The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-13
R,nsllsnt Pastor MaEner.

Two more books by the author OF The
Simple Life are published by the j. ).
Ogilvie Company. The Busy Life: or The
Conquest Of Energy translated by George
Morehead, Is addressed TO the young
reader. Il know you as l know myself
Mr.. Wagner says here to the reader In
Question. L have only to close my eyes
TO see myself once more, at your age, living,
hopfng, seeking, loving and wandering.
You must then acknowledge, upon taking
this book In your hand, that you meet
companion some years older than your
aslf.S The logic here is 80 exact, the con-
oluSion 90 inevitable, that We could not
forbear from quoting.
Energy il picturesquely eItolled in these
pages. II Is night on the ocean. No stars.
Compass defective. THE tempest RACES,
the sea Is furious A tremendous con-
diot OF the elements Now and then a
Zach OF lightning to reveal the awful majesty
~ the scene. What could be grander2
Does our essayist leave this question un-
answered, after the fashion OF certain
law poetsl He does not. He tells US
what Is grander Behold the fearless
pilot, holding the rudder. A speck in
the vast and tumultuous scenery, but that
man IL greater and grander than the tenn
nest and the sea- Be busy in life. Above
all things, a man should possess energy
The book contains seventeen chapters
or essays. Not all Of them are particularly
concerned with the idea OF energy in life
and conduct. They deal vaHously with
such matters as obedience, simplicity,
fidelity, cheerfulness, fear, kindness, the
honor of manhood and heroic education.
We notice in the essay on fear that the
author takes issue with the essentially
French proverb that "ndioule kills It
need not and does not kill. he points out,
and he gives interesting illustrations, He
rebukes in another place the spirit of
nnookery, OF which he finds too much in
these times. we live by respect; we
perish through mockery," he says, Let
us Danish the mockerl And, by contrast,
let admiration. respect and enthusiasm
under ell their forms be welcomed and cul-
tivated as elements aof moral health and
culture Of the mind But we suspect that
mockery and Tidicule will continue. II
might be disastrous IL enthusiasm did not
have its correction and adulaion its
cOunterpoise,
In the course OF his essay on fear the
author says that there is a profound psy-
Geological doctrine In the German phrase,
Itch fdrchte mich" Literally that means
L fear myself though really it is the
same as when we say, Il am afraid Il
il q reflective verb, and has It's immediate
parallel in our old usage, I fear me-
suggestion, however lies in the form,
and the ossayist truly says that the king
dom Of fear is within us. We do not
hesitate to add that II is the consciousness
that we contain that makes fear possible
and that the dead are fearless. At the
same time we cannot shut our eyes 10 the
fact that fear may be promoted by what
occurs without. Doubtless our conscious
ness Is often oversenstive. Il eXaggerates.
Il Is hurt too easily by ridicule az times,
though not always Pity indeed, in cases,
that "the soul. that very fiery particle,
should let itself be snufed out by an
article, and yet some hides are exasperat-
ingly thick
The second Of MI. Wagner's books pub
lished by the ORilvie Company lie entitled
The Voice Of Nature; or, The Soul OF
Things Olive Harper is the translator
heTe, and we cannot but think that she has
done her work admirably, though she does
now and then allow the infnitive TO become
a pair. There IL much eloquence, much
vivid picturing, much wit, much amusing
turn Of fancy in these ffty-four brief essays.
The Key 10 the Fields THE Lesson Of
the Mountain, Without Watch with
out Purse, 'Flies, A Cat in the Water,
the Hand THE Shoe'-surely here IL
much that shall not irk heart light enough
10 hope for philosophy not too profound
end didactioism not too oppressive. Here
We find that the matchmaker, deliberate
Srtisan, kept the essayist's watch for a
whole month for the purpose Of efeOiinH