davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30
THE wRAPPINes OF ERUpITIoN.

He cannot help thinking, ne says, that
they lose their significance when thus
shown i'm labelled cases as "mummicd
specimens of human thought and aspira-
ton" and in Sadhana" he has endeav-
ored to free them from their 'wrappings
or erudition" and 20 set them forth as
they are for Western minds. He has also
given in connected form ideas Of life that
he has been accustomed 10 express to his
pupils in his school at BOlpur, in Bengal
In contrasting the ideals Of America and
India, which is the only abstract Of this
book which the space Of the present arti-
Gle allowed, the writer says that the first
Invasion Of each country forms an exact
parallel In each case the invaders were
confronted with primeval forests and
were compelled 10 war with aboriginal
races. But while the struggle between
man and man and man and nature con-
tnued without compromise in America,
it was otherwise in the East. In India
the forests which were the habitation Of
barbarians became the sanctuary Of
sages. but in America these great living
cathedrals Of nature had no deeper signi-
ficance to man. They brought wealth
and power TO him. and perhaps at times
they ministered to his enjoyment Of
beauty. and inspired a solitary poet. They
never acquired a sacred association in
the hearts of men as the site Of some
great spiritual reconcilement where mans
soul had its meeting pace with the soul
of the world
But civilization. he continues. IS kind
OF mould that each nation is making for
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30
Goo, . Do.rnnS Iy
WILLIAM ROTHsNSTelN. q BY
Tie kz,c1t f/Lsr Co

spread with a divine homeliness His lie,
burning with Gods love. makes all our
earthly love resplendent.
1T ~ not only in Buddhism and the
Indian religions. but in Christianity too.
that the ideal OF selhessness IS preached
with all fervor. In the last the symbol OF
death has been used FOR expressing the
idea Of mans deliverance from the life
which is not true. This is the same as
Nirvana. the symbol OF the extinction Of
the lamp.
"In the typical thought OF India ii -
held that the true dcliverance Of man is
the deliverance from avidya-from igno-
rance II is not I'm destroying anything
that is positive and real. for that cannot
be possible. but that which Is negative.
which obstructs our vision OF truth.
When this obstruction. which Is isno-
rance. ~ removed then only Is the eyelid
drawn up which is no loss 10 the eye.
Though the West has accepted as IFS
teacher Him who boldly proclaimed His
oneness with his Father. and who eXhort-
ed His followers to be as perfect as God,
il has never been recOnciled to this idea
Of cur unity with the infinite being. IL
condemns as a piece of blasphemy any
implication Of mans becoming God. This
is certainly not the idea that Christ
preached. nor perhaps the idea of the
Christian mystics. but this seems to be
the idea that has become popular IN the
Christian West
But the highest wisdom in the East
holds that IL is not the function of our
soul TO gain God. to utilize Him for any
special material purpose. All that we can
ever aspire to is TO become more and
more one with God"
Such are the contrasts between the
East and the WeSt TINT are dMclt npOn
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30
RAelnORAMAru TACORE

itself 10 shape its men and women ac-
ctrd.ng 10 it's best ideal. All its institu-
tons, its legislature its conscious and
unconscious teachings tend toward that
object. The modern civilization OF the
West by all It's organized efforts is try
ing to turn out men perfect In physical,
itelleCtUal and moral efficiency There
the vast energies Of the nations are en-
ployed In extending mans power over his
s.rroundings end the people are com
binIng and straining every faculty 10 pos
sess and to turn 10 account all that they
can Law their hands upon, to overcome
every obstacle i'm their path OF conquest.
They are ever disciplining thems slyes 10
fight nature and other races; their 9rma-
ments are getting more and more stu
pendous every day: their machines, their
appliances. their organizations 20 on mu!.
tiplving at an amazing rate. This IL
splendid achievement no doubt, and
wonderful manifestation Of mars mas
terfulness which knows no obstacle. and
which has for it's object the supremacy
OF himself over everything else.
The ancient civilization of India had
its own ideal of perfection toward which
its efforts were directed. Its aim was not
sttaining power. and it neglected to cult
vate to the utmost its capacities. and 10
organize men for defensive and offensive
purposes. for cooperation in the acquisi-
tion Cf wealth and for military and pollt-
icaI ascendancy. The ideal that India
tried 20 realize led her best men To the
isolation Of a contemplatIve life, and the
treasures that she gained for mankind
by penetrating into the mysteries OF
reality cost her dear I'm the sphere OF
worldly success. Yet this also was "A
sl,hIiL.a. achLnrnrnnn IL a s,lnrDLne
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30

