 believe
that this old woman ate those simple foods
which cOnduce 10 length OF days, 10 clarity OF
mind and to nobility Of soul? Can We suppose
that she subsisted on the wholesome fruits Of
the earth and on the products Of its golden
grain? All! that would be q sweet thought Or
are we 10 believe that she pampered- her palate
with those things which, bringing 4 momentary
delight, afterward disorder the system, blight
the faculties and in the end bring death or
lingering life which is worse than death2 All
friends. I fear that This is the conclusion to
which we shall be forced as we study the poem
further. The author has not tried to amuse or
even to please US merely. He had his message
for every one Of us, and in conveying that he
was relentless. It is plain as go that
worst fears as TO this wretched woman's diet
were nearest the truth.
With this thought before us, We can scarcely
turn without q shudder to the parallel cues
tion What was the drink referred to? Thus
does the poet sway our emotions al his will by
the power Of his genius. What was the drink?
Or-for the word is probably used in its generic
sense-what were the drinks? II is probable
that tea was one Of them We cannot escape
from the great, the uubounded humanness Of
our author He knew and women through
and through When we realize this and re-
member that this was an old woman II Is
scarcely possible not TO suppose that she drank
tea. This is one Of the awful facts with which
modern society Is confronted, as society was at
the time Of our author. We cannot deny IT;
cannot get away from It We must face It
he did TIL civilization has advanced further
than it has at present the drinking Of tea viii
be welInigh inseparable from female senility.
But what else? Can we suppose that for the
rest this woman drank Of the crystal food
benedcently provided by a bountitul Nature for
the health OF all her creatures-the pure element
which brightens the eye. which g1addens the
heart which prolongs life. which adds the
deposit OF adipose tissue? Or must we range
further IN that freedom Of the Imagination 10
which the poet has thrown open the door, and
suppose that she gave herself UP to the specious
temptations of those insidious fluids which,
treacherously seeming 10 strengthen the frame
and TO inspire the mind. tend only 70 sap
the energies OF the body and 10 unhinge the in
tellect, bringing at last OBSTRUCTION OF al that
distinguishes the man from the clod? That
men should put an enemy IN their mouths to
steal away their brainsr' CShakespeare)
All but" hear you ask. how do you know
that so terrible construction is necessarily TO
be put upon the words Of the poet7" Dear
friends nothing is palmer She lived upon moth
ing-nothing-but victuals and drink She had
nothing Of that intellectual life. OF those artistic
qualifications. those delights Of literature. Of
philosophy. Of ethics OF aesthetics which make
up the true life Of the true man or woman
she lived upon nothing bit victuals and drink"
Oh my friends could there be a habit more
dangerous7 Could there be a Ewifter course to
the annihilation OF all that is fine and gracious
ana beautiful in human nature7 Would not one
whose life was sustained only by victuals and
drink surely fall further and further away from
all zracefulness and from al right living?
Would not victuals and drink, when they be-
came the whole OF life lose ali that simple
virtue which they have when they are merely
the means Of life? We may be only too sure
that this abandoned creature ate OF those vict-
uaIs which are the death OF the body. and drank