Year: 1877

few examples Of q genuine mystical thinker ths'
have rpencd in the intellectual atmosphere Oh new
England. From the time of his Orphic utteraneeS
in the Boston Dial" 10 the issue OF TINS colec'"n
Of pregnant aphorisms, he has preserved ms Splua
identify without flaw or shadow upon its trans
narent unity Devoted with singular purity OF
intention and rcctitude of purpose to the pur-
suit of truth. he has always taken the intul-
tions of the spirit for his guide rather than any
proeess of dialectics His position has Deeh
less that Of the philosopher, than OF the seer lie
has essayed the arduous task of contemplating
divine and human things face to face. without SUD
;ectiup them TO the experiments of analysis and
logic Entering the holy of holies he puts his shoes
from off his feet, and boldly approaches the mystic
shrine but makes attempt TO record its treasures
in an inventory or TO rob the altar OF It's god III
his view, Nature is a book Of infinite significance
hiding more than it reveals, containing mysteries
that can be known only by the pure in heart ana
surrenderng her secrets to save the rapt seer
whose "visual nerve has been purged with euphrasy
and rue"


.symbolical is all that meets the sense.


One mighty alphabet for infant minds"


"The hcetlng pageant tells for nought ,


iii shaped in minds creative thought"


In accordance with the method by which instinct
divines what the understanding cannot perceive,
nor reason at once apprehend. which regards lis pre-
sentiments as oracular and personal, the voice Oh
Spirit TO the entire nature, Mr. Alcot is at no pans
TO impress his ideas the minds of his readers by
illustration or argument, leaving them to be re-
ceived in the same way IN which they were su3-
gested by the light of spontaneous intuition.
Hence his language always free from polemc ten
dencies breathing the calm air of the enpyrcan.
with the repose Of marble statue, which at tunes
NAV almost be mistaken for the tranquility OF
death.


The work is divided into two parts, practical and
speculatiye the first of which will meet with the
largest sympathy from most readers, for its VEN OF
serene and often wise suggestion, while the latter
will be found TO contribute little toward the sou-
ton of spiritual problems the elucidatlon OF I'M
portant truth Its import is not inaptly expressed
in the quotation from PlOtinus, with which the sec
ton is introduced -" Should any one intcrrogate
Nature how she works, if gracioGsly she youehsafes
to listen and speak she will reply, 1t behooves thee
not to dsauet me with interrogatons, but to under
stand i'm silence, even as l am silent, and to work
without words'D This assumed reticence of Nature
has been faithfully initiated by the author Ill tins
part of his book Much Of it has been written as II
with view to shed Obscurity on the subject in
hand not to radiate light This want of clearness
in statement does not perhaps imply the want OF
clearness i'm the mind of the writer, so much as pc
cuhar intellectual habit which prefersa smoked glass
IN telescope as an instrument of observation but



comfort of the reader to be presented even with
trutb through so dim a medium. Sentences like the
following which may be found OH every page, may
conceal wholesome tonic, but apparently they are
neither savOTy nutritious =" Living is Gearna-
ton. Quick with spirit in alternate systOe and
diastolc the tides course along, incarnatmg organ
and vesicle i'm their ceaseess flow Let the pulSa-
tons pause for instant creation ebbs into invsi-
bilitv The visible world is the EXTREMIST wave of
the spiritual food its fuX being living, confluence
body. eiiux disease" Still in the midst of these
thorns and thistles meet with an occa-
sional passage which almost startles us with
its breadth of thought and masculine vigor
of expression. One example may suffice -
''The sight of sin softeus and subducs. And who so
inhuman as 10 insult the snful9 Best of men is he
who, tolerant of human infirmlty, eomprehends ITS
frailtes and forbears the stern rebukc. Never are
the human prcrogatives nObly displayed as when
compassioning the wicked and weak, defending
them against themselves by kindly clemency
and forbearance. takes than man 10 treat man
;ustlv and rdcioasly The greater the sin, by so
much greater the of mercy the tenderness,
the long-sufferng. defending the sinner against his
SINS and awakening the convictions that bring HIM to
confession and repentance"


The portion of the volume devoted to practical
themes can claim that title only by comparison as
II treats neither of the arts of making money nor of
mining success in politics. but of the conditions of
sound, ceanv, and humane life. In this line Mr.
Alcott trends with firm and healthy STEP speaking
Ike a sage of large experience and deep reflection,
ALWAYS presenting noble ideal, but not beyond the
reach of sincere aud manly endeavOr. His mind is
essentially contemplative and selfassertng, but he
is wide reader within certain limits, and knows
better than most the true uses and
value of book. The fine favor of his
remarks on this point are characteristic.
" confess TO being drawn rather to the antiques,
ard with livelier expectancy the dingy leaves
finding often inside the covers more for my
reading than on the snowy pages of most opened by
fr,auenters at the bookstores. fancy that ! am
guided by a selecting instinct to lay my hand upon
the very volume that had long heen seeking my ac-
auaintanee There are patterns of bindings, more
over that insure wise contents, wisdom being not
less an ancient than cotemporary and retains the
uhysiognOmy of its times One may remember that
lime gathers and preserves the 0est along with tne
worthless and the selection is thus the wider And
time must determine those of modern date which
lnay attain immortality. The fewest of any period
viii hardly be remembered beyond their authors
lfe-tilne and how large the number that never
cain general perusa' The relation of the reader
10 his author presents a delicate point of
cal ethics, and one of its aspects is here
p; forth with equal charity and business.
Literary courtesy is due from contemporary
authors 10 one another respecting their works.
readily excuse silence where cannot praise, ONLY
Lame another. But praise IS always III fine keeping
with friendship. That code which carefully ab-
stains from speaking to an author about his book,
ION a mistaken deicacy, appears TO wanting in
al sya.pathy and refinement of courtesy, and, to
t'ir extent in which it is praeteed, vtiates the
fell sbi