by this remarkable Oriental-an OXFORD
graduate, a father whose sons have been
educated i'm our own University of Illi-
nois, a poet i'm love with the verses or
Tennyson and Shelley. musician who'
Justly or unjustly, has been given place
by some Of his own countrymen, that
ranks with that of Beethoven or wagner.
Rabindranath Tagore is not only poet
and philosopher his versatility Is
amazing. He has written numbers or
short stories. few of which have been
translated I'm Europe but which have
appeared in translated form In Anglo
Indian newspapers. Dramas written py
him when he was little more than Doy
are being played In Calcutta to-day. Ol
these THE Rajah and Ranp' is one OF
the most popular
Among the students at Columbia UNI
versity there is Bengal doctor named
G. Chakraberty, student OF medicine
who has known Tagore both in his home
I'm Calcutta and when he visited this
country and read his paper before the
professors ana students of Harvard Uni
versity. DIR. Chakraberty said that Ia
gore was considered more highly among
his countrymen than any other living
noet but that even If he had never writ
ten a word Of poetry he would still hold
q title 10 great fame by reason or the ma
tional songs that he had composed anu
the musical compositions that nave
ranked him among the Hindus as one Oh
the greatest OF their composers.
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30
TACORF THE BFNGAII WHOSE WRITINGS WON NOBEL PRIZE
He Is Dissenting Brahmin, an Oxford Grad
uate, and, Besides Being Leader Of
Eastern Thought and Poet Of Love
and Religion, Is a Drama
tist and Musician,

Indian law, could never become his wifi.
as widows and cousins in that countrv
are not allowed TO marry. The cousin
who returned the poets love, married
elsewhere, and Tagore did likewise. AL.
though his affection could never be re-.
Quilted, he continued to care for his cousin
and she for him, and to-day the families
Of the two lovers live in the closes,
friendship.
AS the genius of the poet expanded
more spiritual quality became infused into
his writing, until from the poet Of Low.
he has now become the poet OF religion
Mr. Tagore, said DR.. Chakraberty, ia
dissenting Brahmin, who does not beliey.
in the limitations of caste. He fear,
above all things agnosticism, and the fer.
vor of his belief is evident in every Lin.
Of his later poetry.
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30
EAST SUFFICIENT UNTO ITSELF.

Tho noet. said Dr. Chakraberty, has the
firm belief that India has little, II any
thing. TO learn from Western civilization;
tbot the East in all the higher forms or
thought is sufficient unto ITSELF Ana
while this has not been actualS
pressed in the book. "Sadhana' II 10
forcefully implied in many places
Rablndranath Tagore was born III Io"'
I'm Calcutta, coming from a family that
has long been famous for Its wealth. ana
Intellectual accomplishments. The poet s
Grandfather was almost as widely known
among the Indians as the grandson IS To-
dav. He was Maharsi Devendranath Ia
gore. the founder OF the Landhoiders
Society.
Other members of the Tagore family
have been widely known for their philo-
sophical learning and their musical ac-
cor,nlisbments. Gogonendranath and
Abanindranath Tagore are artists, while
Dwiiendranath, the poets brother is both
= philosopher and a naturalist, whose
movers over wild life are so great that'
according TO a countryman OF MS the
SQUIRRELS come from the boughs and climb
on TO his knees and the birds alight upon
his hands"
The father Of the present poet gave up
an important civic title. IL is stated, in
order 10 assume that OF Maha Rishi or
great sage. lie was quick to see the
signs OF genius or the promise OF that
quality In his son, and encouraged ms
intellectual development by every means
i'm his power When the boy was eleven
wears old his father sent him TO the Him.
alavas i'm order that the majesty OF these
great mountains might have IFS erect
upon rs soul and his development.
Tha, time marked the end OF Rabin-
dranath's schooling, although for seVeral
years thereafter he received instruction
from his father. When seventeen years
old he went to oxford University.
Returning from oxford to Calcutta. Ia
gore became engrossed in literary COM
position, writing much about natural OBJ
iects and composing plays as well as
novels and poems. From the age OF twen-
ty-five to thirty-five, when he had sor-
rowful love affair, he wrote what is con-
sidered the most beautiful love poetry
that was ever composed i'm his language.
This poetry, which was sensuous, color
ful and flaming with passion, is the delight
Of Eastern lovers. and it has been stated
that the rich beauty Of the poems alarmed
the Hindus, who feared that the verses
would have a baleful effect upon the
morals OF young men.
The love affair from which the poet
suffered. and which had so great an in
nuence upon his work. is said by coun-
tryman of his to be a passion he con-
ceived for his cousin, who. according TO
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30
"BABY'S WORLD"

