New-York tribune., 1902-05-10
THOREAU.
NOTES 'ON THE SERVICE" A HITHERTO
UNPUBLISHED ESSAY.

ID. Thoreau. A single considerable article by
him, however. which proffered 10 it. and
which was held for months, was ultimately de-
clined, although Emerson, who read it, gave
it high praise. Neither Miss Fuller's declina-
tion nor the article, it would seem, reached
Thoreau. 1t was curious, as Mr. F. b. San
born intimates Cwho now edits the document.
that Mr.. Emerson when he became sole editor
of that unique publication. did not print it, But
for some reason not apparent. he did not. Miss
Fuller, well as Mr.. Emerson, appreciated
its high quality, and took pains to write in her
letter of declination these words:
Last nights second reading only confirms my
impression from the first. The essay is rich in
thoughts, and | should be panied not TO meet
1t again. But then the thoughts to me to
be so much out of their natural order that l
cannot read ii through without pain. ! never
once feel myself in stream of thought, but
seem to hear the grating of tools the mosaic.
1t is true, as Mr. Emerson SAYS that essays
not to be compared with this have found their
way into The Dial" But then these are more
unassuming in their tone, and have an air of
quiet good breeding which induces to admit
their presence. Yours is rugged that it ought
to be commanding.
The article in question, which came near to
oblivion. obscurely titled The Service"
1t emerged, however twenty years ago from
among the Emerson papers sent to Mr.. Sanborn.
The manuscript numbered twenty-five full
pages, and was tied together with knots of
n,
edited it in book form, adding an introduction
and notes, says that, more than any OF his
published writings. it displays that taste for
paradox which often is found in authors OF a
singular originality, and of such profound
imagination as Thoreau had" The authors
topic seems to he the measure Of man, or, as
his editor suggests. Human Life which he
views with AN Oriental scope of thought" dis
missing distinctions of Time and Space" In
I . yko
merated the qualities of the recrpit'-for life is
represented militant; hourly fight. The
brave man." told. lis the elder son of
creation. who steps buoyantly into his in
heritanCe," while the coward dallies until he
dies. The coward wants resolution which the
brave man do without"
He calls the divinity in man" the true vestal
fire Of the temple. In the meanest are
| all the materials Of manhood only they are not
rightly disposed. The Romans made
Fortune sirname to Fortitude for fortitude is
that alchemy that turns all things to good
fortune" Further on he says, transating a
Latin phrase. Il wrap myself in my virtue
Tumble me down. and I will sit
Upon my ruins smiling yet"
Original conceits are abundant in this essay.
There is no ill.," he says which may not be
dissipated like the dark, If you let in
stronger light upon it," He observes that Nat
ure refuses TO sympathize with sorrow;
she has not yet provided for; but by thousand
contrvances against 1t: she has bevelled the
margin Of the eyelids that the tears may not
overflow on the cheeks. Necessity
is my eastern cushion which I recllne My
eye revels in its prospect in the summer
haze"
His apostrophes 10 Music make dominant
note in this production. Very Thoreauke Is
! this:
Each more melodious note hear
Brings this reproaCh TO me-
That alone afford the ear.
Who would the music be.
The brave man is the sole patron Of music,
he takes it for his mother tongue; more mellif-
luous and articulate language than words. in
comparison with which speech is recent and
temporary" The universe is tuned TO music.
he thinks Hence poetry and song.
When Bravery first grew afraid and went to
war it took Music along with IL The bravest
deed, which for the most part is left quite
! of history is the life OF a great man.
. For such a masterpiece this. whole
galleries Of Greece and Italy are a mere mix
| ing of colors and preparatory quarrying of
marble"
However. no synopsis and no sampling OF this
| bright handful of kaleidoscope beads OF thought
| will reproduce more than imperfeCty the
| writer's adorned argument Miss Fuller's re-
marks upon Thoreau's genius. written not long
| after she declined this proffered contribution.
| partly describe It: He is heathful. rare, of
! open eye ready hand and noble scope. He sets
no limits to his life nor TO the invasions of
| Nature; he Is not wifully pragmatical ascetic
| or fantastical But This thought lies too de
| tached; truth s seen too much in detail: there
is a want of fluent music"
1t may he doubted whether literature has
| another personality to show Of so unique q
| character as was Thoreau's. He was a stoic.
! singular and serene, not without inner warmth
| and humane purpose, but wearing husk that
sometimes presented itself the chestnut burr
| does to an unCongenial arrival He asked but
| little of the world except independence and non
conformity to it's somewhat tiresOme social
| ritual and conventions, but he could always be
! found at the right moral angle, preserving
undefiected polarity. A purely born Yankee.
| holding a finely mixed lineage. having in his
| mental composition a mixture of Plato and
| Diogenes with much Orentation besides he
! was even more than Hawthorne claimed to be
when his first book appeared--"the Obscurest
! American author" He is better known now.
! But what a comment upon sense OF thinking
and taste for letters is the fact that his books
| have had small demand in the aggregate.
mushroom novel, never TO be heard of after a
few years, getting in month much
! than their total circulation up to date!
Mr. Sanborn, who knew Thoreau we'll and
! long ago; who lived under the same roof with
| him for a time, and who has often shared his
! walks has done a welcome and friendly service
| in bringing to light this essay. well in his
| recently issued monograph on The Personality
! of Thoreau." 1t was not a life studded with an
| nails that he describes, for the recluse scholar
! and thinker is not the maker the centre Of