available by ,cornell ,university ,digital ,collections7 ,,the ,,continental ,,monthly3 ,,devoted ,,to ,,literature ,,and ,,national ,,policy4 ,,vol4 ,v4--,,june1 #ahfd4--,,no4 ,,vi4 ,,ernest ,,renan',s ,,theory4 ,christianity is a fact4 ,we sometimes hear of men who are said to 'deny' ',christianity4' ,the expression is nonsense4 ,men cannot deny the sun4 ,christianity has been a visible thing1 on this planet1 for eighteen hundred years4 ,it has done a heavy amount of work1 which is very visible too4 ,it is altogether too late in the day to 'deny ,christianity4' ,that is the first thing to be understood4 ,there is no arguing against the fact4 ,you must take the fact and make the best of it4 ,if your theory requires the annihilation of the fact1 it's a bad thing for your theory1 for the fact insists on staying4 ,what an amount of fearfully laborious stupidity we would have been saved1 if only that plain principle had been remembered6 ,christianity has stood face to face with the world1 for ages1 a hard1 stern1 uncompromising reality4 ,with a pair of tremendous arms it has worked1 fought1 endured1 conquered1 destroyed1 builded1 all over the earth4 ,it has burned its brand into time4 ,it has stamped its footprints in fire and brightness on earth and sea4 ,it so stands1 a great1 wonderful1 triumphant1 flaming fact1 blazing through the ages1 flaming to the stars1 melting1 moulding1 enlightening humanity4 ,the first thing to be remembered1 then1 by ,christian and unbeliever alike1 when they come to speak of ,christianity1 is that these things are not the matters in debate4 ,they are the facts to be explained1 to be accounted for4 ,in all argument they themselves must first be taken for granted4 ,that is to say1 here is this religion1 certainly to any thoughtful man the most wonderful thing1 take it all in all1 that history has to tell about4 ,it starts in an obscure corner of an obscure province4 ,its founder dies as a felon among felons4 ,its teachers are stupid peasants1 fettered by a narrow dialect of an almost unknown tongue4 ,its whole origin is barbarous1 ignorant1 disgraceful by any worldly judgment4 ,so it begins4 ,as it spreads1 imperial ,rome takes alarm1 and turns to crush the barbarous fanaticism1 in the pride of her learning1 civilization1 and power4 ,she plants her iron heel on the neck of the creeping sect4 ,she presses it down with her gigantic weight4 ,time passes4 ,the little sect that began in an obscure city of an obscure province1 'the number of the names together being an hundred and twenty1' in less than three centuries masters the world's crowned mistress1 and plants its standard in triumph1 to remain forever1 on the ,seven ,eternal ,hills4 ,resistless ,rome is beaten to her knees1 every national reverence1 every national divinity trampled on1 and spit upon1 and the barbarous and disgraceful sect sets its ignominious mark1 the cross of the condemned slave1 on every monument of ,roman reverence1 on every trophy of ,roman greatness4 ,there never was such an utter conquest4 ,a pure idea1 without a material hand or weapon1 domineers over the greatest empire under the sun1 in spite of the whole power of that empire armed to crush it4 ,and1 after ,rome fell1 the huge carcase beaten to the dust1 and torn to fragments by the wild creatures that hung upon her borders1 this wondrous mystery1 this barbarous1 obscure faith alone remained1 invincible among the powers of ,rome4 ,roman civilization was crushed to the earth1 as the ,roman legions were4 ,roman law was trampled out of sight1 as ,roman art and literature were2 but ,christianity stood up and faced the ,vandal and the ,goth1 the ,frank and ,saxon1 as it had faced the ,caesars before1 and dragged the conquerors of the empire suppliants at the feet of the church4 ,it built a ,christian ,europe out of the savage hordes of ,asia1 and made an ,england1 and a ,germany1 and at last an ,america out of wild ,goth and ,ungar1 out of bloody ,frank and savage ,dane4 ,now all this is simply matter of fact4 ,my belief in ,christianity does not add one jot to these facts4 ,my disbelief does not take one tittle from them4 ,so far as they are concerned1 every man is a believer in ,christianity4 ,he believes it exists4 ,he believes it has existed1 has had such and such a history1 has produced such and such results4 ',christian' and 'infidel' alike1 to be reasonable1 to have any ground for reasonable discussion1 go thus far together4 ,they may differ in their explanations of the facts4 ,that is the only ground of difference4 ,there is the point of separation4 ,it is perfectly logical too4 ,prima facie1 we have no complaint to make that they do differ4 ,and here lies the improvement in the modern type of 'unbeliever4' ,he does not take the line of his older brethren1 and rudely assail ,christianity as a mere imposture with ,voltaire and ,paine4 ,that sort of work has had its day4 ,he1 on the other hand1 freely admits its beneficent achievements4 ,he has grown reasonable4 ,he accepts ,christianity1 as the believer does1 as a fruitful1 beneficent1 and conquering fact4 ,he only holds that its existence and its achievements may be accounted for in a far more satisfactory way than we 'believers' have discovered4 ,now all this is comprehensible1 and it is really1 now1 the ground of difference between those who believe in ,christianity as divine1 and those who hold it to be merely human4 ,it is a clear and simple issue4 ,christianity accounts for itself and its work on a certain plain1 straightforward1 and consistent theory4 ,it holds that theory to be reasonable1 complete1 ample1 for all the facts4 ,a number of people join issue just here with ,christianity4 ,they admit its facts1 but they deny its manner of explaining them4 ,they claim to put forward other methods of explanation1 which shall be more reasonable1 more natural1 and1 at the same time1 just as ample for the facts4 ,we have had a number of these philosophers1 with their theories1 and they have had various fortunes4 ,on the whole1 the ,christian world has gone on about as usual1 accepting the old explanation1 adopting the old theory1 a hundred to one1 and has dropped the new theories one after another1 after more or less investigation1 into profound oblivion4 ,now we are free to admit the old theory has its difficulties4 ,there are 'things in it hard to be understood4' ,there are mysteries and wonders which it does not attempt to explain4 ,there are 'hard sayings' which it leaves hard4 ,and the new theories always claim to have no difficulties4 ,they blame the old one bitterly because it tolerates them4 ,they themselves claim to be 'reasonable1' they 'explain' everything4 ,they therefore challenge the trial4 ,if they fail to be 'reasonable1' or if they can only be reasonable at the expense of some of the facts--that is to say1 if they find no place for some of the authentic facts1 and so have to explain them away2 or if1 on the whole1 they make too large drafts on our credulity1 and demand too great a power of faith--we have the logical right to dismiss them out of our presence with scant courtesy1 and are bound to hold by the old explanation still4 ,the last man who has come forward with his theory of ,christanity is ,monsieur ,ernest ,renan1 a ,frenchman1 a member of the ,institute1 and a ,semitic scholar of some considerable pretensions4 ,he broaches his theory in a book1 which he calls ',the ,life of ,jesus4' ,he offers it to the world1 through that book1 as an improvement on the accepted one4 ,we propose here to look at ,m4 ,renan's theory1 and see whether it has any advantages to offer over that usually taught in churches in ,america1 and which the present writer learned1 some lustra ago1 while catechized at the chancel veil1 and which his children are learning now4 ,it makes the examination easier that ,m4 ,renan freely and fully admits the achievements of ,christianity4 ,indeed he glories over them4 ,the beneficence of ,christianity1 its hallowing and elevating power in the history of the world1 its wondrous blessedness among men1 the glory it has cast over human life and human aims1 the nobleness it has conferred on human character1 all these he takes a pride in confessing and appreciating4 ,he will not be a whit behind the stanchest believer in acknowledging the power of these1 or in the capacity of prizing these4 ,but he cannot accept the explanation ,christianity gives of itself4 ,he proposes another of his own4 ,we may take his theory as the fruit and flower of all 'liberal' thought4 ,here1 at last1 is what unbelieving learning and philosophy have to offer in lieu of the divine origin of ,christianity4 ,after a good deal of loud boasting1 after a large amount of supercilious sneering1 we have here the result of that 'profound criticism' and that 'careful scholarship' which have been laboring for years1 in ,europe1 to destroy the supernatural bases of faith4 ,we are justified1 from ,m4 ,renan's position and character1 in taking it for granted1 that his book is the best that modern unbelief has to offer1 his theory the most satisfactory that the deniers of the divine origin of ,christianity can frame4 ,in examining that theory1 at the first1 a suspicious thing strikes a calm observer4 ,it is the reckless way in which ,m4 ,renan deals with his authorities4 ,for1 be it remarked that1 with only one or two outside hints in ,josephus and ,tacitus1 the ,four ,gospels contain all that we know of the ',life of ,jesus4' ,they are formally and professedly ,his biographies4 ,they were expressly written to present the outlines of ,his life and teaching in connected form4 ,all that we know of ,him1 ,his birth1 life1 and death1 is contained in these four narrations4 ,the utmost learning and the utmost simplicity here stand side by side4 ,the most unlearned reader of ,,the ,,continental is just as well informed1 with the ,four ,gospels in his hand1 as any 'member' of any ',academy' under the sun4 ,out of these ,four ,gospels1 ,m4 ,renan has to construct his ',life of ,jesus4' ,but he has a theory1 and that theory does not seem to be the one set forth in the ,four ,gospels2 so he just rejects whatever goes against his theory1 garbles1 clips1 denies1 assents1 and colors1 with an assurance1 amusing for its impudence1 if it were not so criminal for its recklessness4 ,on the very threshold he asserts1 in the teeth of his sole authorities1 that ,jesus was born in ,nazareth6 ,he refers his startled reader to a footnote4 ,that footnote informs him that the 'assessment under ,quirinus1 by which ,he is sought to be connected with ,bethlehem1' took place ten years after4 ,we are to take this on ,m4 ,renan's sole authority4 ,we are to fling the ,gospels over on the strength of a footnote6 ,now it is simply impossible that ,m4 ,renan can be ignorant that there are very satisfactory ways of explaining this difficulty1 otherwise than by charging a forgery4 ,josephus1 whom he cites to prove the assessment to be ten years after1 would have informed him that the preliminary enrolment took place at the time mentioned1 and that it did extend over ,herod's dominions4 ,moreover1 the authorities for this last fact are not ,christian only1 as he says4 ,they are ,josephus1 a ,jew1 and ,suetonius1 a pagan4 ,this is only an instance1 on the threshold1 of what occurs1 a hundred times1 in the book4 ,any statement which stands in the way of the writer's hypothesis1 is swept out of existence at one pen-stroke4 ,calm historical relations1 evidently most essential portions of the writings1 are treated as forgeries1 or deceptions1 without a condescending why or wherefore1 if they embarrass the writer4 ,that large portion of the ,gospels1 the miracles1 is scarcely worth a thought from ,m4 ,renan4 ,he dismisses the whole question of miracles with a bon mot4 ',many people followed ,jesus into the desert4 ,thanks to their extreme frugality1 they lived there4 ,they naturally believed they saw in that a miracle4' ,now is not that wonderful6 ,the circumstantial relation of the miraculous feeding is supposed to be satisfactorily explained by people 'naturally believing' that frugality was 'a miracle'6 ,but the great miracle of all1 the miracle which seals the story1 which gives ground of hope and faith to all ,christian men1 that miracle1 without which they have always felt the ,gospel would be preached in vain1 that grand consummating and awful miracle1 which flashed brightness into the sepulchre1 which shot the light of immortality athwart the darkness of ,death1 and gave mortal man a sure grasp on immortality1 that great crowning miracle1 the resurrection of our ,lord1 on which so much depended1 which so many jealous eyes were watching1 which was so early asserted on the very spot where it claims to have occurred--this ,m4 ,renan treats as unworthy serious refutation4 ,it is not even necessary to try to disprove it4 ,it is simply sufficient for him to mention 'the strong imagination of ,mary ,magdalene1' and to exclaim so beautifully6--',divine power of love1 sacred moments in which the passion of a hallucinated woman gives to the world a resurrected ,god6' ,there it is6 ,the doctrine of the resurrection1 and all that clings around it for humanity1 the doctrine preached always as one of the foundations of the faith 7'because he preached unto them ,jesus and the resurrection'71 and the fact of the resurrection1 the fact always put forth as the clinching argument1 the justification of the whole story1 thrown into the face of ,jew and ,greek as a perpetual challenge--this doctrine and this fact are disposed of by a bit of sickly sentiment6 ,now1 this sort of thing may be very rhetorical1 and very beautiful1 when done up in approved1 sentimental ,french1 but it is certainly neither logical nor philosophical4 ,we have a right to insist that ,m4 ,renan shall come with no theory which compels him to reject half the facts unexamined1 and to garble and misuse half the rest4 ,those facts stand on the same ground as all the others4 ,the same authority which tells us that ,christ lived at ,nazareth1 tells us also that ,he fed five thousand with five loaves and two small fishes4 ,m4 ,renan accepts the first statement1 without examination1 and denies the second1 without examination4 ,he does this because he has made up his mind beforehand that prima facie a miracle is impossible4 ,but that carries us out of the line of historical investigation altogether4 ,that is a question of metaphysics4 ,m4 ,renan's decision of the question is not admitted by an means universally1 not even frequently4 ,the truer decision as well as the more philosophical is that1 prima facie1 all things are possible1 except contradictions4 ,at all events1 we hold that the ,four ,evangelists stand on their own merits4 ,they are not to be declared impostors1 either in whole or in part1 beforehand1 in order to save a metaphysical theory4 ,the same logical viciousness shows itself in ,m4 ,renan's treatment of the ,prophets4 ,daniel never could have written the book attributed to him1 he says1 because that book contains statements of fact which occurred long after ,daniel6 ,that is to say1 ,m4 ,renan does not believe in such a thing as prophecy1 and1 by consequence1 ,daniel never wrote the book of ,daniel6 ,this is taking things for granted with a witness4 ,and1 by the way1 we may as well ease our minds just here concerning another trick of the school to which ,m4 ,renan belongs1 and of which he furnishes many marked examples4 ,we mean the trick of arbitrarily deciding by what they are pleased to call 'philological criticism1' all about all the books and nearly all the chapters in the ,bible4 ',learned men are agreed that such and such chapters were not written by ,isaiah4' ',it is clear1 from internal evidence of style1 that this book was made up of earlier scattered memoranda4' ',these chapters1 it is evident1 were not written till such and such a time4' ',the best critics are agreed that this narration was added long after the writing of the book4' ,this is the way they write1 to the astonishment of the simple4 ,when we were younger1 this sort of talk seemed to our simplicity to be exceedingly imposing4 ,we actually believed that there were a set of people1 in ,germany1 at least1 who could look at a ,hebrew chapter and tell you who wrote it1 when he wrote it1 how he wrote it1 and why2 and the who1 when1 how1 and why1 should be each different from those mentioned by the author of the book himself4 ,as years removed the credulous simplicity of childhood1 we found out that this was only a trick of the trade4 ,we discovered that no two of these doctors agreed among themselves1 that the line of argument they followed would disprove the authorship of any page ever written1 that decisions from difference of style1 wise as they might be1 philologically1 were1 rationally and logically1 nonsensical2 for ,burns1 no doubt1 wrote his letters as well as his poems1 and ,shakspeare's ',sonnets' were written by the hand that wrote ',king ,lear1' although1 according to these wise doctors1 it is assumed to be utterly impossible that the same man can use two styles1 or that a man at seventy will write otherwise than he did at thirty4 ,in short1 we discovered that there is nothing more arbitrary1 more opinionated1 and more unphilosophical than this 'philological criticism4' ,applied1 as these wonderful ,german doctors apply it1 to any book ever penned1 and it can be shown1 'as the result of high critical ability1' that no author ever wrote his own book4 ,it is the easiest thing in the world to prove that ,shakspeare never wrote ',shakspeare1' that ,milton never wrote ',paradise ,lost1' that ',johnson's ,dictionary' just 'growed' like ,topsey1 and was never made at all1 and1 to name small things with great1 that ,m4 ,renan never wrote the ',life of ,jesus4' ,when we read1 then1 that 'it is certain that ,isaiah never wrote this chapter1' that ',st4 ,john could not possibly have written the fourth ,gospel1' that 'this book is composed1 undoubtedly1 of fragments of earlier writings1' or that 'this' other 'is the growth of a certain school1' we advise simple ,christians to take it easy4 ,they are to understand that the world goes on much as usual1 and that their family ,bibles still contain the old ,table of ,contents4 ,there has been no wonderful discovery made1 no ancient book catalogues have come to light1 no files of ancient documents have been dug up4 ,there are still just the old facts and the old evidence on which ,christians made up their minds sixteen or seventeen hundred years ago4 ,the amount of all this talk is only that 'the great ,doctor ,teufelsdroeck' or 'the learned ,professor ,von ,baum' has hazarded a guess1 and made an assertion1 which every other 'great doctor' and 'learned professor' will contradict1 and displace with another guess just as probable1 in three months' time4 ,there are men just as learned and just as honest who have examined their guesses1 and find them poor inventions indeed4 ,and we have a right to deny point blank the assertions so flippantly made by men like ,m4 ,renan4 ',it is universally acknowledged that this book was never written by ,daniel or ,isaiah or ,jeremiah1' ',it is certain this chapter is an addition of such