The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-04-16

generalissimo of mankind. instead of
working out his own salvation both in
religious, social, political and literary
sense and thereby extricate his mind
from the quagmire of moral degrade
tion he had sunk SO deep in. That is
the main reason why he was, and is,
unable to understand or comprehend
the great and grand mission of the
NaZarene, who came not to make this
life of ours constant vigil OF asceti-
cism, or to make put of the whole race
but hooded monks and yelled nuns,
stalking about like statues in coarse
garbs of homespun Yucatan sisal
hemp or twisted manila twine, but to
create a regenerated mankind with
hearts brimful of good will toward
each other, make US all like innocent
children, the life of which should be
overf1owing with laughter and song,
love and joy and genuine happiness in
the pure sense of the word. That is
the reason also why he is unable to
understand such a mind as Shake
speare's, the elect, big child of immor-
tai art, intensely human in sentiments,
ideals and imaginations. No man ever
came as the true Interpreter of the
people except he was born of the as
pirations of it, the embodied ideal, and
dream and struggle of the people. He
must be intensely human, intensely
childlike, with heart as big as the
world of men, soul aflame with the
problems of time and eternity so far
as they concern the people, and mind
capable of seeing as in mirror the
pictures of a suffering, struggling,
dreaming and aspiring humanity, and
creative power TO translate these pic
lures into words and language the peo-
pie can understand. This and more
was Shakespeare. Tolstoy was very
far. from it., altho his is no ordinary
mind.
Now Shakespeare was boon in pow
erty, surrounded by want, grew up in
it and understood the meaning of it.
His parents worldly habitatiOn was q
common cottage in a little town in
England. His studio and library was
, the great blue dome of heaven, orna-
mented with myriads> of twinkling
: stars, and the flowers and blossoms of
J the fields, the songs and chirpings of
| the birds, the rustling leaves of the
) woods. His early life was certainly
not wild and reckless or morally de-
l graded one. We are told, that he once
/ caught a deer on ground that belonged
j, to a nearby nobleman. This was GER
l tainly not right according to the laws
: of the land. But who knows but that
8 Shakespeare was in a certain way
Q forced to do it. Suppose, that he saw
/ his mother and younger sisters suffer.
e ing from want and hunger. What
8 should he do in such case, when he
J. knew that yonder in that wood roamed
y scores of deer, that nobody seemed tC
t, need just then? Certainly one more
8 or less would not make very great
q difference to the nobleman and hit
d family or hunting visitors. What
n would you have done in his place un
% der like circumstancesp
y We are also told that when thu
It squire of the nobleman hunted fOl
r Shakespeare in order to arrest him fol
It deer stealing, this worthy young fellow
8. stole into the kitchen of the mansion
8, and kissed his lordship's maid of th'
D. viands, just in spite. Then he retreatet
ss in honor and with flying banners, wen
IN his way from home. And the worlt
h got Shakespeare, the greatest drama
=, tist, the noblest author, the most un
as surpassed idealist the world ever knew
is His work and ideals has as it's Objec
is new human kind, regenerated Sc
rt ciety, life ruled and blessed by tn
to striving for, and the materializing o
I'd the noblest ideals that ever shone thr
a human mind. Shakespeare worke
IL for regeneration of the everyday lif
I'll among all classes of society; that eac
lit and every one should learn to kno,
fe themselves and thereby save them
m selves. And because he knew the nj
90 ture of men, because he understoo
Us the objects of life eachiand every hr
OF man being is called to live and striv
ed for, therefor is he also the great dram
On atist he is and always will be.
or a few words In conclusion as to th