davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21
We Should Not Deny Things
We Cannot Sense.

It is clearly true that our bodies constitute
the normal means of manifesting ourselves
to each other while on the planet, and that if
the physiological mechanism whereby we &C.
cOmplish material acts is injured the convey
ance of our meaning and the display of our
personality inevitably and correspondingly
suffer.
So conspicuously is this the case that It has
been possible to suppose that the communi-
eating mechanism, formed and worked by us
is the whole of our existence, and that we are
essentially nothing but the machinery by which
we are known. We find the machinery utiliz-
ing nothing but well known forms of energy
and subject to all the laws of chemistry and
physicist would be strange if 1t were not
sO-and from that fact try to draw valid
deductions to our nature, and as to the i'm
possibility of our existing apart from and in
dependent of these temporary modes of ma
terial activity and manifestation. We so uni
tormly employ them, in our present Circum-
stances, that we should be on our guard against
deception due to this very uniformity. Ma
terial bodies all that we nave any control
over, are all that are experimentally aware
of; anything that can do with these is
open to us; any conclusion we can draw about
them may be legitimate and true. But to step
outside their province and to deny the exist
ence Of any other region because we have no
sense organ for its appreciation, or because
like the ether it is too uniformly omnipresent
for our ken, is to wrest our advantages and
privileges from their proper use and apply
them to our own instruction.
But II We have learnt from science that EyO-
luton is real, we have learnt a great deal |
must not venture to philosophize, but certainly
from the point of view of science Evolution is
great reality Surely evolution is not an illusion;
surely the universe progresses in time Time
and Space and Matter distractions but
are none the less real: they are data given
by experience; and Time is the keystone Of
evolution THY centuries follow each other.
perfecting a small wild flower"
We abstract from living moving Reality
certain static aspect and we call it matter:
We abstract the element of progressiveness,
and we call it Time. When these two abstrac-
lions combine, cooperate, interact we get real
lty again. 1t is like POyntings theorem.
The only way to refute confuse the theory
of Evolution is to introduce the SUFFICIENTLY of
time. That theory involves the reality of time
and 1t is In this sense that Professor Bergson
uses the great phrase, Creative Evolution"
see the whole material existence as a steady
passage from past to future, only the single
instant which we call the present being actual
Inc past is not non-eXstent however, it is
stored in our memories, there is a record of
1t In matter, and the present is based upon IL;
the future is the outcome OF the present, and
Is the product of evolution.
Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21

We have still to explain the insects. So much
beauty cannot be necessary merely to attract
their attention. We have further to explain
this competitive striving toward life. Why do
Things struggle to exist? Surely the effort must
have some significance the development some
aim. We thus reach the problem Of existence
Itself and the meaning of evolution.
The mechanism whereby existence en-
trenches itself is manifest, or at least has been
to a large extent discovered Natural selection
is vera causa, so far as it goes; but if so
much beauty is necessary for insects, what
about the beauty of a landscape or of clouds?
What utilitarian object do those subserve?
Beauty in general is not taken into account by
science. Very WELL that may be all right, but
it exists nevertheless 1t is not my function TO
discuss IT,. No; but it is my function TO remind
you and myself that our studies do not exhaust
the universe, and that if we dOgmatize in
negative direction and say that we can reduce
everything to physics and chemistry, gibbet
ourselves as ludiCrOusly narrow pedants and are
falling far short of the richness and fullness
Of our human birthright. How far preferable
Is the reverent attitude of the Eastern poet:
The world with eyes bent upon thy feet
stands in awe with all its silent stars"
Superhcially and physically we are very
limited. Our sense organs are adapted to the
observation of matter, and nothing else d.
rectIy appeals to us. Our nerVe-musCle-system
Is adapted to the production of motion in mat
ter, in desired ways, and nothing else in the
material world can we accomplish. Our brain
ana nerve systems connect us with the rest or
the physical world Our senses give US infor-
nation about the movements and arrange
ments of matter. Our muscles enable us to
produce changes in those distributions. That
Is our equipment for human life, and human
history is record of what we have done with
these parsimOnious privileges.
Our brain, which by some means yet to be
discovered connects us with the rest of the
material world, has been thought partially to
discOnnect us from the mental and spiritual
realm, to which really belong but from
which for time and for practical purposes we
are isolated. Our common or social associa-
tion with matter gives US certain opportunities
and facilities combined with obstacles and diff
fCulties which are themselves opportunities
for struggle and effort.
Through matter we become aware of each
other, and can communicate with those of our
fellows who have ideas sufficiently like our
own for them to be stimulated into activity by
a merely physical process set in action by
ourselves By a timed succession of vibratory
movements tas In speech and music, or by a
static distribution of materials las in writing
painting and sculpture), can carry on in
telligent intercourse with our fellows; and we
get SO used to these ingenious and roundabout
methods that we are apt to think of them and
their like as not only the natural, but as the
only possible modes of communication and
that anything more direct would disarrange
the whole fabric Of science
Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21
How Our World May Look
to Another Planet.