and such a date1' etc4 ,it is not universally acknowledged4 ,it is not certain4 ,the whole thing is pure guesswork4 ,there is only one way to prove the authorship of a book1 and that is by testimony4 ,there is nothing under the sun more absurd1 philologically1 than that a common and very poor stock-actor should have written ',hamlet4' ,we know he did write it1 however1 not by 'internal evidence1' or from 'philological criticism1' but by plain human testimony to the fact4 ,we cite that1 and leave the 'internal' critics to their profound babble on vowels and consonants1 on long and short syllables1 and let them do with the fact the best they can4 ,in other words1 there is no way by which ,i can determine whether ,st4 ,john wrote his ,gospel except by testimony4 ,i do not know beforehand how ,st4 ,john would write4 ,i can therefore judge nothing by 'style4' ,all ,i can do is to ask of competent witnesses4 ,i do ask4 ,i am told by such witnesses1 straight up to his own day1 that he did write this ,gospel1 that this is the very one which we now have1 for they cite it and mention its peculiarities4 ,i accept the fact1 as ,i do in the case of ,shakspeare1 and let the wise 'critics' settle it among them4 ,the attempt1 therefore1 on the part of ,m4 ,renan1 to get rid of those large portions of the ,gospels which embarrass him in his theory1 by attempting to discredit their authorship1 while1 at the same time1 he accepts other parts1 that stand on the same authority1 and the supercilious way in which he ignores that large part which the miracles fill1 turning them off with a small witticism1 or a smaller bit of sentiment1 suggest1 at the start1 decided suspicions of the honesty of his intentions and the sufficiency of his theory4 ,we only hint at these things here4 ,they occur all through his book4 ,they are not evidence of learning or critical skill4 ,there are no secrets for deciding such matters4 ,the whole data have been public for ages4 ,all the 'members of the ,institute' together do not possess one grain of evidence that any ordinary scholar in ,america does not possess as well4 ,m4 ,renan rejects1 or discredits1 or garbles1 or slips over silently1 because he finds it necessary for his theory4 ,that is all4 ,he pettifogs with his witnesses to establish his theory4 ,that theory is1 that ,he1 whom all ,christians have called ,our ,lord1 was a mere man1 of what race is uncertain1 born in ,galilee of a man named ,joseph and of a woman named ,mary2 who taught in ,galilee and a little in ,judea1 and who was at last killed and buried1 and so an end of ,him4 ,this theory ,m4 ,renan has to find in the ,gospels1 and there is1 as we have hinted1 very little of the ,gospels left when he gets through4 ,it is so palpably against them that he has to get rid of the most of them to make it stand4 ,now this theory1 like all others1 must be put to the test4 ,will it explain the facts8 ,we have seen how it is compelled to get rid of the ,gospels4 ,but we put that aside4 ,will it explain the history of ,christianity8 ,will it explain its place to-day8 ,will it account for its effects8 ,the ,jesus of ,m4 ,renan is a strange character4 ,he is more difficult of comprehension than any mystery of orthodoxy4 ,we ask where ,he gets ,his wondrous wisdom1 this young carpenter1 how ,he learned to speak 'as man never spoke8' and ,m4 ,renan sentimentalizes4 ,we ask how ,he got this wondrous power over men1 to lead them and control them1 so that they followed ,him and 'heard ,him gladly1' and ,m4 ,renan goes off into ecstasies over the 'delicious climate' and 'the lovely villages1' and the ,arcadian simplicity of ,galilee1 as he fancies they once were1 and expects us to be answered4 ,his influence over women is accounted for more readily4 ,m4 ,renan tells us1 in his peculiar way1 that 'this beautiful young man' had great power over the 'nervous' susceptibilities of ,mary ,magdalene2 and ,pilate's wife1 having once seen him1 'dreamed about him' the next night1 and sent to her husband to save him in consequence6 ,however1 ,he begins ,his teaching4 ,where ,he learned it1 how ,he learned it1 why it took the form it did1 how ,he came to give moral law to the world1 where ,he found the words of wisdom and consolation--the divine words of power--for all generations1 there is positively not one sentence of explanation4 ,of all the young ,jews of ,his day1 how came ,he by these powers and this omnipotent wisdom8 ,now the ,christian theory does attempt an explanation4 ,it gives an ample answer to the question4 ,m4 ,renan gives no answer whatever4 ,he flies to sentiment4 ,we have all sorts of adjectives--'delicious1' 'enchanting1 'beautiful1' 'sweet1' 'charming'--he beats a whole female seminary at the business1 in attempting to describe how1 like full-grown babes1 everybody in ,galilee lived1 so innocent1 so simple1 so ,arcadian were they all--and that is all6 ,what shall a man do1 whom this fine style of novel writing doesn't answer--to whom1 in fact1 it seems just a bit of disgusting nonsense8 ,is this wonderful power1 this omnipotent wisdom1 a production of the 'delicious' climate8 ,is this all 'philosophical criticism' has to offer1 and is he to accept that as more reasonable than the ,gospel theory that they were supernatural and divine8 ,in this wonderful romantic dialect1 ,m4 ,renan describes the beginning of our ,lord's ministry4 ,he is embarrassed1 however1 by the fact that1 as ,jesus goes on1 ,he ,himself makes claims1 and sets up pretensions1 and exercises powers1 which are totally at variance with the proposed explanation4 ,m4 ,renan cannot deny that ,he claimed to be the ,son of ,god1 the ,messiah1 the ,son of ,david1 that ,he claimed to work 'miracles1' to possess supernatural powers1 to be somewhat altogether different from the amiable1 sentimental1 young carpenter of his modern biographer4 ,how is this to be got on with8 ,why1 by declaring boldly that ,jesus was half deceiver and half deceived6 by accepting the difficulty1 and confessing that ,he cheated men for their good--that1 as they wished to be deceived1 ,he stooped to deceive them1 and at last half deceived ,himself6 ,we know nothing more thoroughly immoral than is ,m4 ,renan on this matter4 ,this ,jesus of his1 about whom he sentimentalizes1 whom he declares a thousand times to be so 'charming1' and so 'divine1' and the rest1 turns out to be a deliberate cheat and quack1 putting out claims ,he does not ,himself believe1 and acting in sham miracles which people coax ,him1 according to his biographer1 to perform4 ,the raising of ,lazarus1 for instance1 which ,m4 ,renan would like to turn out of the ,gospels1 but which he is forced to confess must stay--according to him1 was a deliberate1 planned1 stage performance1 a gross piece of juggling imposition4 ,now we do not object per se to ,m4 ,renan's taking that view of it4 ,he has a perfect freedom of choice4 ,we do object to the immorality1 the essential blindness to right and wrong1 which lead him to apologize for the cheat1 and try to prove it a perfectly innocent and justifiable thing4 ,we protest against confounding eternal distinctions1 against debauching conscience by proving wrong right1 and a cheat an innocent bit of acting1 against claiming an impostor and a liar as the high priest of the world's 'absolute religion'6 ,but few of us1 in this part of the world1 can appreciate the transcendental reasoning that makes an impostor half divine1 or a cheat holy4 ',good faith and imposture1' to quote our author1 'are words which1 in our rigid conscience1 are opposed like two irreconcilable terms1' though1 he says1 it is not so in 'the ,east1' from which our religion came1 and was certainly far from being so with our ,teacher6 ,we cannot admire ,m4 ,renan here4 ,the writing is very fine4 ,he exhausts himself in his 'charming' style to make it all right1 and show us that we have profound reason to admire this lying teacher1 this cheating miracle monger1 whom he holds up between us and the pure ',son of ,mary4' ,but it does not answer4 ,in this cold climate a lie is a lie1 a cheat is a cheat1 and a mountebank and impostor is not the teacher of 'the absolute religion of humanity6' ,as ,m4 ,renan writes ,his life1 that is the way in which the ,founder of ,christianity develops ,himself4 ,first we have the young man1 amiable1 sweet1 'charming1' enacting a 'beautiful pastoral' in the 'delicious climate of ,galilee1' where it appears that nobody has anything to do save to enact 'pastorals1' although we are told 'brigandage was common in ,galilee1' which seems a strange accompaniment to 'pastorals4' ,where ,he got ,his wisdom1 how ,he came by these 'transcendent utterances1' which1 we are told1 'some few' only1 even now1 are lofty enough to appreciate1 we are not informed4 ,there they are4 ,but1 right in the midst of them1 this wonderful young man1 uttering these 'charming' lessons1 and these 'delicious' sayings1 sets to work miracle-mongering1 trying ,his hand at thaumaturgy and legerdemain1 becomes an impostor and a mountebank1 pretending1 among other things1 to raise a man who puts on a shroud1 gets into a grave1 and shams dead6 ,at last ,he is taken1 and then1 in view of death1 becomes penitent1 reforms1 and recovers ,his purity6 ,now ,thomas ,paine was1 in a way1 an honest man4 ,we can say that of him4 ,voltaire was1 in his degree1 honest too4 ,having said what ,m4 ,renan says1 they did not stultify themselves logically4 ,they honestly pronounced ,christianity a delusion4 ,we have respect for their consistency4 ,but our modern man says that a cheat in religion is no cheat1 a lie no lie1 that a true saving faith can be built on a foundation of deception and trickery6 ,he says it1 and undertakes to prove it by the convincing logic of sentimentality6 ,m4 ,renan here is just disgusting4 ,there are a few things in this world that do not mix4 ,right and wrong have something of a ditch between them4 ,a lie is not own brother to the truth4 ,if he thinks it worth while to write the life of an impostor1 very well2 only1 when he has declared him so1 and insisted on his being so1 we humbly beg he will not turn round and insist on it that the religion he taught is divine6 ,if the credulity of believers is great1 what shall we say of the credulity of ,messieurs the philosophers1 the unbelievers8 ,but what shall we say of their morality8 ,but if this new theory fails to account for ,christianity as a true system of religion1 what shall we say of its coherence with ,christianity as a successful system in action8 ,this sentimental impostor conquers the civilized world4 ,this 'charming' worker of sham wonders becomes a ,,god to the millions who to-day lead mankind6 ,here is where ,m4 ,renan's theory utterly breaks down1 where it becomes not only utterly illogical and incoherent1 but where it becomes too gross for any mortal credulity1 and too blasphemously wicked for any ordinary sinfulness4 ,it is utterly incoherent1 for it requires us to believe that a system1 begun in fraud and deception1 has proved itself the truest and most beneficent and sacred treasure to the world4 ,m4 ,renan insists on both4 ,from such a premise he drags such a conclusion4 ,is there any plain ,christian who dreads a sneer at ,christian credulity8 ,let him be comforted4 ,what credulity is like this8 ,what miracle in the ',four ,gospels' begins to be wonderful compared with this miracle of the modern thaumaturge8 ,the religion which has taught men truth--above all things1 truth--which teaches utter horror of a lie1 which insists on the bare1 bald reality in heaven and earth1 which has taught men hatred of the false as the meanest and most unmanly thing existing--this religion took its rise in claptrap miracles1 was puffed into popularity by boasting pretensions1 was born in trickery and nurtured by legerdemain6 ,its loftiest hopes1 its deepest consolations are the offspring of clumsy jugglery and cheap prestidigitation6 ,but more3 this religion1 so born and nurtured1 becomes the mistress of the earth4 ,it is of no consequence that only a minority of men accept it4 ,that minority hold the world in their hands4 ,in fact1 it seems from history1 that any number of men1 with this religion in their hearts1 become half omnipotent--that twelve can take it and master humanity by its power4 ,to-day the men who profess it can do what they will on the face of this planet4 ,it has so seized temporal power1 so moulded blind force1 so mastered strength--it has so conferred wisdom and valor and might on men1 that those who have accepted it have been crowned above their kind1 that they go everywhere as the acknowledged leaders and lords of the race1 the vanguard of humanity4 ,and a deception has brought all this to pass1 a delusion has produced these stern realities6 ,here's where the wickedness stands out nakedly6 ,is there a true ,god in heaven1 or is ,ahriman rightful lord8 ,is the lying devil1 after all1 supreme8 ,is a lie as good as the truth8 ,why1 the very earth reels beneath us6 ,is there any ,god at all8 ,are truth and good and ,god mere dreams1 that a cunning fraud like this can so prosper and prevail under the white heavens6 ,m4 ,renan's ',life of ,jesus' offers me that as a most reasonable theory6 ,believing in a true ,god and a good ,god1 being utterly incapable of believing in the lying devil it proposes to me1 this pleasant theory1 that1 beneath the face and eyes of that true ,god1 a poor imposture1 a cheap delusion becomes1 not only the holiest thing1 the purest thing1 the most sanctifying thing1 but also the strongest thing1 the most victorious thing in all the world6 ,if ever theory so played sleight of hand with cause and effect1 if it ever so mingled and mixed right and wrong1 and so taught that lies and truth were about the same1 we have failed to meet with it4 ,and if ever any theory required power of gullibility like this last and newest1 we have failed to hear of that4 ,the fact is there is no escaping the honest conclusion that1 unless ,,jesus ,,christ is what ,he claimed to be1 divine1 ',,god manifest in the flesh1' 'the ,son of the ,father1' then ,he was simply an impostor4 7,he could not have been a self-deceived fanatic47 ,now any man is free to accept the last horn of this dilemma1 if he chooses4 ,it is a free country4 ,but if he takes that1 we insist that he is logically bound to call ,christianity a cheat1 a delusion1 a snare and a curse to humanity6 ,he shall not ask us to swallow the monstrous and immoral proposition1 that this outrageous lie and imposture is the glory1 the blessing and hope of humanity6 ,and this is what ,m4 ,ernest ,renan1 in most melodious sentences1 proposes4 ,this is his theory of ,christianity1 its origin and its success4 ,this is the best thing philosophic and philologic unbelief has to offer1 the most rational account it has to give in the year #ahfd4 ,surely unbelief must have large faith in human nature's capacity of spiritual swallow1 if men are expected to take this down1 as more reasonable than what they will hear in the next pulpit6 ,nay1 after all1 the ,christian theory of ,christianity is the most rational yet4 ,it has mysteries1 but it calls them mysteries1 things above reason4 ,it accepts them1 and so escapes absurdity--ends with no means1 effects from no causes1 wonders that spring out of the ground1 divine teachers produced by a 'charming' climate1 and impostures that are holy truths6 ,above all1 it escapes moral idiocy1 and holds there is a line between right and wrong6 ,on the whole1 it is1 as yet1 the only theory which explains all the facts1 the only one of which the consequences may be logically accepted1 which makes ,christ or ,his religion reasonable or possible4 ,m4 ,renan's 'beautiful' young ,galilean carpenter1 with such power over 'hallucinated' ,magdalens1 conducting grand picnics in that 'charming' climate1 and making life a ,may day1 is not the world's mighty ,deliverer2 and his miracle-mongering demagogue1 claiming to be the ,son of ,david in lying genealogies1 and the ,son of ,god in blasphemous audacity1 is not the world's ,teacher of all ,truth and ,righteousness4 ,the new ,jesus is a poor substitute for the ,divine ,man whom we adore4 ,we cannot1 therefore1 accept the new theory4 ,it is not logically competent to the facts4 ,established on garbled evidence with painful struggles1 it will not1 when completed1 fulfil the conditions4 ,it is not reasonable4 ,it is not moral4 ,we have desired to present this view of it4 ,the details of criticism we leave to others1 who can easily deal with ,m4 ,renan4 ,we have aimed to show1 what any plain reader can see1 the unreasonableness and immorality of this theory of ,christianity's origin4 ,as long as we have faith in a righteous ,god1 so long can we never believe that the best1 purest1 and holiest religion is born in fraud and trickery4 ,m4 ,renan's theory declares the purity and the holiness of ,christianity1 and yet insists on the trickery and the fraud3 therefore we must reject his theory4 ,so long as we believe that a true ,god is omnipotent1 we cannot believe that fraud and deception are masters of the world4 ,but ,m4 ,renan insists that ,christianity has mastered the world1 and yet declares it founded upon fraud and deception4 ,we must therefore reject ,m4 ,renan4 ,the fine writing1 the sentiment1 the abundant 'sweetness' of the book cannot make beautiful this monstrous perversion of reason1 this insidious attack on the very distinction between ,god and ,satan4 ,voltaire's theory is comparatively honest1 healthy1 moral4 ,paine's is so4 ,these men called things by their right names4 ,they never undertook to upset the human conscience4 ,ernest ,renan's theory is thoroughly immoral1 and he only can accept it who denies that the world is governed by moral laws at all4 ,we reject his ,jesus as a delusion and a dream4 ,god never created such a creature4 ,he exists nowhere save in ,m4 ,renan's pages4 ,in this blind1 reeling world1 in this weary1 painful time1 while the sobs of a dumb creation break along the shores of heaven in prayer1 we cannot spare the real ,jesus1 the world's strong ,deliverer1 its conquering ,lord6 ,the vision ,he exhibited1 of a stainless humanity1 omnipotent in purity1 loyalty1 and truth1 has flashed and flamed before the eyes of men1 through the long night of the ages1 their beacon fire of hope1 their star of faith6 ,we cannot spare ,him now4 ,in ,him all is consistent1 all is reasonable1 all is harmonious4 ,the ,divine ,man accounts for ,his wisdom1 vindicates the origin of ,his power4 ,in the vision of ,his face1 ,christianity and all its results are the natural works of ,his hand4 ,we turn to ,his ,life4 ,we leave ,m4 ,renan's little novel1 and turn to the ,godlike life of the typal ,man1 the ,omnipotent and ,eternal ,man1 who redeemed humanity1 and bought the world1 and conquered hell and death3 we turn to that life1 that death1 that awful resurrection1 and take heart and hope4 ,no mere amiable1 sentimental1 'beautiful1' or 'charming' young man will do4 ,the world cries for its ,lord6 ,the race ,he ransomed looks to the ',lion of ,judah1' the ',captain of the ,lord's ,host4' ,the mad1 half-despairing struggle we have waged all these long centuries1 can find only in 'the ,son of ,man1' in