Where have | come from? Where old
you pick me up?" the baby asked is
mother.
She answered half-crying, half-laush-
ing and clasping the baby to her breast:
You were hidden in my heart as us
desire. my darling.
You were i'm the dolls OF my child
hoods games: and when with clay |
made the image OF my god every morn
ing | made and unmade YOU then.
You were enshrined with our house,
hold deity, in his worship l Worshlpped
I'm all my hopes and my loves, in my
life, In the life of my mother, you have
lived
I'm the lap OF the deathless Spirit who
rules our home you nave beeh nursed
When in girlhood my heart was open
ing its petals YOU hovered as a fragrance
about IL.
Your tender softness bloomed in my
youthful limbs. like a glow IN the SKY
before the sunrise.
Heavens first darling. twn-born win
the morning light. you have fioated down
the stream of the worlds life, and al
last you have stranded on my heart
LAS | gaze on your face, mystery over
whelms me; you who belong TO all nave
become mine.
For fear of losing you ] hold YOU tgnt
to my breast. What magic has snareo
the worlds treasure in these slender
arms of miner
These verses have been written by
poet who received no attention whatever
when he visited this country some months
ago. At the time when Arnold Bennett
and Alfred Noyes were being interviewed
and quoted. TaSore passed almost WIN
out comment. IL is true that In Cam
bridge. and later in Chicago, he read some
OF his papers and won both friends ana
admirers. But IL has remained for the
judges at Stockholm 10 show to tAe
Americans the worth Of a man that the
West has hitherto sighted.
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30
10 N YCOUnTY. CouRT Houst

making overcharges and issuing certih-
Gates Of Indebtedness greatly in excess Of
the amount of the uncollected taxes,
which the certificates were supposed to
meet. Governor Glynn sent exami-
ners to investigate his accounts. and
heavy shortage has been reported. He
was a contractor on the state roads and
the barge canal.
These items of news illustrate one OF
the weakest links i'm the system OF Amer
lean state government. The county Is
the twilight zone in politics The eyes OF
all are intent upon town. city, state and
national governments and the elections in
which definite policies are to be decided
Those who head the tickets are in the
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30

public eye. Few stop to consider the way
in which the county government is run.
IL was In the investigation of the man
agement of county affairs In New York
State that Governor Glynn made his
reputation as a state officer. This was
in the course of the administration of
Governor Hughes. 1t is a case OF where
the taxes are paid, there the heart is
also-and taxes are not paid by the indi-
vidual into the county treasury.
We have national. state and municipal
civil service. but few county employees are
protected by law In their jobs. With
every change of administration there may
be a change in employees The patronage
idea may have full sway. That is why
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30

the stream of county patronage damned
up. Perhaps 1t is this lack of knowledge
of conditions and Of interest on the part
of the public that accounts for the kind
of almshouses and jails found In many
counties
While the counties have been the last
to feel the influence of the wave OF mod
ernization In governmental machinery
the day is dawning for them. for steps
are being taken in some of the states to
correct the evils which nave been dis
covered. The Short Ballot Organization
proposes to introduce measures in the
New York Legislature when It meets this
winter looking toward an Improvement
in the county governments of this state.
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30
RABWDPANAVH TACOR6
AGS 10.
sc' s> Jhs %HJeD-i iNSo Co
>@:@@@