To understand the action of life Itself, the
simplest plan is not to think Of microscopic
organism or any unfamiliar animal but to
make use of our experience as living
beings. Any positive instance serves to stem
a comprehensive denial and II the reality of
mind and guidance and plan is denied because
they make no appeal to sense, then think how
the world would appear to an observer to whom
the existence of men was unknown and uudts-
coverable, While yet all the laws and activities
of nature went on as they do now.
Suppose then, that man made no appeal to
the senses of an observer OF this planet Sup
pose an outside observer could see all the
events occurring in the world, save only that he
could not see animals or men. He would de
scribe what he saw much we have to de-
scribe the activities initiated by life.
If he looked at the Firth of Forth for in
stance, he would see piers arising in the water
beginning to sprout. reaching across in strange
manner till they actually join or are joined by
pieces attracted up from below to complete the
circuit "a solid circuit round the CURRENT He
would see a sort of bridge or hlament thus
constructed, from one shore to the other and
across this bridge inseCt-ike things crawling
and returning for no very obvious reason.
Or let him look at the Nile and recognise
The mertorious character of that river in pro
noting ne growth Of vegetation In the desert
Then let him a kind Of untoward crystal
uzation growing across the beginning to dam
the Denehcent stream. Blocks fly to their
places ny some kind Of polar forces; I'VE can
not doubt" that il is by hello or other tropIsm
There is no need to so outside the laws of
mechanics and physics there is no difficulty
about supply or enerEy-nonS Whatever-na-
terials in tin cans are consumed which amplv
account Tor all the energy, and all the laws of
physics are obeyed. The absence of any design
too. is manifest, for the effect of the structure
Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21
The Evergrowing Garment
of a Transcendent God.