the omnipotent ',son of ,god1' its explanation and its end3 ',god was manifest in the ,flesh1 reconciling the ,world unto ,himself6' ,,aenone3 ,a ,,tale ,,of ,,slave ,,life ,,in ,,rome4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,for an instant only4 ,when from ,a,enone's troubled gaze1 the half-blinding film which the agitation of her apprehensive mind had gathered there1 passed away1 she no longer saw before her a proudly erect figure1 flashing out from dark1 wild eyes its defiant mastery1 but a form again bent low in timorous supplication1 and features once more overspread with a mingled imprint of sorrowful resignation1 trusting devotion1 and pleading humility4 ,that gleam of malicious triumph which had so brightened up the face of the slave1 had come and gone like the lightning flash1 and1 for the moment1 ,a,enone was almost inclined to believe that it was some bewildering waking dream4 ,but her instinct told her that it was no mere imagination or fancy which could thus1 at one instant1 fill the heart with dread and change her bright anticipations of coming joy into a dull1 aching foreboding of misery4 ,it was rather her inner nature warning her not to be too easily ensnared1 but to wait for coming evil with unfaltering watchfulness1 and1 for the purpose of baffling enmity1 to perform the hardest task that can be imposed upon a guileless nature--that of repressing all outward sign of distrust1 hiding the torture of the heart within1 and meeting smile with smile4 ,but day after day passed on1 and even to her watchful and strained attention there appeared no further sign of anything that could excite alarm4 ,from morning until night there rested upon the face of the young ,greek slave no expression other than that of tender1 faithful1 and pleased obedience4 ,at the morning toilet1 at the forenoon task of embroidery1 or at the afternoon promenade1 there was ever the same serene gaze of earnest devotion1 and the same delighted alacrity to anticipate the slightest wish4 ,until at last ,a,enone began again to think that perhaps her perception of that one fleeting look might1 after all1 be but a flickering dream4 ,and when1 at times1 she sat and heard the young girl speak1 not with apparent method1 but rather as one who is unwittingly drawn into discursive prattle1 about her cottage home in ,samos1 and the lowly lover from whom the invading armies had torn her1 and watched the moistened eye and the trembling lip with which these memories were dwelt upon1 an inward pity and sympathy tempted her to forget her own distrust2 until one day she was impelled to act as she had once desired1 and began to pour out her whole heart to the young slave as to a friend4 ,the words seemed of themselves to flow to her lips1 as1 bidding the girl be comforted1 she told1 in one short sentence1 how she too had once lived in a tranquil cottage home1 away from the bustle and fever of that imperial ,rome1 and had had her lover of low degree1 and that both were still innocently dear to her4 ,all the while that the story had been welling forth from her lips1 that inner instinct which so seldom deceives1 told her that she was doing wrong2 and when she had ended1 she would have given worlds not to have spoken4 ,but the words were beyond recall1 and she could only gaze stealthily at the listener1 and1 with a dull feeling of apprehension nestling at the bottom of her heart1 endeavor to mark their effect1 and to imagine the possible consequences of her indiscretion4 ,but ,leta sat bending over her embroidery1 and apparently still thinking1 with tearful eye1 upon her own exile from home4 ,perhaps she had not even heard all that had been said to her2 though1 if the words had really caught her ear1 where1 after all1 could be the harm8 ,it was no secret in ,rome that ,sergius ,vanno had brought his spouse from a lowly home2 and it was surely no crime1 that1 during those years of poverty which ,a,enone had passed through before being called to fill her present station1 she had once suffered her girlish fancy to rest for a little while upon one of her own class4 ,and fortunately she had not gone further in her story1 but at that point had left it to rest2 making no mention of how that long-forgotten lover had so lately reappeared and confronted her4 ,still there remained in her heart the irrepressible instinct that it would have been better if she had not spoken4 ,and now1 as she silently pondered upon her imprudence1 it seemed as though her anxiety had suddenly endowed her brain with new and keener faculties of perception1 so many startling ideas began to crowd in upon her4 ,more particularly1 full shape and tone seemed for the first time given to one terrible suspicion1 which she had hitherto known only in a misty1 intangible1 and seldom recurring form--the suspicion that1 if the passive girl before her were really an enemy1 it was not owing to any mere ordinary impulse of fear1 or envy1 or inexplicable womanish dislike1 but rather to secret rivalry4 ,that1 within the past few days1 ,sergius had more and more exhibited toward her an indifference1 which even his studied attempts to conduct himself with an appearance of his former interest and affection did not fully hide1 ,a,enone could not but feel4 ,that within her breast lurked the terrible thought that perhaps the time had forever passed for her to come to him as to a loving friend1 and there fearlessly pour out her tribulations1 her secret tears confessed4 ,but throughout all this change1 though it became each day more strongly marked1 she had tried to cheat herself into the belief that the romantic warmth of a first attachment could not in any case be expected to last for many years--that in meeting indifference she was merely experiencing a common lot--that beneath his coolness there still lurked the old affection1 as the lava will flow beneath the hardened crust--and that1 if she were indeed losing the appearance of his love1 it was merely because the claims of the court1 the exigencies of the social world1 or the demands of ambition had too much usurped his attention4 ,but now a thousand hitherto unregarded circumstances began to creep into her mind as so many evidences that his affection seemed passing from her2 not simply because the claims of duty or ambition were stifling in his heart all power to love1 but because he had become secretly attached elsewhere4 ,the interested gaze with which he followed the motions of the ,greek girl--the solicitude which he seemed to feel that in all things she should be treated1 not only tenderly1 but more luxuriously than ever fell to the lot of even the highest class of slaves--his newly acquired habit of strolling into the room and throwing himself down where he could lazily watch her--all these1 and other circumstances1 though individually trivial1 could not fail1 when united1 to give cogency to the one terrible conviction of secret wrong4 ,whether ,leta herself had any perception of all this1 who could yet tell8 ,it might be that she was clothed in innocent unconsciousness of her master's admiration1 or that1 by the force of native purity1 she had resisted his advances4 ,and1 on the other hand1 it might be that not merely now1 but long before she had been brought into the house1 there had been a secret understanding between the two2 and that1 with undeviating and unrelenting cunning1 she was still ever drawing him still closer within the folds of her fascinations4 ,looking upon her1 and noting the humble and almost timorous air with which she moved about1 as though seeking kindness and protection1 and the eloquence of mute appeal for sympathy which lay half hidden in her dark eyes beneath the scarcely raised lids1 and rested in her trembling lips1 who could doubt her8 ,but marking the haughtiness of pride with which at times she drew up her slight figure to its utmost height1 the ray of scorn and malice which flashed from those eyes1 and the lines of firm1 unpitying determination which gathered about the compressed corners of those lips1 who could help fearing and distrusting her8 ,time or chance alone could resolve the question1 and meanwhile1 what course could ,a,enone take8 ,not that of sending the object of her suspicion to another place2 for even if she had the power to do so1 she might not be able to accomplish it without such open disturbance that the whole social world of ,rome would learn the degrading fact that she had been jealous of her own slave4 ,not--as she was sometimes almost tempted--that of forgetting her pride1 and humbling herself before her enemy1 to beg that she would not rob her of all that affection which had once been lavished upon herself2 for1 if the ,greek girl were innocent1 useless and feeble pity would be the only result1 while1 if she were guilty1 it would but lead to further secret wiles and malicious triumph4 ,nor that of accusing her husband of his fault2 for such a course1 alas6 could never restore lost love4 ,there could1 indeed1 be but one proper way to act4 ,she must possess her soul in patience and prudent dissimulation2 and1 while affecting ignorance of what she saw and heard1 must strive by kindness and attention to win back some1 if not all1 of the true affection of former days4 ,thus sorrowfully reflecting1 she left the room1 not upon any especial intent1 but simply to avoid the presence of the ,greek1 who1 she could not help feeling1 was all the while1 beneath the disguise of that demure expression1 closely watching her4 ,passing into another apartment1 she saw that ,sergius had there sauntered in1 and had thrown himself down upon a lounge at the open window1 where1 with one hand resting behind his head1 he lay half soothed into slumber by the gentle murmur of the courtyard fountain4 ,stealing up gently behind him1 with a strange mingling of affectionate desire to gain his attention1 and a morbid dread of bringing rebuke upon herself by awakening him1 ,a,enone stooped down and lightly touched his forehead with her lips4 ',ah1 ,leta6' he exclaimed1 starting up as he felt the warm pressure4 ,then1 perceiving his mistake1 he lowered his eyes with some confusion1 and perhaps a slight feeling of disappointment1 and tried to force a careless laugh2 which died away1 however1 as he saw how ,a,enone stood pale and trembling at receiving a greeting so confirmatory of all her apprehensions4 ',it is not ,leta--it is only ,i1' she murmured at length1 in a tone of plaintive sadness1 which for the moment touched his heart4 ',i am sorry that ,i awakened you4 ,but ,i will go away again4' ',nay1 remain1' he exclaimed1 restraining her by the folds of her dress1 and1 with a slight effort1 seating her beside him upon the lounge4 ',you are not--you must not feel offended at such a poor jest as that8' ',is it all a jest8' she inquired4 ',can you say that the greeting you gave me did not spring inadvertently from the real preoccupation of your mind8' ',of the mind8 ,preoccupation8' said ,sergius4 ',by the gods6 but it is a difficult question to answer4 ,i might possibly1 in some dreamy state1 have been thinking carelessly of that ,greek girl whom you have so constantly about you4 ,even you cannot but acknowledge that she has her traits of beauty2 and if so1 it is hard for a man not to admire them4' ',for mere admiration of her1 ,i care but little1' she responded4 ',but ,i would not that she should learn to observe it4 ,and what could ,i do1 if she1 perceiving it1 were to succeed in drawing your love from me8 ,what then would there be for me to do1 except to die8' ',to die8 ,this is but foolish talk1 ,a,enone1' he said2 and he fastened an inquiring gaze upon her1 as though wishing to search into her soul1 and find out how much of his actions she already knew4 ,evidently some fleeting expression upon her countenance deceived him into believing that she had heard or seen more than he had previously supposed1 for1 with another faint attempt at a careless laugh1 he continued3 ',and if1 at the most1 there has been some senseless trifling between the girl and myself--a pressure of the hand1 or a pat upon the cheek1 when meeting by any chance in hall or garden--would you find such fault with this as to call it a withdrawal of my love from you8 ,to what1 indeed1 could such poor1 foolish pastime of the moment amount1 that it should bring rebuke upon me8' ,to nothing1 indeed1 if judged by itself alone1 for that was not the age of the world when every trivial departure from correctness of conduct was looked upon as a crime2 and had this been all1 and the real affection of his heart had remained with her1 ,a,enone would have taken comfort4 ,but now she knew for certain that1 in uncomplainingly enduring any familiarities1 ,leta could not1 at all times1 have maintained her customary mien of timorous retirement1 and must1 therefore1 to some extent1 have shown herself capable of acting a deceitful part2 and that even though the deceit may have stopped short of further transgression1 it was none the less certain that in future no further trust could be reposed in her4 ,gone forever was that frail hope to which1 against all warnings of instinct1 ,a,enone had persisted in clinging--the hope that in the ,greek girl she might succeed in finding a true and honest friend4 ,seeing that she remained absorbed and speechless1 ,sergius believed that she was merely jealously pondering upon these trivial transgressions1 and endeavored1 by kind and loving expressions1 to remove the evil effects of his unguarded admission4 ,gathering her closer in his arms1 he strove once more1 by exerting those fascinations which had hitherto so often prevailed1 to calm her disturbed fancies1 and bring back again her confidence in him4 ,but now he spoke almost in vain4 ,conscious1 as ,a,enone could not fail to be1 of the apparent love and tenderness with which he bent his eyes upon her1 and of the liquid melody of his impassioned intonations1 and half inclined1 as she felt1 at each instant to yield to the impulse which tempted her to throw her arms about his neck and promise from henceforth to believe unfalteringly all that he might say1 whatever opposing evidences might stand before her1 there was all the while the restraining feeling that this show of affection was but a pretence wherewith to quiet her inconvenient reproaches--that at heart he was playing with deceit--that the husband was colluding with the slave to blind her eyes--and that the love and friendship of both lord and menial had forever failed her4 ',but hold to your own suspicions1 if you will1' he said1 at length1 with testy accent1 as he saw how little all his efforts had moved her4 ',i have spoken in my defence all that ,i need to speak1 even if excuse were necessary2 and it is an ill reward to receive only cold and forbidding responses in return4' ',answer me this1' she exclaimed1 suddenly rousing into action1 and looking him earnestly in the face2 'and as you now answer1 ,i will promise to believe you1 for ,i know that1 whatever you may have done1 you will not1 if appealed to upon your honor1 tell me that which is not true4 ,about the trivial actions which you have mentioned ,i care little2 but is there in your heart any real affection for that girl8 ,if you say that there is not1 ,i will never more distrust you1 but will go out from here with a soul overflowing with peace and joy as when first you came to take me to your side4 ,but if1 on the contrary1 you say that you love her1 ,i will--' ',will do what8' he exclaimed1 seeing that she hesitated1 and almost hoping that she would utter some impatient threat which in turn would give him an excuse for anger4 ',will pass out from this room1 sad and broken hearted1 indeed--but not complaining of or chiding you2 and will only pray to the gods that they may1 in their own time1 make all things once more go aright1 and so restore your heart to me4' ,sergius hesitated4 ,never before had he been so tempted to utter an untruth4 ,if he now did so1 he knew that he would be believed1 and that not only would she be made once more happy1 but he would be left unwatched and unsuspected to carry on his own devices4 ,but1 on the other hand1 he had been appealed to upon his honor1 and1 whatever his other faults1 he had too much nobility of soul to lie4 ,and so1 not daring to confess the truth1 he chose the middle path of refusing any direct response at all4 ',now is not this a singular thing1' he exclaimed1 'that no man can ever let his eyes rest upon a pretty face without being accused of love for it8 ,while1 if a woman does the same1 no tongue can describe the clamor with which she repels the insinuation of aught but friendly interest4 ,can you look me in the eye and tell me that mine is the only voice you ever listened to with love8' ',can you dare hint to me that ,i have ever been unfaithful to you1 even in thought or word8' cried ,a,enone1 stung with sudden anger by the imputation1 and rendered desperate by her acute perception of the evasiveness of his answer4 ',do you not know that during the months which you so lately passed far away from me1 there was not one person admitted here into society with me who would not have had your firm approval--and that ,i kept your image so lovingly before my eyes1 and your memory so constant in my heart1 as to become almost a reproach and a sarcasm to half who knew me8' ',but before that--before ,i came to you--can you say that no other eyes had ever looked lovingly into yours1 and there met kindred response8' ',have you the right to inquire into what may have happened before you met me8 ,what young girl is there who1 some time or other1 has not modestly let her thoughts dwell upon innocent love8 ,is there wrong in this8 ,should there have been a spirit of prescience in my mind to forewarn me that ,i must keep my heart free and in vacant loneliness1 because that1 after many years1 you were to come and lift me from my obscurity8' ',then1 upon your own showing1 you acknowledge that there was once another upon whom your eyes loved to look8' he cried1 half gladdened that he had found even this poor excuse to transfer the charge of blame from himself4 ',and how can ,i tell but that you have met with him since8' ',i have met him since1' she quietly answered1 driven to desperation by the cruel insinuation4 ,in his heart attaching but little importance to such childish affections as she might once have cherished1 and having had no other purpose in his suggestion than that of shielding himself from further inquiry by inflicting some trifling wound upon her1 ,sergius had spoken hesitatingly1 and with a shamefaced consciousness of meanness and self-contempt4 ,but when he listened to her frank admission--fraught1 as it seemed to him1 with more meaning than the mere naked words would1 of themselves1 imply1 an angry flush of new-born jealousy overspread his features4 ',ha6 ,you have met him since8' he exclaimed4 ',and when1 and where8 ,and who1 then1 is this fortunate one8' ,a,enone hesitated4 ,now1 still more bitterly than ever before1 she felt the sad consciousness of being unable to pour out to her husband her more secret thoughts and feelings4 ,if she could have told1 with perfect assurance of being believed1 that in so lately meeting the man whom she had once imagined she