The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-04

ton than the free ranging, abstract
philosopher and the youth of a race
famous for its devotion to solid and
rounded facts. Young Virginia com
p'etely forgot its and the
philosopher received a treatment un-
paral,elcd in his experience. h out
side world was outraged, but the
philosopher commented only: They
are q very brave people. They say any
thing they please The final anecdote
Illustrating his imperturbability is that
pitiful and yet beautiful incident at
Longfe.low's funeral recorded by Mon
cure n. Conway. Emerson. long since
n victim of aphasia, rose and re-
marked. This gentleman was n sweet
and beautiful, soul, but | have en-
TREY forgotten his name"
But onc-half Of Nj. Firkins's book
Is devoted to- biography. The second
half deals with Emerson as prose
writer, as poet. as philosopher, with a
faal chapter called "Foreshadowings."
which tries to forecast his fame in the
future. This fame. the author states,
was prompt to arrive and shows no
signs of %diminution. but the influence
of his central ideas and impulsions has
been c%uriously p~rorogued. A hiatus
has occurred in the EVOLUTION OF his
power, springing out of an ~unreadiness
on the worlds part Cor the reception
of his ideas which the last fifty years
seem rather 10 have increased thar
abated. Humanity must receive A new
and profound charge Of the religious
spirit before its real pupiiage to the
waiting master can begin"
Perhaps with the popularity of the
Bergsonian philosophy and its treat
ment Of life as a great hux Emer-
sonianism itself may be revived.
In the chapter dealing with style
and architectonike We feel that MIR
firkins dea's with overimpartiality. Hc
denies that Emerson's "t.ssays' are Il
dust heap. god dust indeed but ye'
n heap. He quotes Or. Garnet as
saying that Emerson's thought "i'
transparent and almost chillingl,
clear as indeed IT is; but It is also
broken up into small and OTTER
partially related pieces. II his philos.
ophv was flowing his form was like
marble splinters. His page lacks boti
nuidity and ama.gamation.
Sairtshury In his History Of Eng
lish Rhythm" oddly compares Elmer
sons cadence with Carlyie's. Why. Il
IL impossible to- say. Carlyle's cadence
las an organ roll. voluminous and
splendid; F.merson's is short. choppy
ALTERING. sounding often like techni
sal passages for the halalaika. tn,
articulation of the sentence with thu
paragraph. which Emerson readers al
ways find difficult. are mistakenly ar
nued as cogent and transparent by Mr.
Firkins. He admits Emerson's din
Guilty in making his conclusion hi
stopping point. Having reached hi!
climax he likes to go on with a few
struggling II explanatory SENTENCES
Even Mr.. Firkins. who writes with al
enthusiasm likely tn he accused OF thu
tone of parti-pris. censures sentence
such as: Thou from speech re
fl ained"; a constant use OF IAN,
which and but which" and zealot
for the rule that the verb ito be- take
the same case after as before will
hardly know how to deal with he |
ME and | am him; yet no n VIII
feels the genius of language but viii
admit; that me is | and l am he
loses all force and significance.
On the whole Mr.. Firkins's book /
a most valuable addition to the Elmer
s"nian cult. The chapter Full Cir
ri. " dealing with the friends Of Finer
son. Thoreau. Hawthorne. Alcott. Saral
Ripley. Margaret Fuller. E~lizabetl
Hioar and others, Is as delightful a
such a chapter should he. Who coul
fail to he charmed by the picture o
Sarah Ripley found by Audubon. VIII
vent to consult her as To the lichen
that grew in her neighborhood. listen
mE at once to the lesson Of a Harvar
student in differcntial calculus, cor
roofing the translation of another fror
SOphoclcs. while she shelled peas an
rocked the cradle Of her %grandchil
with her foot? Here is a picture 10
tie modern suffragist.
Mr.. Firkins's hook is authoritative
able and delightful. and IL Is perhap
Only natural that having read te'
volumes Of Einerson's journals and a
OF Emerson's published work he shout
at times write so much like his sub
iect that II is difficult to d~is,inguis
Emerson from Firkins.