Yes, and there is more to say than that. The
methods of science are not the only way
though they are our way, of arriving at truth
Uno ltnere non potest peTveniri ad tam
grande secretum." Ut is not possible to reach
by one way alone so great a secret)
Many scientific men still feel in pugnacious
MOOD towards Theology, because of the exag-
gerated dOgmatiSm which our predecessors en-,
countered and overcame in the past. They
had to struggle for freedom to find truth in
their own way; but the struggle vas a mis-.
cradle necessity, and has left some evil effects
And one of them is this lack Of symnatbv +hIs
occasional hostility, to other more sniritraI
forms of truth. We cannot really and seriously
suppose that truth began to arrive on this
planet few centuries ago. The pre-scientifc
insight of genius-of Poets and PrOphets and
SalntS-Was Of supreme value, and the access
OF those inspired seers to the heart of the Uni
verse was profound. But the camp followers
the scrlbes and pharisees, by whatever name
LHey may De called, had no such insight, only
a vicious or a foolish obstinacy; and the
prophets OF new era were stoned
Now at last we of the new era have been
victorious; we inherit the fruits of the age
long conflict, and the stones are in our hands
Let US not fall into the old mistake of think.
ing that ours is the only way Of exploring the
multifarious depths of the universe and that
all others are worthless and mistaken. The
universe Is a larger thing than we have any
exhaust its treasures.
Men and brethren, we are trustees of the
uuth OF the physical universe as scientifically
explored; let us be faithful to our trust.
Genuine religion has its roots deep down in
me heart OF humanity and in the reality ..
things. 1t IS not surprising that BY our meth.
EDS We fail to grasp it; the actions of the
Deity make no appeal to any special sense
only universal appeal, and our methods are
as we know, incompetent to detect complete
uniformity. There is a principle of RELATIVELY
change nothing in US responds; we are deaf
ana Dilnd, therefore, TO the immanent grandeur
around US, unless we have insight enough N
appreciate the whole, and to recognize in the
woven fabric of existence, flowing steadily
from the loom in an infinite progress toward
perfection, the evergrowing garment of
SSs~@@->a6Alt God.
Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21
fence Is Proving Our mmortality By Sir Oliver Lodge

there everything is determined. Wherever
full consciousness has entered, new powers
arise and the faculties and desires of the con-
sciOus parts of the scheme have an effect upon
the whole. 1t is not guided from outside but
from within; and the guiding power is fmma-
nent at every instant. OF this guiding power
we are a small but not wholly insignificant
portion.
That evolutionary progress IS real is a doc
trine of profound significance, and our efforts
at social betterment are JUSTIFIED because we
are a part of the scheme, part that has be-
come conscious a part that realizes, dimly at
any rate what it is doing and what it is aim
ing at. Planning and aiming are therefore
not absent from the whole, for we are part
of the whole, and are conscious of them in
ourselves.
Either we are immortal beings or We are not.
We may not know our destiny, but we must
have a destiny of some sort. Those who make
denials are just as likely to be wrong as those
who make assertions: in fact, denialS are as
sertions thrown into negative form. Scientific
men are looked up TO authorities. and should
be careful not to misead. Science may not
be able to reveal human destiny, but 1t GER
tainly should not obscure it Things are as
they are, whether we find them out or not and
if We make rash and false statements pos
terity will detect us-if posteTity ever troubles
its head about US. | am one of those who think
that the methods of Science are not so limited
in their scope as has been thought; that they
can be applied much more widely, an that the
Psychic region can be studied and brought
under law, too. Allow US, anyhow. to make the
attempt. Give US a fair field. Let those who
prefer the materialistic hypothesis by all means
develop their thesis as far as they can; but let
US try what can DO in the Psychical region
and which wins. Our methods really
the same theirs-the subjeCt-matter differs.
Neither should abuse the other for making the
attempt
Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21
What Is Worth Reading About Mexico