loved1 she had looked upon him with no other feeling than the dread of recognition1 joined to a friendly and sisterly desire to procure his release from captivity and his restoration to his own home1 she would have done so4 ,but she felt too well that the once-aroused jealousy of her lord might now prevent him from reposing full and generous trust and confidence in her--that he would be far more likely to interpret all her most innocent actions wrongly1 and to surround her with degrading espionage--and that1 in the end1 the innocent captive would probably be subjected to the bitterest persecutions which spite and hatred could invent4 ',i have met him1' she said at length1 'but only by chance1 and without being recognized or spoken to by him4 ,nor do ,i know whether ,i shall ever chance to meet him again4 ,is this a crime8 ,oh1 my lord1 what have ,i done that you should thus strive to set your face against me8 ,do you not1 in your secret soul1 know and believe that there is no other smile than yours for which ,i live1 and that1 without the love with which you once gladdened me1 there can be no rest or peace for me on earth8 ,tell me1 then1 that all this is but a cruel pleasantry to prove my heart1 and that there has nothing come between us--or else let me know the worst1 in order that ,i may die4' ,sliding down1 until her knees touched the floor1 and then winding one arm slowly about his neck1 she hid her face in his breast1 and1 bursting into tears1 sobbed aloud4 ,it was not merely the reactionary breaking down of a nervous system strung to the highest point of undue excitement4 ,it was the half consciousness of a terrible fear lest the day might come in which1 goaded by injustice and neglect1 she might learn no longer to love the man before her--the wail of a stricken soul pleading that the one to whom her heart had bound her might not fail in his duty to her1 but1 by a resumption of his former kindness and affection1 might retain her steadfastly in the path of love4 ,touched by the spectacle of her strong agony--aroused for the moment to the true realization of all the bitterness and baseness of his unkindness toward her--moved1 perhaps1 by memories of that time when between them there was pleasant and endearing confidence1 and when it was not she who was obliged to plead for love--,sergius drew his arm more closely about her1 and1 bending over1 pressed his lips upon her forehead4 ,if at that moment the opportunity had not failed1 who can tell what open and generous confessions might not have been uttered1 unrestrained forgiveness sealed1 and future miseries prevented8 ,but at the very moment when the words seemed trembling upon his lips1 the door softly opened1 and ,leta entered4 ,,the ,,dove4 ,upon the 'pallid bust of ,pallas' sat ,the ,raven from the 'night's ,plutonian shore2' ,his burning glance withered my wasting life1 ,his ceaseless cry still tortured as before3 ',lenore6 ,lenore6 ah6 never--nevermore6' ,the weary moments dragged their crimson sands ,slow through the life-blood of my sinking heart4 ,i counted not their flow2 ,i only knew ,time and ,eternity were of one hue2 ,that immortality were endless pain ,to one who the long lost could ne'er regain-- ,there was no hope that ,death would ,love restore3 ',lenore6 ,lenore6 ah6 never--nevermore6' ,early one morn ,i left my sleepless couch1 ,seeking in change of place a change of pain4 ,i leaned my head against the casement1 where ,the rose she planted wreathed its clustering flowers4 ,how could it bloom when she was in the grave8 ,the birds were carolling on every spray1 ,and every leaf glittered with perfumed dew2 ,nature was full of joy1 but1 wretched man6 ,does ,god indeed bless only birds and flowers8 ,as thus ,i stood--the glowing morn without1 ,within1 the ,raven with its blighting cry1 ,all light the world1 all gloom the hopeless heart-- ,i prayed in agony1 if not in faith2 ,yet still my saddened heart refused to soar1 ,and even summer winds the burden bore3 ',lenore6 ,lenore6 ah6 never--nevermore6' ,with these wild accents ringing through my heart1 ,there was no hope in prayer6 ,sadly ,i rose1 ,gazing on ,nature with an envious eye1 ,when1 lo6 a snowy ,dove1 weaving her rings ,in ever-lessening circles1 near me came2 ,with whirring sound of fluttering wings1 she passed ,into the cursed and stifling1 haunted room1 ,where sat the ,raven with his voice of doom-- ,his ceaseless cry from the ,plutonian shore3 ',lenore6 ,lenore6 ah6 never--nevermore6' ,the waving of the whirring1 snowy wings1 ,cooled the hot air1 diffusing mystic calm4 ,again ,i shuddered as ,i marked the glare ,which shot from the fell ,raven's fiendish eye1 ,the while he measured where his pall-like swoop ,might seize the ,dove as ,death had seized ,lenore3 ',lenore6' he shrieked1 'ah1 never--nevermore6' ,hovered the ,dove around an antique cross1 ,which long had stood afront the pallid bust ,of haughty ,pallas o'er my chamber door3 ,neglected it had been through all the storm ,of maddening doubts born from the demon cry ,reechoing from the night's ,plutonian shore3 ',lenore6 ,lenore6 ah6 never--nevermore6' ,i loved all heathen1 antique1 classic lore1 ,and thus the cross had paled before the brow ,of ,pallas1 radiant type of ,reason's power4 ,but human reason fails in hours of woe1 ,and wisdom's goddess ne'er reopes the grave4 ,what knows chill ,pallas of corruption's doom8 ,upon her massive1 rounded1 glittering brow ,the ,bird of ,doubt had chos'n a fitting place ,to knell into my heart forever more3 ',ah ,i never1 nevermore6 ,lenore6 ,lenore6' ,the ,raven's plumage1 in the kindling rays1 ,shone with metallic lustre1 sombre fire2 ,his fiendish eye1 so blue1 and fierce1 and cold1 ,froze like th' hyena's when she tears the dead4 ,the sculptured beauty of the marble brow ,of ,pallas glittered1 as though diamond-strewn3 ,haughty and dazzling1 yet no voice of peace1 ,but words of dull negation darkly fell ,from ,reason's goddess in her brilliant sheen6 ,no secret bears she from the silent grave2 ,she stands appalled before its dark abyss1 ,and shudders at its gloom with all her lore1 ,all powerless to ope its grass-grown door4 ,can ,pallas e'er the loved and lost restore8 ,hear her wild ,raven shriek3 ',lenore6 no more6' ,with gloomy thoughts and thronging dreams oppressed1 ,i sank upon the 'violet velvet chair1 ,which she shall press1 ah1 never1 nevermore6' ,and gazed1 ,i know not why1 upon the cross1 ,on which the ,dove was resting its soft wings1 ,glowing and rosy in the morn's warm light4 ,i cannot tell how long ,i dreaming lay1 ,when 7as from some old picture1 shadowy forms ,loom from a distant background as we gaze1 ,so bright they gleam1 so soft they melt away1 ,we scarcely know whether 'tis fancy's play ,or artist's skill that wins them to the day7 ,there grew a band of angels on my sight1 ,wreathing in love around the slighted cross4 ,one swung a censer1 hung with bell-like flowers1 ,whence tones and perfumes mingling charmed the air2 ,thick clouds of incense veiled their shadowy forms1 ,yet could ,i see their wings of rainbow light1 ,the wavings of their white arms1 soft and bright4 ,then she who swung the censer nearer drew-- ,the perfumed tones were silent--lowly bent 7,the long curls pouring gold adown the wings71 ,she knelt in prayer before the crucifix4 ,her eyes were deep as midnight's mystic stars1 ,freighted with love they trembling gazed above1 ,as pleading for some mortal's bitter pain3 ,when answered--soft untwined the clasping hands1 ,the bright wings furled--my heart stood still to hear ',the footfalls tinkle on the tufted floor'-- ,the eyes met mine--,o ,god6 my lost ,lenore6 ,too deeply awed to clasp her to my heart1 ,i knelt and gasped--',lenore6 my lost ,lenore6 ,is there a home for ,love beyond the skies8 ,in pity answer6--shall we meet again8' ,her eyes in rapture floated2 solemn1 calm1 ,then softest music from her lips of balm ,fell1 as she joined the angels in the air6 ,her words forever charmed away despair6 ',above all pain1 ,we meet again6 ',kneel and worship humbly ,round the slighted cross6 ,death is only seeming-- ,love is never loss6 ,in the hour of sorrow ,calmly look above6 ,trust the ,holy ,victim-- ,heaven is in ,his love6 ',above all pain1 ,we meet again6 ',never heed the ,raven-- ,doubt was born in hell6 ,how can heathen ,pallas ,faith of ,christian tell8 ,with the faith of angels1 ,led by ,holy ,dove1 ,kneel and pray before ,him-- ,heaven is in ,his love6 ',above all pain1 ,we meet again6' ,then clouds of incense veiled the floating forms2 ,i only saw the gleams of starry wings1 ,the flash from lustrous eyes1 the glittering hair1 ,as chanting still the ,sanctus of the skies1 ,clear o'er the ,misereres of earth's graves1 ,enveloped in the mist of perfumed haze1 ,in music's spell they faded from my gaze4 ,gone--gone the vision6 from my sight it bore ,my lost1 my found1 my ever loved ,lenore6 ,forgotten scenes of happy infant years1 ,my mother's hymns around my cradle-bed1 ,memories of vesper bell and matin chimes1 ,of priests and incensed altars1 dimly waked4 ,the fierce eye of the ,raven dimmed and quailed1 ,his burnished plumage drooped1 yet1 full of hate1 ,began he still his 'wildering shriek--',lenore6' ,when1 lo6 the ,dove broke in upon his cry-- ,she1 too1 had found a voice for agony2 ,calmly it fell from heaven's cerulean shore3 ',lenore6 ,lenore6 forever--evermore6' ,soon as the ,raven heard the silvery tones1 ,lulling as gush of mountain-cradled stream1 ,with maddened plunge he fell to rise no more1 ,and1 in the sweep of his ,plutonian wings1 ,dashed to the earth the bust of ,pallas fair4 ,the haughty brow lay humbled in the dust1 ,o'ershadowed by the terror-woven wings ,of that wild ,raven1 as by some dark pall4 ,lift up poor ,pallas6 bathe her fainting brow ,with drops of dewy chrism6 take the beak ,of the false ,raven from her sinking soul6 ,oh1 let the ,faith ,dove nestle in her heart1 ,her haughty reason low at ,jesu's feet1 ,while humble as a child she cons the lore3 ',the loved1 the lost1 forever--evermore6' ,as if to win me to the crucifix1 ,the ,dove would flutter there1 then seek my breast4 ,the heart must feel its utter orphanage1 ,before it makes the cross its dearest hope6 ,i knelt before the holy martyred form1 ,the perfect ,victim given in perfect love1 ,the highest symbol of the highest ,power1 ,self-abnegation perfected in ,god6 ,circling the brow like diadem1 there shone ,each letter pierced with thorns and dyed in blood1 ,yet dazzling vision with the hopes of heaven3 ',i ,,am ,,the ,,resurrection ,,and ,,the ,,life6' ,upon the outstretched hands1 mangled and torn1 ,i found that mighty truth the heart divines1 ,which strews our midnight thick with stars1 solves doubts1 ,and makes the chasm of the yawning grave ,the womb of higher life1 in which the lost ,are gently rocked into their angel forms-- ,that truth of mystic rapture--',,god ,,is ,,love6' ,still chants the snowy ,,dove from heaven's shore3 ',,lenore6 ,,lenore6 ,,forever6 ,,evermore6' ,,the ,,mississippi ,,river ,,and ,,its ,,peculiarities4 ,few of the people of the ,north have ever inquisitively considered the ,mississippi ,river1 and as a consequence its numerous peculiarities are not generally known4 ,indeed1 its only characteristic features are supposed to be immensity of proportions rather than any specific variation from the universal nature of rivers4 ,many there are that have never seen the river1 and have conceptions of its appearance merely in imagination2 others have been more fortunate1 have crossed its turbid flood1 or have been borne upon its noble bosom the full breadth of the land1 from beautiful ,minnesota to its great reservoir in the ,south1 the ,gulf of ,mexico4 ,as the result of this experience1 great have been the sensations of satisfaction or disappointment4 ,many have turned away with their extravagant anticipations materially chagrined4 ,this might be expected in a casual observer4 ,it is true1 some portions of the ,mississippi do not present that vastness which a person would very naturally expect1 having previously accepted literally the figurative appellations that have been applied to it4 ,the ,mississippi is not superficially a great stream1 but when it is recognized as the mighty conduit of the surplus waters of fifty large streams1 some of which are as large as itself1 besides receiving innumerable of less pretensions--when we consider1 too1 the great physical phenomena which it presents in its turbid waters1 its islands1 its bars1 and its bayous1 its vast banks of alluvial deposit1 its omnipotent force1 and the signal futility of all human endeavors to control it1 in this phase is it truly the ',father of ,waters1' and 'the most wonderful of rivers4' ,in a commercial point of view is the ,mississippi equally as remarkable as in its physical presentations4 ,it is the aorta through which1 from the heart of the nation1 flow the bountiful returns of industrious and productive labor1 which thus find an outlet to all parts of the world1 opening an avenue of trade for millions of energetic men and fertile acres4 ,thus not only is it the life-supporting1 but as well the life-imparting artery of a great section of the republic4 ,but it is unnecessary to speak of the commercial importance of the river4 ,this is patent to everybody4 ,let us1 however1 unfold some of its remarkable and singular phenomena1 which have never occurred to many1 and may at this particular time be of interest to all1 even those who have given the subject some study4 ,let us first briefly glance at its history4 ,in #aeci1 ,ferdinand de ,soto1 ,governor of ,cuba1 leaving that island in charge of his wife1 set sail for ,florida1 where he soon safely disembarked1 and sent his ships back1 in order to leave no opportunity for relentment in the stern resolves of his followers4 ,after a somewhat erratic journey1 on his way passing through ,georgia1 ,alabama1 and ,northern ,mississippi1 he struck the ',great ,river' at the ,lower ,chickasaw ,bluffs1 as they are still called1 and upon which now stands the city of ,memphis4 ,the expedition crossed the river at that point1 and spent some time in exploring the country beyond1 until they found themselves upon the ,white ,river1 about two hundred miles from its entrance into the ,mississippi4 ,from there a small expedition set out toward the ,missouri1 but soon returned1 bringing an unfavorable report4 ,from the ,white the expedition moved toward the hot springs and saline confluents of the ,washita4 ,in this neighborhood they wintered4 ,in the spring of #aedb1 ,de ,soto and his followers descended the ,washita in canoes1 but became entangled in the bayous and marshes of the ,red ,river1 to which the ,washita1 through the ,black1 is tributary4 ,at length1 however1 they reached the ,mississippi4 ,here a number of explorations were conducted1 but with no success as regards the object of the expedition1 a search of gain4 ,it was in the midst of these explorations1 at the mouth of the ,red1 while surrounded by the most implacable ,indian hostility1 a malignant fever seized the spirit and head of the enterprise1 and on ,may #bast1 #aedb1 ,de ,soto died4 ,amid the sorrows of the moment and fears of the future1 his body was wrapped in a mantle1 and sunk in the middle of the river4 ,a requiem broke the midnight gloom1 and the morning rose upon the consternation of the survivors4 ,it has indeed been aptly said1 that ,de ,soto 'sought for gold1 but found nothing so great as his burial place4' ,the men now looked about them for a new leader4 ,their choice fell upon ,luis de ,moscoso4 ,this man was without enterprise or capacity4 ,after enduring every calamity1 the party built seven brigantines1 and in seventeen days1 ,july1 #aedc1 passed out of the mouth of the river1 and followed the coast toward the east4 ,out of six hundred1 but few over three hundred ever returned to ,cuba4 ,from the expedition of ,de ,soto more than a century elapsed before any further discoveries were made4 ,in ,may1 #afgc1 ,marquette1 a priest1 and ,jolliet1 a trader1 and five men1 made some explorations of the river4 ,the great work of discovery was reserved for ,robert ,cavelier de la ,salle1 a ,frenchman4 ,by his commands1 ,father ,louis ,hennepin made the discovery of the ,upper ,mississippi1 as far as the ,falls of ,st4 ,anthony4 ,in ,january1 #afhb1 ,la ,salle himself1 with twenty-three ,frenchmen and eighteen ,indians1 set out for the exploration of the ,lower ,mississippi1 entering the river from the ,illinois1 and descending it until he arrived at the ,passes of the ,delta4 ,here1 to his surprise1 he found the river divided into three channels4 ,a party was sent by each1 ,la ,salle taking the western1 and on ,april #ith the open sea was reached4 ,the usual ceremonies attendant upon any great discovery were repeated here4 ,enlivened by success1 the party returned to ,quebec4 ,la ,salle returned to ,france1 and in #afhd1 aided by his ,government1 set sail with four vessels1 for the discovery of the river from the sea4 ,in this he was unsuccessful4 ,after encountering several storms and losing one of his vessels1 the expedition entered ,st4 ,louis ,bay 7,st4 ,bernard7 on the coast of ,texas4 ,the party disembarked1 one of the vessels returned to ,france1 and the others were lost on the coast4 ,thus cut off1 ,la ,salle made every effort to discover the river by land2 but in every attempt he failed4 ,at length he was assassinated by one of his followers on the #aith of ,march1 #afhg4 ,thus terminated the career of the explorer of the ,mississippi4 ,the discovery of the mouth of the river from the sea1 was an event of some years later1 and was consummated by ,iberville1 in #afii4 ,this person spent some time in navigating the river and the waters adjacent to its mouth4 ,his brother1 ,bienville1 succeeded him in these enterprises4 ,a few years later1 and we find settlements springing up upon the banks of the river4 ,since that time it has attracted a numerous population1 and to-day1 though desolated in parts by the contentions of armies1 there is certainty in the belief that at some time these people of the great river will wield a mighty power in the political and commercial destiny of the ,american continent4 ,the ,mississippi proper rises in the ,state of ,minnesota1 about #dg deg4 and some minutes north latitude1 and #id deg4 #ed' longitude west1 at an elevation of sixteen hundred and eighty feet above the level of the ,gulf of ,mexico1 and distant from it two thousand eight hundred and ninety-six miles1 its utmost length1 upon the summit of ,hauteurs de ,terre1 the dividing ridge between the rivulets confluent to itself and those to the ,red ,river of the ,north4 ,its first appearance is a tiny pool1 fed by waters trickling from the neighboring hills4 ,the surplus waters of this little pool are discharged by a small brook1 threading its way among a multitude of very small lakes1 until it gathers sufficient water1 and soon forms a larger lake4 ,from here a second rivulet1 impelled along a rapid declination1 rushes with violent impetuosity for some miles1 and subsides in ,lake ,itasca4 ,thence1 with a more regular motion1 until it reaches ,lake ,cass1 from whence taking a mainly southeasterly