OF that human aspiration
which Knows 40 limit ard which has for
it's object nothing less than the reallza-
ticp Of the Infinite =
"In our country continues the sage
''he who truly loves God receives such
homage from mcn.as would be considered
almost saorilcgious in the West We see
in him Gods wish fulfilled the most diff
cult Of all obstacles to His revealment
removed. and Gods own perfect JOY fully
blossoming in humanity. Through him
we find the whole world Of man over
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30
THE AWARD SURPRISES.

In commenting on the award of the
Nobel prize Professor Phelps said that he
found himself in agreement with the
views expressed by Mr.. Lee in his inter-
esting book, The Crowd"
81 think that Mr.. Lee will be pleased
with this particular award" said he "as
it so admirably illustrates his own ideas,
The Nobel prize accomplshes much more
when il surprises the world than when IL
merely registers or ratifes public opinion.
For years Mr.. Tagore has been enormous
ly popular in India, but practically un-
known TO the Western world. l have read
only his book 'Gitanjah,' which the au-
thor himself has translated into English
prose-prose that resembles in some de-
gree the language of Solomon's Song.
confess l cannot quite share the un-
bounded enthusiasm Of w. b. Yeats, who
finds in these poems, so he says. a world
] have dreamed Of all my life long. But
/ can quite understand Mr.. Yeats's enthu-
sasm, even though I cannot honestly
share it, My Yankee mind is too remote
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30

The poor and all of these other details
OF government they have always with
them. They are uninteresting to busy
men and women who have their livelihood
or fortunes to make. The politician is in
terested. however There is no concen-
trated supervising power over the county
government and when crimes, political
in their origin, occur the politicians
have the officials by the throat, and
often nothing is done. Even the sources
Of publicity are dried up in many coun-
ties through the fact that small papers
receive their chief sustenance from coun-
~ advertising. II is said that i'm New
Jersey there are scores of small news
papers that would die OF inanition were
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30

Tammany may say. "All is not lost.
While We have the county government,
we still live" That is why political ma
chimes in other parts OF the state do not
die of starvation when reform sweeps
men into the offices of Governor, Senator
and Assemblyman. and everything seems
TO be going against them.
The citizen is not particularly interested
in such routine functions as housing and
feeding the poor. recording deeds, pass
ing upon wills. holding the cash of the
county treasury. capturing. convictIng
and sentencing thieves, conducting jails,
and deciding whether persons have met
their death from natural causes or
through violence.
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30
A PROVERB GONE WRONG.

The award Of the prize is sure TO at
tract general attention TO prophet VINO
thus far has been without honor save IN
his own country not the only paradoAlcai
thing about this particular prophet
The Macmillan Company, the publishers
of Tagore's translated writings, are pro-
ducing two new books by him at this the
psychological moment They have already
published his "Gitanjali' (song offerings
I'm England and "The Gardener also
volume of verse in England and America
The former, which has an introduction
by Yeats, contains Tagore's later verses,
written after his love songs had stirred
the hearts Of Bengal Love is not its
theme, however: II is rather the religious
ecstasy Of prophet and a dreamer, and
the English version suffers as little as
possible at the hands Of the translator De-
cause the poet has translated them HIM
self, often paraphrasing them to preserve
their spirit and unity.
But one Of the newer books is perhaps
of even greater interest TO Western read
ers, as Tagore has given them not only
philosophy that makes the reader for
get all the troubles Of the world" and
attempted TO bring them in touch with
the ancient spirit of India, but has con-
trasted the East and the West in an in
teresting manner. This book is called
"Sadhana. the Realization OF Life Ia
gore declares that while the religious
texts and scriptures of India are vital
and alive to the Orientals. they are too
often merely curlosities TO Western
scholars and seem to have for them
merely a retrospective and archaeolo-
gfcal interest" "
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30