Lone Star" by Eugene P. Lyle, Jr The latter
story contains vivid description Of the awful
massacre at the Alamo in 1886, and has Davy
Crockett and Santa Ana, the treacherous, as
leading personages
For that period in its history, when Mexico
was ruled by member of the reigning family
of Austria, who was placed in power by the
French Emperor, Napoleon ILL.,, read Macmillan
and Carlotta" by J. NJ. Taylor. Poor Maxi
milan! Poor mad Carlotta! There was trag-
edy enough in their lives to move the most
rabid kng-hater to pity.
THE Missourian,' a novel by Eugene P Lyle
Jr., is true enough to the history of this period
to be of value. A dashing young Confederate
officer and fascinating girl from the court OF
Napoleon try to aid MaXimlian Romance is
rampant There are plots and counter plots:
rewards and retributions and the story echoes
to the thunder of rushing cavalry and rings
with the Clink of spurs.
To get nearer to our own times read "Diaz
Master of Mexico" by James Creelman. In his
Introduction the author says: THE object of
this work is to explain the most interesting
man Of the most misunderstood and misrepre-
sented country in the world" The book is
)eryaded by a great personality, and so wildly
written that ones teeth fairly chatter while
Daz makes his escape through a shark-infested
sea.
F. Hopkinson Smith. who, whether working
with brush or pen. always Eliminates his sub
ject, has written The White Umbrella in Mex
leo; there is Unknown Mexico" by X. S.
Lumholtz THE Awakening of a Nation" by
C. X. Loomis; Picturesque Mexico" by Mrs.
NJ R Wright; and within the last year there
has been published Coming Mexico" by
Joseph King Goodrich. This book is less of
prophecy than its title indicates It touches
upon Mexicon history. industrial conditions,
foreign relations and the attractions of the
country for tourists.
And now, fresh from the press comes Mex.
Eco To-day" by George r. Winton. It con-
tans Information as to the country's history,
its politics, its religious and social conditions,
with emphasis on the missionary interests and
the attempts TO foreward a Protestant move
ment in Mexico.
Read a few Of these books, or all of them
and you will approach your morning news with
mind and eyes opened 10 a bigger, broader
understanding of the Mexican situation.
Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21
BY Josephine Story.

II OR days and days now Mexico has held
r. stage centre of the worlds news For
an intelligent understanding of this news
from modern Mexico one should know some
thing of the dusky races which were living and
laboring in that country before Columbus
crossed the seas For good working knowl-
edge of those people and their condition read
The Conquest of Mexico" by William H. Pres
colt
This book furnishes a most interesting ac-
count of the ancient civilization of the coun-
try, then describes the coming of Cortez sum
ming up its Importance in these words: Among
the remarkable achievements of the Spaniard
Of the sixteenth century, there is no one more
striking to the imagination than the conquest
OF Mexico The subVerSiOn of a great empire
by handful of adventures, taken with all its
strong. picturesque accompaniment, has an air
of romance rather than of sober reality"
To judge justly the Mexico of to-day it is i'm
portant to know the Mexico of the early part
OF the sixteenth century, for from that coun-
try a civilization which might have instructed
Europe was crushed out by Spaiu-Spain. whose
evil destiny it has been TO ruin two Civiliza-
tons. Oriental and Occidental, and thereby to
ruin herself
Historical fiction serves as an excellent ap-
petiZer for the study of history. at this stage
of your investigations. read The Fair God"
by Lew Wallace. II is a romance of the last
of the Tzins and the coming of Cortez in 1919.
The story is warm and vital and human. is
rlch with sympathetic understanding and is
written with uncommon charm.
To know something of our own relations
with the turbulent country TO the south of us.
read Mexico and the United States" by Ma
tas Romeo, and then, when you in glarng
headlines, Northern Mexico in Armed Opposi-
ton to the Government" It's time to shake
your head knowingly and TefeCt-aloud if
you have an History is repeating
self" and reach for the best life of Sam
Houston your library affords. His defeat of
the MeNicans at san JaCinto in 1886 makes
thrilling reading Andrew Jackson said Of
Houston: Thank God, there is one man at
least in Texas whom the Almighty had the
making of and not the tailor"
Now swing into fiction again and read Amelia
f. Bars Remember the Alamo" and The
Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21
The "Voices" of Socrates
and Joan of Arc.