course1 a distance of nearly seven hundred miles1 it reaches the ,falls of ,st4 ,anthony4 ,here the river makes in a few miles a descent of sixteen feet4 ,from this point to the ,gulf1 navigation is without further interruption1 and the wonders of the ,mississippi begin4 ,it is not possible to give1 with complete exactness1 the outlines of the immense valley drained by the ,mississippi1 yet1 with the assistance of accurate surveys1 we can make an approximation1 to say the least1 which will convey some idea of the physical necessity of the river to the vast area through the centre of which it takes its course4 ,we will say3 ,from the highest point of land between the mouth of the ,atchafalaya and ,mississippi ,rivers1 dividing the headwaters of their confluents2 thence along the dividing ridge of tributaries confluent to the ,sabine and other ,texas streams from those of the ,red1 in a north-westerly course1 to the ,rocky ,mountains1 thence taking a line separating the headwaters of the ,red1 ,arkansas1 and tributary streams1 on the east1 from the ,rio ,grande and tributaries toward the south1 and the ,colorado ,miles4 toward the west1 say1 #a1cjj ,thence1 pursuing the dividing summit of the ,rocky ,mountains1 to the ,marias1 tributary to the ,missouri1 in ,dakota1 say1 #gjj ,thence1 including the headwaters of the ,missouri1 and taking direction southeasterly1 dividing the tributaries of the ,red ,river of the ,north from those of the ,missouri to the source of the ,minnesota2 thence northeasterly1 dividing the rivulets of the head lakes1 ,itasca1 ,cass1 etc41 from those confluent to the ,red ,river of the ,north1 separating the headwaters of the ,st4 ,croix from currents tributary to ,lake ,superior2 thence embracing the confluent streams to the ,mississippi in ,wisconsin1 ,northern ,illinois1 and ,indiana1 to the ,kankakee branch of the ,illinois1 say1 #b1jjj ,thence1 dividing the streams of the ,lakes from those emptying into the ,ohio as far as the extreme source of the ,alleghany1 say1 #djj ,thence along the dividing summit of the ,atlantic slope to the source of the ,tennessee2 thence dividing the streams tending toward the ,gulf1 to the mouth of the ,mississippi1 and thence to starting point1 say1 #a1gjj ,making an aggregate circuit of #f1ajj ,within this extensive limit we find1 from surveys1 the following aggregate area in square miles1 estimated by valleys3 ,square ,miles4 ,the valley of the ,ohio1 #bjj1jjj ,the valley of the ,mississippi proper1 #ahj1jjj ,the valley of the ,missouri1 #ejj1jjj ,the valley of the ,lower ,mississippi1 #ccj1jjj ,total area1 #a1baj1jjj ,as a natural consequence of the drainage of this immense area1 the ,mississippi receives into its waters a large amount of suspended earthy matter4 ,this1 however1 does not very strikingly appear on the upper river1 its own banks and those of its tributaries being more of a gravelly character and less friable than lower down4 ,the gravity of particles1 therefore1 worn from the bed and sides of the channel above1 unless the current be exceedingly strong1 is greater than the buoyant capacity of the water1 and falls to the bottom1 along which1 sometimes1 it is forced by the abrasion of the water1 until it meets some obstruction1 which gathers the particles into shoal formations4 ,this fact causes much inconvenience in the navigation of the upper rivers4 ,it is not until we reach the confluence of the streams of ,southern ,illinois and ,missouri1 that the sediment of the river becomes striking4 ,those streams1 freighted with the rich loam and vegetable matter of the prairies of the east and west1 soon change entirely the appearance of the ,mississippi4 ,above the ,missouri1 the river is but slightly tinged2 and indeed1 after that great current enters1 for some distance the two run side by side in the same channel1 and yet are divided by a very distinct line of demarcation4 ,it is only after the frequent sinuosities of the channel1 that the two waters are thrown into each other and fairly blend4 ,the sedimentary condition of the ,missouri is so great that drift floating upon its muddy surface1 by accretion becomes so heavily laden with earthy matter that it sinks to the bottom4 ,this precipitation of drift has taken place to such an extent1 that the bed of the ,missouri is in many places completely covered to a great depth by immense fields of logs4 ,of all the silt thrown into the ,mississippi1 the ,missouri furnishes about one third4 ,after receiving the ,missouri1 next enters the ,ohio4 ,the water of this river is less impregnated than the ,missouri1 though not by any means free from silt4 ,the country through which it flows is mountainous1 and the soil hard1 and does not afford the same facility of abrasive action as that of the other rivers4 ,from the mouth of the ,ohio1 the ,mississippi pursues a course of nearly four hundred miles1 when it receives the turbid waters of the ,white and ,arkansas ,rivers4 ,in the intervening distance a large number of small currents1 more or less largely sedimentary1 according to the character of the country through which they run1 enter the ,mississippi1 in the aggregate adding materially to the sediment of the receiving stream4 ,the ,white and ,arkansas carry in their waters a large amount of unprecipitated matter4 ,in this vicinity1 too1 sets in that singular system of natural safeguards of the surrounding country1 the bayous4 ,the country here also changes its appearance1 becoming flat and swampy1 and in some parts attaining but a few feet above the flood of the river1 whereas in other parts1 as we approach the ,gulf1 the country is even lower than the river4 ,the miasmatic and poisonous water of the ,yazoo next enters1 about ten miles above ,vicksburg4 ,this river is more deeply impregnated with a certain kind of impurities than any other tributary of the ,mississippi4 ,the waters are green and slimy1 and almost sticky with vegetable and animal decomposition4 ,during the hot season the water is certain disease1 if taken into the stomach4 ,the name is of ,indian origin1 and signifies ',river of ,death4' ,the ,yazoo receives its supply from bayous and swamps1 though it has several considerable tributaries4 ,below the ,yazoo1 on the west side1 enters the ,red4 ,the name indicates the peculiar caste of its water4 ,this river carries with it the washings of an extensive area of prairies and swamps1 and is the last of the great tributaries4 ,hence the tendency of streams is directly to the ,gulf1 and that network of lateral branches1 of which we will hereafter speak1 begins4 ,we have only considered the most prominent tributaries3 the sediment also brought down by the numerous smaller streams is very great1 and makes great additions to the immense buoyant matter of the ,mississippi4 ,the river itself from its own banks scours the larger portion of the sediment it contains2 and in so gigantic a scale is this carried on1 that it can be seen without the exercise of any very remarkable powers of sight4 ,it is not by the imperceptible degrees usually at work in other streams1 but often involves in its execution many acres of adjoining land4 ,it will be interesting to consider this more fully4 ,by a curious freak of nature1 the tendency of the channel of the ,mississippi is always toward one or the other of its banks1 being influenced by the direction of its bends4 ,the principle is one of nicely regulated refraction4 ,if the river were perfectly straight1 the gravity and inertia of its waters would move in a right line1 with a velocity beyond all control4 ,but we find the river very sinuous1 and the momentum of current consequently lessened4 ,for example1 striking in an arm of the river1 by the inertia of the moving volume1 the water is thrown1 and with less velocity1 upon the opposite bank1 which it pursues until it meets another repellent obstacle1 from which it refracts1 taking direction again for the other side4 ,above the ,missouri1 the river is principally directed by the natural trough of the valley4 ,below this1 however1 the channel is purely the work of the river itself1 shaped according to the necessities of sudden changes or obstructions4 ,this is proven by the large number of old and dry beds of the river frequently met with1 the channel having been diverted in a new direction by the accumulation of sediment and drift which it had not the momentum to force out4 ,where the gravity of the greatest volume and momentum of water falls upon the bed of the river1 there is described the thread of the channel1 and all submerged space outside of this1 though in the river1 acts as a kind of reservoir1 where eddies the surplus water until taken up by the current4 ,and it always happens1 where the channel takes one bend of the bed1 a corresponding tongue of shallow water faces the indenture4 ,where the river1 by some inexplicable cause1 has been thrown from its regular channel1 or its volume of water embarrassed by some difficulties along the banks1 the effect is immediately perceived upon the neighboring bank4 ,the column of water thus impinged against it at once acts upon the bank1 and1 singularly enough1 exerts its strongest abrasive action at the bottom1 undermining the bank1 which soon gives way1 and instead of toppling forward1 it noiselessly slides beneath the water and disappears4 ,acres of land have thus been carried away in an incredibly short time1 and without the slightest disruption of the serene flow of the mighty current4 ,this carrying away of the banks1 immense as is the amount of earth thrown into the waters of the river1 has no sensible effect in blocking or directing the current1 though it imperceptibly raises the channel4 ,the force of the water does not permit its entire settlement in quantities at any one place1 but distributes it along the bottom and shores below4 ,were this not the case1 it is easily to be seen1 the abrasion of the river banks would be greatly increased1 and the destruction of the bordering lands immense4 ,a singular feature resulting from the above may here be mentioned4 ,by pursuing the course of the river1 a short distance below1 on the opposite bank1 it will be seen that a large quantity of the earth introduced into the current by the falling of the banks1 has been thrown up in large masses1 forming new land1 which1 in a few seasons1 becomes arable4 ,that which is not thus deposited1 as already stated1 is transported below1 dropping here and there on the way1 until what is left reaches the ,gulf1 and is precipitated upon the 'bars' and 'delta1' at the mouth4 ,it not unfrequently happens that planters along the river find themselves suddenly deprived of some of their acres1 while one almost opposite finds himself as unexpectedly blessed with a bountiful increase of his domain4 ,from causes almost similar to those given to explain the sudden and disastrous changes of the channel of the river1 are also produced those singular shortenings1 known as 'cut-offs1' which are so frequently met with on the ,mississippi4 ,at a certain point the force of the current is turned out of its path and impinged against a neck of land1 that has1 after years of resistance1 been worn down to an exceedingly small breadth4 ,possibly the river has merely worn an arm in its side1 leaving an extensive bulge standing out in the river1 and connected with the mainland by an isthmus4 ,the river striking in this arm1 and not having sufficient scope to rebound toward the other bank1 is thrown into a rotary motion1 forming almost a whirlpool4 ,the action of this motion upon the banks soon reduces the connecting neck1 which separates and blocks the waters1 until1 at last1 no longer able to cope with the great weight resting against it1 it gives way1 and the river divides itself between this new and the old channel4 ,nor do these remarkable instances of abrasive action constitute the entire washing from the banks4 ,the whole length of the river is subject to a continual deposit and taking up of the silt1 according to the buoyant capacity of the water4 ,this1 too1 is so well regulated that the quantity of earthy matter held in solution is very nearly the same1 being proportioned to the force of the current4 ,for instance1 if the river receive more earth than it can sustain1 the surplus sediment drops upon the bottom or is forced up upon the sides4 ,if the river be subject to a rise1 a proportionate quantity of the dropped sediment is again taken up1 and carried along or deposited again1 according to the capacity of the water4 ,by this means a well-established average of silt is at all times found buoyant in the river4 ,having briefly examined the sedimentary character of the ,mississippi1 some investigations as to the proportion of sediment to water may be of interest4 ,and it is well to state here that a mean stage of flow is taken as the basis upon which to start the experiments4 ,the experiments and analysis of the water were made by ,professor ,riddell1 at intervals of three days1 from ,may #bast to ,august #ac1 #ahdf1 and reported to the ,association of ,american ,geologists and ,naturalists4 ,the water was taken in a pail from the river in front of the city of ,new ,orleans1 where the current is rather swift4 ,that portion of the river contains a fair average of sedimentary matter1 and it is sufficiently distant from the embouchure of the last principal tributary to allow its water to mix well with that of the ,mississippi4 ',the temperature1' says the ,professor1 'was observed at the time1 and the height of the river determined4 ,some minutes after1 the pail of water was agitated1 and two samples of one pint each measured out4 ,the measure graduated by weighing at #fj degrees ,fahrenheit #g1bie4eha grains of distilled water4 ,after standing a day or two1 the matter mechanically suspended would subside to the bottom4 ,nearly two thirds of the clear supernatant liquid was next decanted1 while the remaining water1 along with the sediment1 was in each instance poured upon a double filter1 the two parts of which had previously been agitated1 to be of equal weight4 ,the filters were numbered and laid aside1 and ultimately dried in the sunshine1 under like circumstances1 in two parcels1 one embracing the experiments from ,may #bb to ,july #ae1 the other from ,july #ag to ,august #ac4 ,the difference in weight between the two parts of each double filter was then carefully ascertained1 and as to the inner filter alone the sediment was attached1 its excess of weight indicated the amount of sediment4' ,as the table may be interesting1 showing the height and temperature of the water as well as the result of the experiments at the different times1 we introduce it complete3 ,,table showing the ,quantity of ,sediment contained in the ,water of the ,mississippi ,river4 ,date of ,height ,temperature4 ,grains of ,sediment ,experiment4 of ,river in a ,pint of above ,water4 ,low ,water4 #ahdf4 ft4 in4 deg4 ,a4 ,b4 ,may #ba #aj #aa #gb #f4ff #g4jj #be #aj #aa #gc #i4jh #i4ab #bg #aj #aj #gh #g4hj #i4jj #bi #aa #j #gd #g4cj #h4aj ,june #b #aa #a #ge #d4hj #e4de #d #aa #a #ge #g4hg #f4aj #f #aa #d #ge #d4fj #d4ij #h #aa #d #ge4e #e4dh #e4fj #aj #aj #d #gf #f4gj #f4hj #ab #aj #h #gf #f4ej #f4cj #ad #aj #e #gf4e #f4jj #f4jj #af #aj #d #gf4e #f4dg #f4ae #bj #aj #d #gg #g4jh #g4dj #bb #aj #b #gg #i4hh #i4jj #bd #i #h #gg #h4dj #h4dh #bf #h #i #gg4e #h4be #h4gh #bh #h #j #gi #i4aj #i4eh ,july #a #g #b #gi4e #i4ae #i4be ,july #c #g #b #gi4e #i4fc #aj4jj #f #f #b #ha #h4bj #g4eg #h #f #j #ha #g4cj #f4if #aj #f #a #ha #f4ab #f4bh #ac #e #i #hb #g4gb #g4cj #ae #e #aj #hb #f4fg #f4fj #ag #e #aj #hb #d4de #d4eg #bj #e #d #hb #f4jg #e4ge #bd #c #aj #hd #e4gf #e4gb #bg #c #a #hd #d4gg #d4fj #bi #c #aa #hd4e #d4bh #d4ac ,aug4 #a #b #f #he #d4dj #d4dd #c #b #j #hd #c4ah #c4cd #e #a #i #hc #c4ef #c4dj #g #a #e #hc #b4he #b4he #aj #a #f #hc #c4jc #b4ib #ac #b #h #hd #b4ig #c4jj ,the mean average of column ,a4 is #f4cb4 ,b4 is #f4cj4 ,transcriber's note3 ,this table has been reproduced exactly as in the original4 ',by comparison with distilled water1' says the same1 'the specific gravity of the filtered river water we found to be #a4hbc2 pint of such water at #fj deg4 weighs #g1big4dj4' ,engineer ,forehay says the sediment is #a to #a1hjj by weight1 or #a in #c1jjj by volume4 ,professor ,riddell also comes to the following conclusions1 after an analytic investigation of the sediment4 ,he took one hundred grains from the river margin1 dried it at #bab deg4 ,fahrenheit1 before weighing1 and found it to contain3 ,grains4 ,silica1 #gd4ae ,alumina1 #i4ad ,oxide of iron1 #d4ef ,lime1 #b4jh ,magnesia1 #a4eb ,manganese1 #j4jd ,potassa1 not determined ,soda1 ,phosphoric acid1 #j4dd ,sulphuric acid1 #j4jg ,carbonic acid1 #j4gd ,chlorine1 #j4ja ,water1 #c4ab ,organic matter1 #c4aj ----- ,total1 #ih4ig ,the existence of so large a quantity of sediment in the water of the ,mississippi1 leads to divers formations in its bed4 ,these formations are principally 'bars' and 'battures4' ,the banks are also much affected4 ,when the water of the river1 aided by the current1 has attained its full capacity of buoyant earth1 as we have already said1 the excess falls to the bottom4 ,instead1 however1 of remaining permanently where it first lodged1 which would soon fill up the channel and cause the river to overflow1 the scouring of the water on the bottom forces a large portion along with the current1 though it be not suspended4 ,pursuing its course for a while1 some irregularity or obstruction falls in the way--a sunken log1 perhaps4 ,this obstacle checks the progress of the moving earth--it accumulates2 the next wave brings down more--the accumulation becomes greater2 until1 in the course of a few years1 there is a vast field of deposit1 and a 'bar' is formed4 ,these 'bars' often divert the channel1 and occasion the immense washings before alluded to4 ,bars are generally found close to the banks1 though there are examples in which they extend in a transverse direction to the current4 ,bars of this kind very much embarrass and endanger navigation in low water4 ,at ,helena1 ,arkansas1 there is an instance of a transverse bar1 upon which1 in ,october1 the water is less than six feet4 ,these bars are formed of sand1 which seems to have been the heavier and less buoyant of the components of the earth thrown into the current by abrasion1 the lighter portions having been separated by the water and carried off4 ,it will not be necessary to consider further the subject of bars in the river1 but those at its mouth deserve some attention4 ,the subject is one that has led to much theorizing1 study1 and fear--the latter particularly1 from an ill-founded supposition that they threaten to cut off navigation into the ,gulf4 ,near its entrance into the ,gulf1 the ,mississippi distributes its waters through five outlets1 termed passes1 and consequently has as many mouths4 ,these are termed ,pass a l',outre1 ,northeast1 ,southeast1 ,south1 and ,southwest4 ,they differ in length1 ranging from three to nine miles4 ,they also all afford sufficient depth of water for commercial purposes1 except at their mouths1 which are obstructed by bars4 ,the depth of water upon one of these is sufficient to pass large vessels2 a second1 