The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-06-28
INTERVIEW WITH
HENRY VAN DYKE


HENRY VAN DYKE
nr Henry Van Dyke who. as every
one knows, Q cuples the chair Of Eng
lish literature at Princeton, is one o;
the great thinkers Of his day. So
thoroughly possessed Is he Of large
ness Of soul sweet serenity Of mind
and optimism that his views on the
topics Of public interest are listened to
win, respect by all classes.
Just now he has been talking Of
tainted money" and other things He
said:
Now, is a very diffiult matter to
get behind a mans acts and judge the
motive in his mind in what is osten-
sibly an act Of charity All minister
can ask him is. Is this money legally
yours2 and DO you wish to give it
for this purpose7' after which there is
nothing TO do but accept it, OF course.
there are men who. under the cloak OF
charity. have sought self advertise
ment and think all this discussion Of
the matter which the public prints
have had, about an abuse Of the char
itabla motives either in the mind OF
the giver or the recipient. can do only
good. Ii is a fine thing to dignity the
motives Of charity, to compel allie
glance to the spirit as well as the let
ter OF charitable instinct. ! do not
think that either MI Rockefeller or
Mr. GLADDEN. misunderstands the true
principles OF charity. think. perhaps
they misunderstood each other They
have simply carried the world a step
+ rther toward an appreciation Of a
better ideal-pointed out the integri-
~ CT fixed principles"
Changing the subject:
4 love old-fashioned things" said
the doctor, mot the things that are
ont of touch with present life, but the
simplciues that no discriminating age
can fail to appreciate or be unable to
enjoy He received us in the library
sometimes he called It his study, but
that being its more intimate office, on
first acquaintance It was just a library.
Its polish was not merely that which
books gave it, nor was it a room DIN
which one could bury ones self from
present things. for there was study
porch, reached through an open study
window. through which came the
music Of breeze in the trees, Of
bird on branch. OF bee hard at work
at his trade, OF the rippl;ng laughter OF
children across the way, and Of the
more distant sounds of farmland, from
the trumpet OF a rooster to the bassoon
OF a COW, filling the room with echoes
Of outdoor life. The books were in
glass cases; around the room were au-
tograph mementoes. pictures and busts
Of men who had done things.
Speaking Of the always fascinating
the victims OF heredityl
1T has been asserted that We are
the vitims Of heredityl
eAre we-are weY" said the doctor,
diving his hands deep in the pockets
of his velvet jacket Certainly will
is something, environment is some
thing. and 70 is heredty, but we class
ify them unfairly. The usual order is
heredity, environment. viii; a more
effective arrangement would be will.
environment. heredity. VIII very large
With a sword Of discipline 70 drill the
influences OF temperament and hered-
ity 70 q manual Of its own. The old
fashioned idea Of social correctness
was self-restraint. which is the hrst
embodiment OF will The easiest thing
70 be is savage, but Il is not the
bsst, Is it7"
"As 10 great souls, there is Tenny-
son. TennysOE Was great PERSONAL
~, q man who impressed you With the
big soul that was IN him People get
quite a different idea Of Tennyson from
the dalntiness Of some OF his verse
lie was a very large man, with big
brilliant eyes. and head Ike a Hons.
He was afflicted with a melancholy
which came over him al times, and
compelled his complete retirement dur
ing these periods He was two years.
toward the end Of his life. in a saDi-
tarium The failure Of his hrst book
- verse was something that he never
wholly recovered from.
NE saw with widp vision when
he was older
"Of courFe, but there was genius IN
him always There are some visions
70 big that no mind can tell them. J
remember when / made my 6rst trip
10 the Grand Canyon. friends said Z
son,eth.ng about expecting posms !
about II. but ] was dumb. astonished, /
slleDced By the vision No great poem
has even been written about Niagara
the disaster OF Martspique has never
been poetically encomI 10 z
81 am not much Of believer lob