Westchester County has not waited for
such movement. but has already in'e"
tigated itself with n view TO remedylns
the evils found.
The county Is an importation from bns'
land. In details, counties differ IN t'e
various states i'm their functions anu
powers. In New York State the govern
ing power is centred in board OF SD
pervisors. made up Of one from escR
town. Its duties include the supefVlsio"
OF the finances and administrative duu'S
of the county and the auditing OF 'ne
county bills. This board may nave 20
many as forty or fifty members, "hN"
means that the work is not sufhciehus
concentrated TO be handled efiiclenp''
Many of the supervisors may actually V
and are ignorant of the obligations ps'."
upon them by law, and unconscousy VIZ
late it. The other officers elected IN '"'
county are the superintendent OF the poV''
treasurer, clerk, Judge, surroe"','
a sheriff, a district attorney, corV"
and, in such counties as have taken ~
vantage OF their privilege. a contron..
OF course. the functions Of the coun'
in New York City have been assuiheo
a large measure by the city itself. ou.''
for instance, are the care OF the P0''
the management of the finances tue w
lection of taxes and the police duties v
the sheriff.
The character of the county mecnains
seems to lend itself readily to the eie'.
of ignorant and inefficient. If not corIUpN
officials. 1t is like a miasmatic swan"
1t is difficult to escape from IL unsca'n.s
and in good health. Disease is likely T"
break out at any time.
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30

HE worldwide interest awakened by
the award of the Nobel prizes has
Il always been out Of all proportion
10 their actual value. Like the white rays
of a searchlight. they have singled in
night one worker after another from oo-
scurity. Their action is wholly posltlVe
and generous. for they often have made
but never unmade, regulations. Like the
dynamite that created them by making
Alfred Nobels fortune, they have set vast
forces at work. In less than twenty years
these prizes have become so slgnincant
that the eyes Of all civilized nations are
annually turned toward Stockholm 10
learn of their announcement and to read
the generous bulletin that lifts contempt
from living genius by telling the people OF
the world where to look for their own
prophets.
Some years ago when Selma Lagerlof,
a woman, won the Nobel prize for liter
ature. there was a gasp of astonishment'
but Western culture is even more thor
oughly amazed to-day. For the award
this year has passed over the heads OF
Occidentals, utterly disregarding the work
of established writer's Of "the superior
white race" to pick from the heart of the
East from the Indian province Of Bengal
a poet whose writings have attracted 1T
tie attention in the Western Hemisphere
although among fifty millions Of people
the present literary era IS called by this
poets first name.
New-York tribune., 1913-11-30
THE CRITICS APPLAUD.

Rabindranath Tagore. a Bengal, dis
senting Brahmin, has won the NoDel
prize. The most discerning literary critics
of the day applaud the choice. Orientals
who are in Western countries show little
surprise at Tagore's new laurels' 81
though confessing their satisfaction. They
say that there seems to be no poet so
famous among the Europeans as Tagore
is famous I'm India.
William Butler Yeats, the Irish poet
saws that the translated writings OF
Tagore have stirred his blood as has noth-
ing else for years; that when reading the
verses in manuscript he carried them with
him in railway cars ard in restaurants,
and was often forced to put them away
lest the people near by should see how
strongly they moved him.
Crossing to America, we find Professor
William Lyon Phelps. Of Yale University
declaring that he is pleased at the award
which has been particularly successful In
fulfilling the wishes OF the founder OF the
prize in attracting the attention of the
whole world to a man whose work ought
10 be universally known. In this city Pro-
fessor A. V. W. Jackson, Of Columbia
University, who has written and lectured
frequently on the literature of India ana
Persia, believes that the granting OF the
Nobel prize 10 a Bengal will do more
than signalize Tagore's own work-that 1t
will open the eyes Of Americans TO the
beauty Of Eastern literature and the
purity of Eastern thought and bring the
ideals Of East and West more closely to-
gether than any other influence Of pre-
FiOus wears