Whether such things as intuition and revela-
ton ever occur is an open question. There are
some who have reason to say that they do.
They are at any rate not to be denied off
hand In fact, it is always extremely difficult
to deny anything of a general character since
evidence in its favor may be only hidden and
not forthcoming especially not forthcoming at
any particular age Of the worlds history, or at
any particular stage Of individual mental de-
velopment. Mysticism must have its place,
though its relation to Science has so far not
been found They have appeared disparate
and disconnected, but there need be no hostil-
ity between them. Every kind of reality must
be ascertained and dealt with by proper meth
DDS. If the voices of Socrates and of Joan of
Arc represent real psychcal experiences they
must belong to the ineligible universe.
Although ! am speaking eX CathedTa, as one
Of the representatives Of orthodox science |
will not shrink from personal note sum-
mariZing the result on my own mind of thirty
years experience Of psychical research, begun
without predileCtion-indeed with the usual
hostile prejudice This is not the place to
enter into details or to discuss facts scorned
by orthodox science, but l cannot help remem-
bering that an utterance from this chair is no
ephemeral production for II remains to be crit
lclZed by the generations yet unborn, whose
knowledge must inevitably be fuller and wider
than our own. Your president, therefore,
should not be completely bound by the shackles
OF present-day orthodoxy, nor limited to be-
liefs fashionable at the time.
In justice to myself and my co-workers I
must risk annoying my present hearers, not
only by leaving on record our conviction that
occurrences now regarded as occult can be ex-
amined and reduced to order by the methods of
science carefully and persistently applied, but
by going further and saying, with the utmost
breyty, that already the facts so examined
have convinced me that memory and affection
are not limited to that association with mat
ter by which alone they can manifest them
selves here and now, and that personality per.
sists beyond bodily death. The evidence to my
mind, goes to prove that dscarnate inteUi.
gence, under certain conditions, may interact
with US on the material side, thus indirectly
coming within our scientific ken; and that
gradually we may hope to attain some under
standing of the nature of a larger perhans
ethereal, existence, and of the conditions regu.
Iatlng intercourse across the chasm A body
OF responsible investigators has even now
landed on the treacherous but promising
shores of a new continent
Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21

they ere consistent, there is nothing but chem
istry and physics at work anywhere; and the
mental activity apparently demonstrated by
those structures is only an illusion, an
epiphenomenon; the laws of chemistry and
physics are supreme, and they are sufficient to
account for everything!
Well, they account for things up TO a point;
they account in part for the color of sunset,
for the majesty Of a mountain peak, for the
glory of animate existence. But do they ac-
count for everything completely? DO they ac-
count for our own feeling of joy and exaltation,
for our sense of beauty, for the manifest beauty
existing throughout nature? Do not these
things suggest something higher and nobler
and more joyous, something for the sake Of
which all the struggle for existence goes on?
Surely there must be a deeper meaning in
volved in natural objects. Orthodox expana-
tons are only partial, though true far as
they go. When we examine each parti-colUred
pnnule in peacocks tail, or hair in a zebra's
hide, and realize that the varying shades on
each so placed to contribute to the gen.
eral design and pattern, it becomes exceedingly
difficult to explain how this organized CO.
operation of parts, this harmonious distribu
ton of pigment cells. has come about on merely
mechanical principles. 1t would be as easy to
explain the sprOuting of the Cantilevers of the
Forth Bridge from its piers, or the fockng OF
the stones of the Nile Dam by chemiotaxis.
Flowers attract insects for fertilization, and
fruit tempts animals to eat it in order to carry
seeds. But these explanations cannot be final.
Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21
We Must Have a Destiny
of Some Sort.

Existence is like the output from a loom.
The pattern. the design for the weaving. is in
some sort there" already: but whereas our
looms are mere machines, once the guiding
cards have been fed into them, the Loom of
Time is complicated by a multitude of free
agents who can modify the web, making the
product more beautiful or more ugly according
as they are in harmony or dsharmony with the
general scheme. l venture to maintain that
manifest imperfections are thus accounted for,
and that freedom could be given on no other
terms, nor at any less cost.
The ability thus to work for veal or woe is
no Illusion, it is a reality, a responsible power
which conscious agents possess; wherefore the
resulting fabric is not something preordained
and inexorable, though by wide knowledge of
character 1t may be inferred. Nothing is in.
eXorable except the uniform progress of time;
the cloth must be woven, but the pattern is
not wholly fixed and mechanically calculable
Where inorganic matter alone is concerned