vessels of less size2 and the rest are not navigable at all1 as regards sea-going vessels4 ,these bars1 too1 are continually changing1 according to the winds or the currents of the river4 ,it is a rather singular fact that when one of the navigable passes becomes blocked1 the river is certain to force a channel of navigable depth through one of the others1 previously not in use2 so that at no one time are all the passes closed4 ,in looking into the past1 and noticing the changes1 it is recorded that in #agbj1 of all the passes the ,south ,pass was the only one navigable4 ,in #agcj1 there was a depth of from twelve to fifteen feet1 according to the winds1 and at another time even seventeen feet was known4 ,in #ahjd1 upon the statement of ,major ,stoddard1 written at that date1 the ,east ,pass1 called the ,balize1 had then about seventeen feet of water on the bar1 and was the one usually navigated4 ,the ,south ,pass was formerly of equal depth1 but was then gradually filling up4 7,this pass1 at present1 #ahfd1 is not at all navigated47 ,the ,southwest ,pass had from eleven to twelve feet of water4 ,the ,northeast and ,southeast ,passes were traversed only by small craft4 ,since #ahcj the ,southwest ,pass has been gaining depth4 ,this and ,pass a l',outre are now the only two out of the five of sufficient depth to admit the crossing of the larger class of vessels4 ,the former1 however1 is the one in most general use4 ,all the other passes1 with the exception of the two mentioned1 have been abandoned4 ,in regard to the changes and numerous singular formations at the mouths of the ,mississippi1 we give a statement made by ,william ,talbot1 for twenty-five years a resident of the ,balize4 ,he says3 ',the bars at the various passes change very often4 ,the channel sometimes changes two and three times in a season4 ,occasionally one gale of wind will change the channel4 ,the bars make to the seaward every year4 ,the ,southwest ,pass is now the main outlet used4 ,it has been so only for three years1 as at that time there was as much water in the ,northeast ,pass as in it4 ,the ,southeast ,pass was the main ship channel twenty years ago2 there is only about six feet of water in that pass now2 and where it was deepest then1 there are only a few inches of water at this time4 ,the visible shores of the river have made out into the ,gulf two or three miles within my memory4 ,besides the deposits of mud and sand1 which form the bars1 there frequently rise up bumps1 or mounds1 near the channel1 which divert its course4 ,these bumps are supposed to be the production of salt springs1 and sometimes are formed in a very few days4 ,they sometimes rise four or five feet above the surface of the water4' ,he 'knew one instance when some bricks1 that were thrown overboard from a vessel outside the bar1 in three fathoms of water1 were raised above the surface by one of these banks1 and were taken to the ,balize1 and used in building chimneys4 ,in another instance1 an anchor1 which was lost from a vessel1 was lifted out of the water1 so that it was taken ashore4 ,about twenty years ago1 a sloop1 used as a lighter1 was lost outside the bar in a gale of wind2 several years afterward she was raised by one of these strange formations1 and her cargo was taken out of her4' ,we may say the bumps of which ,mr4 ,talbot speaks are termed 'mud bumps1' from the fact of being composed of sediment4 ,they present a curious spectacle as seen from a passing steamer4 ,they are undoubtedly the result of subterranean pressure1 but from what cause1 whether volcanic1 or the influence of the sea or river1 or both1 has not been determined4 ,many speculations have been entered into in regard to these phenomena1 but as yet without fruitful result4 ,leaving this digression1 we proceed to notice that the theories set up to explain the causes of the bars at the mouth of the river1 have been numerous and various4 ,some suppose them to be the result of the water of the river meeting the opposing force of the ,gulf waves1 checking the current1 and causing a precipitation of the suspended sediment4 ,others are of the opinion that the bars are entirely the effect of marine action1 and endeavor to show that the immense inward flow of the ,gulf washes up from its bed the vast accumulations that are continually forming in the way of navigation4 ,after a personal observation and investigation1 and as well after frequent and free consultation with others1 we are persuaded to discredit the above-mentioned theories4 ,the resistance of the ,gulf does not form the bars1 though it exerts an influence4 ,the immense volume and force of water ejected from the river receives no immediate repellent action from the ,gulf1 but extends into it many miles without the least signs of disturbance1 as may be plainly discovered even in the most casual observation4 ,it is known as well that the water of the river remains perfectly palatable at a very close proximity to the sea4 ,this is a very good evidence of the superior force of the river's current4 ,the two volumes of water mix a considerable distance out at sea4 ,an able engineer states that1 upon examination1 he found a column of fresh water seven feet deep and seven thousand feet wide1 and discovered salt water at eight feet below the surface4 ,as the result of his investigations1 he divides the water into three strata1 as follows3 #a4 ,fresh water1 running out at the top with a velocity of three miles an hour4 #b4 ,salt water1 beneath the fresh1 also running out at about the same velocity4 #c4 ,a reflex flow of salt water1 running in slowly at the bottom4 ,it is this inward current1 he thinks1 that produces the deposit1 and in doing so carries with it no small degree of sea drift4 ,the influx of the lower column flowing up stream1 after it passes the dead point1 is allowed time and opportunity for the sediment to deposit4 ,the principle of the reflex current is somewhat that of an eddy1 not only produced by the conflict of two opposing bodies of water1 but also is much influenced in the under currents by the multitude of estuaries presented by the irregular sea front of the coast4 ,a gentleman1 who seems to have taken a very statistical view of these bars1 makes the following business-like and curious calculation as to their immensity3 we introduce it on account of its originality4 ,he says the average quantity of water discharged per second is five hundred and ten thousand cubic feet4 ,the quantity of salt suspended1 one in three thousand by volume4 ,the quantity of mud discharged1 one hundred and seventy cubic feet per second4 ,considering seventeen cubic feet equal to one ton1 the daily discharge of mud is eight hundred and sixty-four thousand tons1 and would require a fleet of seventeen hundred and twenty-eight ships1 of five hundred tons each1 to transport the average daily discharge4 ,and to lift this immense quantity of matter1 it would require about seven hundred and seventy-one dredging machines1 sixteen horse power1 with a capacity of labor amounting to one hundred and forty tons1 working eight hours4 ,another class of sedimentary formations met with along the banks of the ,mississippi are the battures4 ,there is one remarkable instance of these in front of ,new ,orleans1 which has led to much private dispute1 and even public disturbance1 as to ownership4 ,within sixty years1 in front of the ,second ,municipality of the city1 the amount of alluvial formations susceptible of private ownership were worth over five millions of dollars1 that is1 nearly one hundred thousand dollars per annum1 and the causes which have produced them are still at work1 and will probably remain so4 ,as far back as #ahdg these remarks were made upon the subject3 ',the value of the annual alluvial deposits in front of the ,second ,municipality now is not less than two hundred thousand dollars1 and1 with the exception of the batture between the ,faubourg ,st4 ,mary line and ,lacourse street1 all belongs to this municipality4' ',such a source of wealth was never possessed by any city before4 ,in truth1 it may be said that nature is our taxgatherer1 levying by her immutable laws tribute from the banks of rivers and from the summits of mountains thousands of miles distant to enrich1 improve1 and adorn our favored city4' ,there are numerous other examples of the kind going on elsewhere along the river4 ,but the greatest exhibition of the wonderful character of the ,mississippi1 and in which all its singular effects are most distinctly shown1 is in its ,delta4 ,for a long succession of years the immense quantities of sediment1 of which we have already spoken1 had gradually precipitated upon this portion of the river until it reached the surface4 ,drift now lodged upon it3 the decomposition of drift and the accumulation of other vegetable matter soon furnished a suitable bed for the growth of a marine vegetation1 and now a vast area1 a level expanse of waste land and marsh1 is seen extending a great distance into the ,gulf1 ramified here and there by the outlets of the river4 ,indeed1 so rapid have been these formations1 that upon the testimony of history1 the ,mississippi ,river to-day is twenty-nine miles farther in the ,gulf than it was in #aged4 ,mr4 ,forshey1 an engineer1 remarks that 'the superficial area of the true ,delta formation of the ,mississippi1 or below ,baton ,rouge1 where the last bluffs are found1 is about fifteen thousand square miles1 constituting a region of mean width seventy-five miles1 and mean length two hundred miles4 ,probable depth of alluvion is about one fifth of a mile1 by inference from the depth of the ,gulf of ,mexico4' ,in the vicinity of ,new ,orleans1 boring to a depth of two hundred feet1 fossils1 such as shells1 bones1 etc41 have been found4 ,and at thirty feet specimens of pottery and other evidences of ,indian habitation have been discovered4 ,the foundation upon which rest the alluvial formations has been found to consist of a hard blue silicious clay1 closely resembling that met with in the bed of the ,mississippi4 ,the most recent of the alluvial fields of the ,delta have been constituted a parish1 termed ,plaquemine4 ,in #ahjj1 according to one authority1 there were but very few acres in cultivation in the entire parish4 ,since leveeing above1 the deposit has been extremely rapid1 until now we find some excellent plantations in ,plaquemine4 ,fifty miles below ,new ,orleans the tillable land is nearly a mile in width2 below there1 it becomes gradually less1 until it is lost in the ,gulf4 ,still the accumulations are going on1 and it is impossible even to surmise what changes the great river may yet effect in the future geography of this section of the ,american continent4 ,considering the multitude of streams and vastness of area drained by the ,mississippi1 it is natural to suppose the river is much affected in the stage of its water by the seasons4 ,we have seen that the meltings of the ,rocky ,mountain snows1 the mountain rills of the ,alleghanies1 the waters of the valleys of the upper river1 of the ,missouri1 of the ,ohio1 the ,arkansas1 the ,yazoo1 and the ,red1 all find outlet through this one stream4 ,there are certain seasons in the year when all these widely distant localities are subject to a gradual approach of warmth from the south1 until they arrive at a sort of climatic average4 ,this creates a maximum of the supply of water4 ,the inverse then takes place1 and a minimum results4 ,for instance1 in the latter part of ,december1 the lower latitudes of the ,mississippi begin to experience their annual rains4 ,these by degrees tend northward as the season advances4 ,in ,march commence the thaws of the southern borders of the zone of snow and ice2 and during ,april1 ,may1 and ,june1 it reaches to the most distant tributary fountain head4 ,the river now is at its highest4 ,the reverse then sets in4 ,all the tributaries have their excess1 the heats of summer are at hand1 drought and evaporation soon exhaust the surplus of the streams1 and the river is at its lowest4 ,to meet the great annual excess of water in the ,mississippi1 nature has provided sure safeguards4 ,these are termed bayous1 and are found everywhere along the river1 below the mouth of the ,ohio4 ,additional preventives against inundation are the lagoons1 or sea-water lakes1 of the coast4 ,into these bayous and lagoons1 as the river becomes high1 the excess of water backs or flows4 ,they are natural reservoirs1 to ease the rise1 and prevent the inevitable suddenness and danger which would result without them4 ,in these reservoirs the water rises or falls with the river2 and when the fall becomes permanent1 the water in the bayous--the lagoons having outlet into the sea--falls with it1 returning into the main stream1 and finding entrance into the ,gulf1 from which it had been temporarily detained4 ,without the bayous the lands adjacent to the ,lower ,mississippi would1 with very few exceptions1 be subject to an annual overflow1 and be perfectly worthless for certain agricultural purposes4 ,in summer the bayous in numerous instances become perfectly dry1 and give a very singular effect to the appearance of the country4 ,below the mouth of the ,red ,river the tributaries of the ,mississippi cease1 and the entire volume of the river is attained4 ,as a protection against serious consequences arising out of such an immense mass of water1 nature has again introduced a remedy4 ,this consists in a number of lateral branches1 which leave the river a short distance below the mouth of the ,red1 tending directly to the ,gulf1 through a continuous chain of conduits1 lakes1 and marshes4 ,the principal bayous1 which exert so important a part in regulating the stage of this part of the river1 are in length and distance from the ,gulf as follows3 ,distance ,by ,river4 ,miles4 ,miles4 ,bayou ,la ,fourche1 from the ,mississippi ,river to the ,gulf1 #ajj #ahj ,plaquemine1 #fj #baj ,manchac1 #ej #bbj ,atchafalaya1 #aaj #cjj ,the course of the bayous1 it will be seen1 have a more direct route than the river4 ,their average width is one thousand feet1 and fall twenty-two feet4 ,their average velocity is about three and two tenths miles per hour4 ,though the rise of the river at ,baton ,rouge sometimes attains a height of thirty feet1 so great is the relieving capacity of these lateral branches1 that at ,new ,orleans the rise never exceeds twelve feet4 ,at ,point a la ,hache the difference between the highest and lowest stage is but six feet2 at ,fort ,jackson1 four feet1 while it falls to low water mark when it enters the sea4 ,having briefly noted the peculiarities of the ,mississippi1 a few facts in recapitulation may place it in a more comprehensive attitude as regards its appearance and size4 ,in the north1 after leaving the ,falls of ,st4 ,anthony1 the river has but the characteristics of a single stream1 but below the ,ohio we find it combines the peculiarities of a number4 ,the water here begins to show signs of almost a new nature and greater density4 ,the river develops into a much wider channel1 and its peculiarities become more marked and impressive4 ,strange as it may seem1 the greatest mean width of the ,lower ,mississippi is at the confluence of the ,ohio1 and from this point it gradually becomes narrower1 until it is but little more than half that width as it draws near the ,gulf4 ,this gives the river a kind of funnel shape1 and if it were not for the numerous bayous and lateral branches1 which we have explained1 the most violent convulsion and devastation would arise4 ,in the ,united ,states ,engineer ,reports we find this statement3 ,the mean width of the ,mississippi ,river between the ,ohio ,feet4 and ,arkansas ,rivers1 #d1ejj ,mean width between the ,arkansas and ,red ,rivers1 #d1ajj ,mean width between the ,red ,river and ,donaldsonville1 #c1jjj ,mean width between ,donaldsonville and the ,gulf1 #b1ejj ,above the ,red ,river the range between high and low water is about forty-five feet1 and thence to the ,gulf it gradually diminishes to zero4 ,the greatest velocity of current is about five and a half miles per hour during floods1 and about one and a half miles per hour during low water4 ,the river is above mean height from ,january to ,july1 and below from ,august to ,december4 ,the greatest height is attained from ,march to ,june1 and the lowest from ,october to ,november4 ,the mud of the ,mississippi is very yielding1 insomuch that an allowance of several feet is often made where the draught of a vessel exceeds the clear depth of the water4 ,we have heard of cases where steamers have ploughed successfully through four feet of it4 ,it is singular1 too1 and exhibits still more clearly what we have said of deposits1 that the lower river for the most part runs along the summit of a ridge of its own formation1 and annually this ridge is becoming more elevated4 ,the inland deposits are made by the bayous and their overflow4 ,the lands close to the river are disproportionately higher than those farther back4 ,the average distance from the river to the swamp is about two and a half miles4 ,and the slope in some places sinks to a depression of eighteen feet to a mile4 ,it is upon this strip of tillable earth that the river plantations are located4 ,by a system of drainage even much of the swamp lands now unconverted might soon be turned to profitable use4 ,the numerous islands and old channels of the ,mississippi are also another source of wonder to the traveller4 ,the 'cut offs1' previously explained1 are mainly the cause of both4 ,in the first instance1 the river forces its way by a new route1 and joins the river below2 this necessarily detaches a certain amount of land from the main shore4 ,as for the second1 after the river has taken this new route1 its main abrasive action follows with it4 ,the water in the old channel becomes comparatively quiet1 sediment is rapidly deposited1 and in course of time the old bed loses its identity1 or becomes a beautiful lake1 numerous instances of which occur between the ,ohio and the ,red ,rivers4 ,as the ,mississippi reaches the neighborhood of the ,balize the east banks slope to the sea level very rapidly1 running off toward the end at a declination of three feet to a mile2 after which1 the land is soon lost in wet sea marsh1 covered by tides4 ,on the west side the land declines more slowly1 and in some places is deeply wooded4 ,the chenieres begin where the declination ends1 and the great reservoirs of the coast1 the lakes and lagoons1 begin4 ,the incessant changes in the channel and filling up of the ,mississippi preclude the possibility of a table of distances mathematically accurate1 yet we have taken from accepted authorities the number of miles from the ,gulf to the principal points along its banks4 ,the table may be of service to the many that are daily tending to the great ,father of ,rivers1 and those at home may be able to form1 perhaps1 a better estimate of the immense length of the stream1 by having before them these figures3 ,,table of ,distances and ,altitudes on the ,mississippi4 ,above level ,from the ,gulf of ,mexico ,miles4 of the sea4 ,to ,new ,orleans1 ,la41 #aaj #aj4e ,donaldsonville1 ,la41 #ahh 4444 ,plaquemine1 ,la41 #baj 4444 ,baton ,rouge1 ,la41 #bdj 4444 ,port ,hudson1 ,la41 #bfc 4444 ,bayou ,sara1 ,la41 #bge 4444 ,mouth of the ,red ,river1 ,la41 #cae #gf ,fort ,adams1 ,miss41 #cbg 4444 ,natchez1 ,miss41 #chg #hf ,grand ,gulf1 ,miss41 #dej 4444 ,warrenton1 ,miss41 #ejj 4444 ,vicksburg1 ,miss41 #eab 4444 ,mouth of the ,yazoo ,river1 ,miss41 #ebb 4444 ,milliken's ,bend1 ,la41 #ech 4444 ,lake ,providence1 ,la41 #ehh 4444 ,greenville1 ,miss41 #feg 4444 ,napoleon1 ,ark41 and mouth of the ,arkansas ,river1 #gcj 4444 ,mouth of ,white ,river1 ,ark41 #gef 4444 ,helena1 ,ark41 #hch 4444 ,mouth of ,st4 ,francis ,river1 ,ark41 #hdh 4444 ,memphis1 ,tenn41 #ibh 4444 ,new ,madrid1 ,mo41 #a1aac 4444 ,columbus1 ,ky41 #a1afg 4444 ,cairo1 ,ill41 and mouth of ,ohio ,river1 #a1ahg #cbd ,cape ,girardeau1 ,mo41 #a1bcg 4444 ,st4 ,louis1 ,mo41 #a1chh #chb ,mouth of the ,illinois ,river1 #a1dbb 4444 ,upper ,iowa ,river1 ,io41 #a1ihd 4444 ,mouth of ,st4 ,peter's ,river1 ,minn41 #b1aih #gdd ,falls of ,st4 ,anthony1 ,minn41 #b1bjf #hef ,lake ,cass1 ,minn41 #b1gfa #a1djb ,itasca ,lake1 ,minn41 #b1hij #a1ege ,springs on the summit of ,hauteurs de ,terre1 #b1hif #a1fhj ,the ,lower ,mississippi presents another feature that should not be forgotten1 and which sets forth a great design4 ,immense forests of cottonwood and ash are to be seen growing along its banks4 ,these trees are of rapid growth1 and afford excellent 7in fact the best1 with the exception of coal7 fuel for steamers4 ,indeed1 they constitute much the greater portion of wood consumed in river navigation4 ,so suitable is the rich alluvion of the river banks to the growth of these trees1 that in ten years they attain to a sufficient size for felling4 ,plantations lying uncultivated for a single year1 in the second present a handsome young growth of cottonwood4 ,this fact is now very well proven on the ,mississippi2 the war has ruined agricultural labor almost entirely4 ,no apprehensions are ever felt by steamboat men on the subject of fuel2 the supply is inexhaustible and reproducing4 ,the other woods found upon the river1 but not1 let it be said1 to the extent of the cottonwood or the ash1 are the live and water oak1 swamp dogwood1 willow1 myrtle1 wild pecan1 elm1 and ash4 ,the cypress tree is found in extensive forests back from the river in the swamps4 ,this tree attains an enormous height1 and is without branches until attaining the very top1 and then they are short and crooked1 presenting a very fine and sparse foliage4 ,the wood of the cypress is very little used upon the river1 not1 perhaps1 in consequence of its inferiority of quality1 but the difficulty of access to it4 ,in conclusion1 we cannot withhold a few words upon the singular typical similarity between the appearance of vegetation upon its banks and the river itself4 ,gray forests of cypress1 the blended foliage of the oak1 the cottonwood1 and the ash1 with a charming intermixture of that beautiful parasitic evergreen1 the mistletoe1 above ,vicksburg1 suggest the blooming grandeur of the stream4 ,below1 the appearance of a new parasite1 the ,spanish moss1 draping the trees with a cold1 hoary-looking vegetation1 casts a melancholy and matured dignity upon the scene4 ,like the gray locks of age1 it reminds the passer by of centuries gone1 when the red savage in his canoe toiled upon its turbid flood2 it recalls the day of discovery1 when ,de ,soto and ,la ,salle sought its mighty torrent in search of gain1 and found death2 and now looms before us the noblest picture of all1 the existence of a maturing civilization upon its banks4 ,associated thus with an ever-present suggestion of a remarkable and ever-forming antiquity1 the ,mississippi becomes indeed the wonder of waters4 ,ponce de ,leon1 that most romantic of early ,spanish explorers1 traversed the continent in search of a 'fountain of everlasting youth2' the powerful republic of the ,west1 has found in the ',father of ,waters' a fountain and a stream of everlasting1 vigorous life1 wealth1 and convenience4 ,,sketches ,,of ,,american ,,life ,,and ,,scenery4 ,,iv4--,,mountain ,,ways4 ,,lucy ,d----4 ,aunt ,sarah1 did you ever read the ,declaration of ,independence8 ,,mrs4 ,,grundy4 ,what a question6 ,in my youth it was read regularly1 once a year1 at every ,fourth of ,july celebration4 ,,lucy ,d----4 ,did you ever1 when listening to it1 consider that your interest in its enunciation of principles was merely incidental1 not direct8 ,,mrs4 ,,grundy4 ,how so8 ,,lucy ,d----4 ,the 'all men' that are born 'equal1' and with an 'inalienable right to liberty1' does not include you1 because1 although you are white1 you are a woman4 ,,mrs4 ,,grundy4 ,what covert heresy is this1 ,lucy1 with which you are endeavoring to mystify my old-fashioned notions8 ,,lucy ,d----4 ,i advocate no theory4 ,i merely state a fact4 ,my own belief is1 that men are born very unequal 7,i do not mean legally1 but really1 as they stand in the sight of ,god71 and that they1 as well as we1 are free only to do what is right in the fulfilment of inalienable duties4 ',life' and the 'pursuit of happiness' must both yield to the exactions of such duties4 ,i must confess1 however1 that1 let my abstract views be as they may1 ,i have occasionally embraced in their widest extent the generalizations of the ,declaration of ,independence2 and nowhere has the right of ',life1 ,liberty1 and the ,pursuit of ,happiness' seemed to me so precious and delightful a possession as1 when seated on top of a stage coach1 ,i have breathed the exhilarating atmosphere of some elevated mountain region4 ,as to equality1 ,i must also say1 that there especially do ,i feel my inferiority to1 and dependence on the driver1 who1 in his sphere1 reigns a king4 ,,mrs4 ,,grundy4 ,in my day1 ladies were always expected to take inside seats4 ,,lucy ,d----4 ,yes1 and be shut up behind a great leather strap1 so that if anything happened1 they would be the last to reach the door6 ,i have a few notes of a stage-coach journey1 made last summer4 ,if you like1 ,i will read it to you while you work on that interminable afghan4 ,by the way1 ,aunt ,sarah1 ,i do not think you have labored quite so energetically since the late decision made by the ,metropolitan ,fair in regard to raffling4 ,how is that8 ,,mrs4 ,,grundy4 ,my dear1 ,i must acknowledge that my ardor is a little lessened since ,i began this piece of work1 for then ,i had not only a vision of the poor soldiers to be aided by my labor1 but ,i also fancied that this warm wrapping1 instead of adding a new lustre to the carriage of some luxurious lady1 might perchance fall to the share of some poor widow2 and these beautiful embroidered leaves and blossoms might delight some sickly child1 whose best covering had hitherto been a faded blanket shawl1 and whose mother was too poor to afford the indulgence of real flowers1 purchased from some collection of exotics1 or plucked by the pale fingers from some fragrant country wayside4 ,however1 ,i know that was an idle fancy1 and the imagination is a dangerous guide4 ,i surely would never call in question the soundness of a decision made by so many excellent and respectable people4 ,read on1 if you please4 ,you know me to be a patient listener4 ,,lucy ,d----4 ,yes1 dear aunt1 and ,i know1 too1 that charity--that crown of virtues--can warm and expand the primmest conventionality1 and lend bright wings of beauty to the most commonplace conception4 ,the same ,divine ,love that fringes dusty highways with delicate1 fragrant blossoms1 can cause even the arid soil of worldliness to teem with lovely growths and refreshing fruits4 ,but1 a truce to this digression1 to which1 as ,i foresaw1 you give no heed2 and now to my notes3 ,one cool1 sunshiny morning in ,august1 a lady traveller1 bent for once on gratifying the whim of seeing what lay beyond the blue hills in the far distance1 left the ,laurel ,house 7,catskill ,mountains71 and took her way toward ,tannersville4 ,two ladies1 charming companions1 accompanied her as far as the bridge over the mill stream1 where she struck into a neglected byway1 leading past a melancholy graveyard4 ,the air was delicious1 the mountains were clear1 but softened by a dreamy haze2 each cottage garden was bright with phlox1 bergamot1 mallows1 and nasturtiums1 and the soul of the traveller was filled with gratitude that this earth had been made so beautiful1 and she had been given health1 strength1 opportunity1 and a stout heart to enjoy it4 ,tannersville reached1 an outside seat was secured on the ,lexington stage4 ,the sharers of my lofty station were a gentleman on his way to join wife and children at ,hunter1 and a tattered1 greasy-looking ,copperhead4 ,the 'sunny hill' 7,clum's7 was soon left behind2 the opening of the ,plattekill ,clove1 with its beautiful mountains and deep hollows 7,mink and ,wildcat71 passed1 and the distant peaks beyond ,lexington loomed up fair as the enchanted borders of the land of ,beulah4 ,the hay was nearly gathered in1 and the oats were golden on the hillsides4 ,men for farmwork were evidently scarce1 and the driver said they had nearly all gone to the war4 ,the ,copperhead remarked3 ',i was always too smart for that1 ,i was4' ,the driver told him his turn would come yet1 for he would certainly be drafted4 ,copperhead said he had the use of only one arm4 ,driver opined that would make no difference2 they took all1 just as they came4 ,copperhead grumbled out3 ',yes2 ,i know we ha'n't got no laws nohow6' ,at ,hunter1 the wife and two ruddy little boys came out to meet the expected head of the family4 ,a bright and happy meeting6 ,the ,copperhead also got down1 and took seat inside the stage1 where he was soon joined by a country lassie1 whose merry voice speedily gave token of acquaintance and satisfaction with her fellow traveller4 ,opposite ,hunter is the most beautiful view of the ,stony ,clove4 ,the high and narrow cleft opens to the south1 and ,i thought of loved ones miles and miles away4 ,beyond ,hunter1 a long1 straggling village1 with some neat houses1 the road becomes smoother1 and gradually descends along the east bank of the ,schoharie1 which it rarely leaves4 ,the meadow lands widen a little1 and the way is fringed by maples1 beeches1 alders1 hemlocks1 birches1 and occasional chestnuts4 ,the stream is rapid1 clear1 and1 though without any noteworthy falls1 a cheerful1 agreeable companion4 ,the mountains on the left bank are steep and rugged2 near ,hunter1 burnt over2 afterward1 green to the top1 and1 while occasionally curving back from the stream1 and thus forming hollows or ravines1 still presenting not a single cleft between ,stony ,clove and the clove containing the ,west ,kill1 and opening out from ,lexington toward ,shandaken4 ,the ,west ,kill enters the ,schoharie a little below ,lexington1 and the ,east ,kill flows in above1 near ,jewett4 ,every farm glittered with golden sunflowers4 ,i saw one misguided blossom obstinately turning its face away from the great source of light and heat4 ,every petal was drooping1 and ,i wondered if the dwellers in the neighboring cot heeded the lesson4 ,the buckwheat fields were snowy with blossoms and fragrant as the new honey the bees were industriously gathering4 ,lexington is a lovely village1 with pretty dwellings1 soft meadows1 and an infinite entanglement of mountains1 great and small1 green and blue1 for background in every direction4 ,i had already been warned that the stage went no farther2 and1 as my destination that evening was ,prattsville1 some means of conveyance was of course necessary4 ,the driver feared the horses would all be engaged haying1 and asked what ,i would do in case no wagon could be found4 ,i replied that1 as the distance from ,lexington to ,prattsville was only seven miles1 and ,i had no luggage1 it might readily be accomplished on foot4 ,he opened his eyes1 and1 perhaps1 finding the ,lexington hotel not likely to be benefited by my delay1 cast about for some way of obliging me4 ,as we drove up to the post office1 the door was found locked1 and ,uncle ,samuel's agent absent1 which circumstance1 taken in connection with the fact that the mail comes to ,lexington only twice per week1 struck me as decidedly 'cool4' ,by six o'clock ,i found myself seated in a comfortable buggy1 behind a sleek1 fleet pony1 and beside an old gentleman1 whose upright mien and pleasant talk added no little to the enjoyment of the hour4 ,the evening lights were charming1 the hills wound in and out1 the ,schoharie rippled merrily over the cobble stones or slate rocks forming its bed1 and the clematis and elder bushes gently waved their treasures of white blossoms1 silky seeds1 or deepening berries1 in the soft summer air4 ,by and by the slate cliffs rose precipitously from the river shore1 leaving only room sufficient for the road1 which1 is in fact1 sometimes impassable1 when the rains or melting snows have swollen the singing river to an angry1 foaming1 roaring flood4 ,my companion told me of the agriculture of the district1 of the wild ,bushnell ,clove1 of bees and honey making1 and of the ,prattsville tanneries1 which he stigmatized as a curse to the country1 cutting down all the trees1 and leaving only briers and brambles in their stead4 ,he also told me of two brave sons in the ,union army1 and of a married daughter far away4 ,the oldest boy had been wounded at ,gettysburg1 and all three children had recently been home on a short visit4 ',children1' said the old man1 'are a heap more trouble when they are grown than when they are little2 for then they all go away1 and keep one anxious the whole time4' ,we drove under the steep ledges1 the hills of ,beulah were passed1 and ,prattsville reached4 ,the following morning was bright and clear1 but warm4 ,i rose early1 and went up on the high bluffs overlooking the town4 ,below was a pretty pastoral view of stream1 meadow1 hop fields1 pasture lands with cattle1 sundry churches1 and neat white houses1 shut in by great hills1 many bare1 and a few still wooded4 ,passing beneath the highest ledge1 ,i came upon an old man1 a second ,old ,mortality1 chipping away at the background for a medallion of the eldest son of ,colonel ,zadoc ,pratt1 a gallant soldier1 who fell1 ,i believe1 at the second battle of ,manassas4 ,on a dark slab1 about five hundred and fifty feet above the river1 is a profile in white stone of the great tanner himself4 ,an honest countryman had previously pointed it out to me1 saying3 ',a good man1 ,colonel ,pratt--but that looks sort of foolish2 people will have their failings1 and vanity is not one of the worst6' ,on the above-mentioned ledges are many curious carvings1 a record of 'one million sides of leather tanned with hemlock bark at the ,pratt tanneries in twenty years1' and other devices1 such as niches to sit in1 a great sofa wrought from the solid rock1 and a pretty spring4 ,at ten o'clock the stage came from ,delhi1 which place it had left at two in the morning4 ,seventy miles from ,delhi to ,catskill--a good day's journey6 ,it was full1 and our landlord put on an extra1 giving me a seat beside the driver1 and filling the inside with men4 ,said driver was a carpenter1 and an excellent specimen of an ,american mechanic--intelligent and self-respecting4 ,this is a great cattle and dairy region1 and we passed several hundred lambs on their way to the ,new ,york market4 ,the driver pitied the poor creatures2 and1 when passing through a drove1 endeavored to frighten them as little as possible4 ',innocent things6' said he1 'they have just been taken from their mothers1 and know not which way to turn4 ,i hate to think of their being slaughtered1 for what is so meek and so joyous as a young lamb6' ,i thought3 ',agnus ,dei qui tollis peccata mundi1 miserere nobis6 ,agnus ,dei qui tollis peccata mundi1 miserere nobis6 ,agnus ,dei qui tollis peccata mundi1 dona nobis pacem6' --the 'nobis' to include the poor lambs4 ,at the first turn in the road we passed a great bowlder1 known throughout the country as 'the big rock4' ,beside the highway flows the ,red ,kill1 a tributary of the ,schoharie4 ,there are some trout in it1 but a couple of cotton factories have frightened them nearly all away4 ,a hot political discussion soon arose among the inside passengers4 ,our driver seemed to think loud and angry words quite out of place1 and said3 ',i am a ,democrat myself1 but the other day ,i had a talk with the ,republican tax collector of our place1 and ,i concluded we both wanted about one thing--the good of our country4 ,honest ,republicans and honest ,democrats are not so far asunder as people usually think4' ,mountain after mountain stretched away to north1 south1 east1 and west1 blue or green1 bright or dark1 as distance or the shadows of the beautiful cumulus clouds severally affected them4 ,up1 up we wound1 the merry kill dancing beside us1 and the air growing fresher and more elastic with every foot of ascent4 ,the country is quite well settled1 and we rose through ,red ,falls and ,ashland to ,windham1 a long1 peculiar-looking town1 where we dined1 and exchanged our two stages for a large one seating eighteen persons 7inside and out71 and drawn by four fresh steeds4 ,the mountains grew wilder1 the air cooler1 and finally ,windham ,high ,peak or ,black ,head1 a great round-topped peak1 appeared on the right4 ,a party from ,albany had that day gone up4 ,no water can be found near the top4 ,this is thought to be the loftiest summit of the range 7#c1ibf feet71 but our new driver said there was another peak toward the southwest1 which he fancied higher4 ,in the cleft between ,windham ,high ,peak and the mountain to the north1 runs the road1 which suddenly emerges from the defile and overlooks the open country4 ,we here find no long cleft as in the ,kauterskill1 ,plattekill1 and ,stony ,cloves1 but the highway descends along the face of the mountain slope4 ,the first view is toward the northeast1 and1 of a clear day1 must be very fine4 ,the distance was hazy1 but the atmospheric effects on the near mountains only the more beautiful4 ,the road is generally through cleared lands1 so that the view is constantly visible1 and continually opening out toward the south4 ,acra1 ,cairo1 and ,leeds were all passed through1 and ,catskill reached about half past six in the evening4 ,kiskatom ,round ,top rose round and dark to the south of ,cairo1 whence also the entire western slope of the ,catskills was plainly visible1 a soft1 flowing1 and tender outline4 ,near ,leeds1 on the ,catskill ,creek1 are some curious rocks4 ,we had changed drivers at ,cairo4 ,the new one was a jollier specimen of humanity than any ,i had yet seen2 he evidently loved good living1 and would not refuse a glass of grog when off duty4 ,his team was named ,lightfoot1 ,ladybird1 ,vulture1 and ,rowdy1 and was coaxed along with gentle words1 as3 ',go on1 little ones6' ',get up1 lambs6' and similar endearing appellations4 ,the sunset was glorious4 ,round ,top and ,overlook were bathed in purple red2 crimson clouds hung over the ,north and ,south ,mountains1 while ,black ,head and the surrounding summits were partly obscured1 partly thrown out by heavy storm clouds4 ,the night was sultry1 and the succeeding morning opaque with an ,august fog4 ,rising early1 ,i sat upon the upper gallery of the little ,catskill inn1 and watched the manners and customs of the street corners4 ,an old1 one-armed man1 with a younger and more stalwart1 appeared at a sort of chest counter1 covered by a bower of green boughs1 and drew out two tables1 which were then placed at the edge of the pavement4 ,the chest was unlocked1 and forth came several bushels of potatoes1 three or four dozen wilted ears of corn1 two squashes 7one white and one orange71 three half-decayed cabbage heads1 a quantity of smoked sturgeon1 a dish of blueberries1 and a great pan of blackberries4 ,these dainties were arranged and rearranged upon the tables1 to make them look as attractive as possible1 and then left to the sun1 the dust1 and the flies1 to improve as they best might4 ,weary hours passed1 and customers came slowly in4 ,at one o'clock1 when ,i left1 about half the original stock remained4 ,on the opposite corner was a group of children struggling for the possession of two lively kittens3 wrangling1 coaxing1 defying1 yielding1 and pouting1 gave animation to a scene1 in which a pretty1 saucy girl1 and a lazy1 lordly lad were the principal actors4 ,down came the lawyer to the fat1 sleek1 clean-looking negro barber1 to be shaved1 and then away up to the court house1 with a jaunty1 swinging1 self-satisfied air1 that said plainly enough--',find me a smarter man than ,i1 will you8' ,a tipsy porter came staggering under a load for the down boat2 a dusty miller wended his way to a flour store2 a little contraband carried home a fish as long as himself2 an indignant1 dirty1 black-bearded mulatto cursed at his recent employer1 whom he accused of having defrauded him of his wages2 a neat1 trig damsel tripped by in cool morning dress2 a buxom dame1 unmistakeably ,english1 in great round hat1 brim about a foot radius1 swept past the humble market stand2 a natty storekeeper came to his door1 and looked out for customers2 a servant lass1 sent out with a pretty child in a little wagon to purchase a newspaper1 stopped at a milliner's to read some interesting item to the shop girl2 two young officers1 in gay new uniforms1 sauntered by2 a crippled soldier hobbled along on a crutch1 stages rushed down from the mountains1 parties in buggies and on horseback flew past1 the dust thickened1 the sun came out clear and burning1 the din increased1 and ,i went down to the little parlor in search of shade and quiet4 ,at one the stage for the ,mountain ,house started4 ,the passengers had already waited three hours for the arrival of the down boat1 delayed by the fog4 ,they were consequently in no very cheerful frame of mind1 and grumbled and growled all the way up the mountain4 ,the day was very warm 7#id deg4 in the shade71 the horses were wearied out by so many journeys up and down1 and the five outside and two inside gentlemen seemed by no means willing to relieve their aching limbs and panting hearts4 ,when we reached the steep portion of the ascent1 not a single one offered to walk4 ,i felt ashamed--three were ,germans1 and four my own countrymen4 ,of the inside ladies1 one was ,german1 and four were ,americans4 ,in vain did the mountains1 with alternate sun and shadow1 shining slopes and passionate thunder clouds1 don their loveliest aspect4 ,though never up before1 the young ,german lady and one of the ,new ,yorkers read nearly the whole way to the summit2 another lady kept down her veil1 and refused to look out1 because it was so sunny2 the ,german youth slept1 and one only of the inside passengers seemed to feel any real interest in the beautiful and gradual unveiling of the mysteries of these noble hills4 ,when about half a mile above the toll-gate1 the horses stopped to rest1 and ,i could no longer endure the idea of their straining up the steep declivity under so heavy a load4 ,i asked a gentleman to open the door for me1 as ,i would walk a way1 and thus relieve the poor animals of at least one hundred and ten pounds4 ,walk ,i did1 but not a single individual followed my example4 ,heavy drops began to fall1 the thunder muttered1 and ,i reached ,rip ,van ,winkle's fabled retreat barely in time to escape a wetting4 ,as the stage came lumbering up with its load of stout1 well-fed men1 a young woman in the little hut called out3 ',just see them hogs on top of that coach6' ,whether the gentlemen heard her1 ,i know not1 but the rain having ceased1 all left the top of the vehicle and walked thence to the ,mountain ,house4 ,i reached the ,laurel ,house in the early twilight1 and thus happily ended my three days' journey4 ,,the ,,march ,,of ,,life4 ,less from evils borne we suffer ,than from those we apprehend1 ,and no path through life seems rougher ,than the one which we ascend4 ,but though ,time delights in dealing ,wounds which he alone can heal1 ,and the sorrows wed to feeling ,make it misery to feel2 ,nobler than the soulless ,stoic1 ,he1 who1 like the ,theban chief1 ,till the fight is won1 heroic ,hides the rankling dart of grief4 ,lords of an immortal glory ,be the slaves of mortal shame6 ,no2 though ,martyrdom before ye ,rear a precipice of flame4 ,on the barriers that dismay us ,carve the charter of your birth2 ,true endurance1 like ,antaeus1 ,strengthens with each cast to earth4 ,wayward man too often fritters ,living destinies away1 ,chasing a mirage that glitters ,to bewilder and betray4 ,then press upward in the vanguard2 ,be not guided by the blind2 ,for when ,vigor waves the standard ,triumph is not far behind4 ,it was that which led the marches ,through the ,revolution's snows1 ,and through ,jena's fiery arches ,rolled destruction on its foes4 ,then if failure blunt your spirit1 ,think of this before you swerve3 ,he has glory who has merit-- ,it is royal to deserve4 ,,thomas ,,de ,,quincey ,,and ,,his ,,writings4 ,no more signal service1 during the last half century1 has been rendered to the lovers of genuine books1 than the collection and republication of the fragmentary writings of ,thomas de ,quincey4 ,cast1 for the most part1 upon the swollen current of periodical literature1 at the summons of chance or necessity1 during a career protracted beyond the allotted threescore years and ten1 the shattered hand of the ,opium ,eater was powerless to arrest their flight to silence and forgetfulness2 increasing remoteness was daily throwing a deeper shadow upon ancient landmarks1 and consequently upon the possibility of their recovery4 ,when ,mr4 de ,quincey was urged to attempt the collection himself1 his emphatic reply was3 ',sir1 the thing is absolutely1 insuperably1 and forever impossible4 ,not the archangel ,gabriel1 nor his multipotent adversary1 durst attempt any such thing6' ,from that quarter1 then1 nothing could be expected2 but the intervention of other parties averted a catastrophe melancholy to contemplate--restoring to us a vast body of literature1 unique in character and supreme in kind4 ,we do not pretend that ,de ,quincey has yet been awarded by any very general suffrage the foremost position among modern litterateurs2 we expect that his popularity will be of slow growth1 and never universal4 ,universal popularity a writer of the highest talent and genius can never secure1 for his very loftiness of thought and impassioned eccentricity cut him off from the sympathy1 and hence from the applause1 of a vast section of humanity4 ,but when contemporary prejudice and indifference shall clear up1 and the question be summoned for final arbitration before the dispassionate tribunal of the future1 we suspect that the name of ,thomas de ,quincey will head the list of ,english writers during the last seventy-five years4 ,if we should apply to our author the rule which he remorselessly enforces against ,dr4 ,parr1 that the production of a complete1 first-class work is the only absolute test of first-class literary ability1 our position would be untenable1 for it is notorious that ,de ,quincey's writings are entirely fragmentary4 ,but it will never do to lay down a canon of that sort as the basis of calculation in estimating the intellectual altitude of literary men4 ,the wider the field the greater the scope for grandeur of design and the pomp of achievement2 but it is seldom that a writer who can produce an essay of the highest order cannot also meet successfully the demands of a more protracted effort4 ,narrowness of bounds1 want of compass for complete elaboration1 is often no slight obstacle4 ,the more minute the mechanism1 the more arduous the approach to perfection4 ,the limits of the essay are at best cramped1 and the compression1 the adjusting of the subject to those limits1 so that its character and bearings may be naturally and perspicuously exhibited1 imply no ordinary skill4 ,besides1 the advisability1 or rather the possibility of undertaking a literary work of the first magnitude is dependent not less upon circumstances beyond the range of individual control than upon intellectual capacity4 ,in asserting for ,de ,quincey the leading position among the writers of this century1 we are clothing him with no ordinary honors--honors which no man can rightfully enjoy without mental endowments at once multiform and transcendent4 ,our age thus far has been prolific in genius1 inferior1 indeed1 to no other1 except1 perhaps1 the ,elizabethan2 and1 even here1 inferior only at two points1 tragedy and that section of poetry in which alone is found the incarnation of the sublime--the divine strains of ,john ,milton4 ,but in range of achievement our epoch has scarcely a rival4 ,mighty champions have arisen in almost every department of letters1 and it is plain that1 amid merits so divergent and wide removed1 we can justly ascribe absolute precedence to no man without establishing1 at the outset1 a standard of ideal excellence1 and by that adjusting the claims of all competitors4 ,we may remark1 then1 in general1 that few first-class writers have appeared who did not require as a condition of success varied and profound learning4 ,kant1 indeed1 won immortality by the efforts of blank power4 ,it is said that he never read a book2 so wonderful was his synthetical and logical power1 that if he could once discover the starting point1 the initial principles of a writer1 there was no occasion for his toiling through the intermediate argumentation to reach the conclusions--he grasped them almost intuitively1 provided1 of course1 the deductions were logical4 ,but even ,kant1 had his acquaintance with the literature of metaphysics been more extensive1 would have avoided many errors1 as well as the trouble of discovering many truths in which he had been long anticipated4 ,herder thought that too much reading had hurt the spring and elasticity of his mind4 ,doubtless we may carry our efforts to excess in this direction as well as any other1 by calling into unduly vigorous and persistent action the merely receptive energies of the mind4 ,perhaps this was the case with ,herder1 as the range of his reading was truly immense2 but if so1 it argues with fatal effect against his claims to the highest order of intellect2 if the weight of his body was too great for his wings1 there lurked somewhere a sad defect4 ,in the vast plurality of cases success lies in1 and is graduated by1 the intensity of mental reaction upon that which has been acquired from others4 ,the achievements of the past are stepping stones to the conquests of the present4 ,new truths1 new discoveries1 are old truths1 old discoveries remodelled and shifted so as to meet the view under a different angle2 new structures are in no proper sense creations1 but mainly the product of a judicious eclecticism4 ,sir ,william ,hamilton was a vast polyhistor long before he could be called a philosopher1 or even thought himself one4 ,researches the most persistent in nearly every department of letters were with him the indispensable prelude to his subsequent triumphs4 ,but all this is simply conditional4 ,what1 then1 are the powers which nature alone can bestow8 ,what must she have done before the highest results can arise from literary effort1 however immense the compass of our information8 ,there must be powerful analytic and discursive ability1 combined with a commensurate reach of constructive and imaginative capacity4 ,an intellect thus endowed1 approaches the perfection of our ideal4 ,if one of these elements is deficient1 we shall lack either depth or brilliance1 acuteness or fancy2 our structures may be massive1 titanic1 but hostile to the laws of a refined taste2 colossal and dazzling1 but too airy and unsubstantial except for the few who are ',with reason mad1 and on phantoms fed4' ,before some such ideal tribunal as this let us summon the aspirants to the dictatorial honors which seem to have slumbered since the day of ,dr4 ,johnson1 and arbitrate their claims4 ,who shall combat the succession of ,thomas de ,quincey to this vacant throne8 ,shall it be ,coleridge1 'the noticeable man with large1 gray eyes1' or the stately ,macaulay1 or ,carlyle1 with his ,moorish dialect and sardonic glance1 or hale old ,walter ,scott1 or ,lamb1 or ,hazlitt1 or ,christopher ,north8 ,the time was when ,coleridge's literary fame was second to that of no other man4 ,but he has suffered a disastrous eclipse2 it has been articulately demonstrated that the vast body of his most valuable speculations1 both in the department of philosophy1 and also in that of poetry and of the fine arts generally1 were so unblushingly pirated from ,schelling and other ,german writers1 that all defence1 even that which was merely palliative1 has signally failed4 ,that fact silences absolutely and forever his claim4 ,nor can the pretensions of ,macaulay or ,carlyle be tolerated2 in neither of them is found in any marked degree what has been aptly called 'double-headed' power--in neither are combined the antagonistic resources of profound thought and brilliant imagination4 ,macaulay1 unapproachable in the delineation of character and in the mastery of stately narrative1 seems to be shorn of his wonted power in the presence of the higher philosophical and moral questions--the flight that is elsewhere so bold and triumphant1 droops and falters here4 ,as for ,carlyle1 to say nothing of other faults1 we vainly search his writings for anything positive2 he is a blank destroyer1 breathing out everlasting denunciation and regret4 ,no man can possess the highest order of talent or genius whose powers are essentially negative4 ,mere demolition--demolition which is not the first step in the advance of reform and reconstruction1 the preliminary removal of ancient rubbish for the erection of newer and nobler structures--is worse than futile4 ,but we will not pursue farther this phase of our subject4 ,we take our stand upon the position1 and think it can be maintained against all comers1 that these writers1 and others which might be named1 although supreme in certain departments1 fail in range of power2 in other words1 that they have specialities outside of which they attain no remarkable excellence4 ,scott1 for instance1 is unsurpassed in the drama of fiction2 but in the more transcendent sphere of poetry his success is open to a very serious demur4 ,but how is the case with ,de ,quincey8 ,did he ever write a poem8 ,no2 but he was nevertheless a poet of the first rank4 ,did he ever publish a treatise on metaphysics8 ,no4 ,his great work ',de ,emendatione ,humani ,intellectus1' was never completed1 but he was1 notwithstanding1 an acute philosopher4 ,the author of no complete history1 he was not the less a divine master of historic narration1 grave or gay1 sententious or impassioned4 ,no one is more profoundly convinced than ourselves that mere rhetorical declamation1 and the sepulchral voice of fulsome eulogy can never establish claims of such vast magnitude4 ,what has ,mr4 de ,quincey achieved1 what range of capacity has he exhibited in the memorials he has left behind1 in the grand conceptions that have arisen upon his mind1 whether completely projected into the sphere of tangible reality or not8--these are the crucial questions upon which hang for him the trophies of renown or the dark drapery of oblivion4 ,every person who is competent to form an opinion on the subject1 very readily allows that political economy1 so infinite and subtile are the forces that enter into its shifting phenomena1 is a science of no slight complexity1 and that the successful unveiling of its disordered tissue demands1 in the first instance1 the highest intellectual acuteness and profundity4 ,we here encounter the same obstacles as in metaphysics1 except that in the one case the phenomena investigated are subjective1 in the other objective4 ,both conditions have peculiar advantages2 both are open to peculiar difficulties1 which it is unnecessary to discuss at present4 ,but the power which can grapple successfully with the vexed complications of the one will be no less potent in piercing those of the other2 acuteness of analysis1 sleepless insight1 subtile thought1 ample constructive or synthetic ability1 these are the only endowments out of which any original success can arise in either case4 ,what has ,mr4 de ,quincey achieved for the science of political economy8 ,we might answer by asking1 ,what has ,mr4 ,ricardo achieved in that department8 ,ricardo and ,de ,quincey had independently arrived at the same conclusions on the subject at about the same time4 ,the fact that ,ricardo first proclaimed to the world his revolutionary doctrines of rent and value has won for him the lion's share of the applause they compelled2 but that rendered ,de ,quincey's independent conclusions none the less real discoveries1 subtracted nothing from the aggregate of his real merit4 ,the vast obstacles which lay in the path of these discoveries can never be fully appreciated1 until we apprehend1 to some extent1 the apparently hopeless and inextricable confusion with which the whole subject was at that time invested3 out of the blackness of darkness1 out of the very heart of chaos and anarchy rose two mighty luminaries1 that have been polar beacons to all subsequent explorers4 ,de ,quincey's writings on political economy are partially fragmentary2 that is1 they do not exhaust the subject as a whole1 although thoroughly probing several capital points upon which the entire subject turns4 ,sometimes he ostensibly limits himself to elucidating and defending ,ricardo's views2 but the discussion is conducted with so much ease and force and fertility of resources1 disclosing at times a depth of insight far outstripping that of his pretended master1 that we cannot resist the conclusion that the doctrines which he defends are in fact discoveries of his own--discoveries which1 finding himself anticipated in their publication1 he generously turns to the advantage of his fortunate rival4 ,although ,de ,quincey gravely assures us that in his opinion ,ricardo is a 'model of perspicuity1' we suspect that few will agree with him1 as his thought is always subtile and sometimes perplexed2 but ,de ,quincey--while not at all inferior in acuteness and power of thought1 in perception of shy differences and resemblances between contrasted objects1 winning at this point even the praise of ,john ,stuart ,mill--in elasticity1 force1 and elegance of style1 infinitely surpasses the whole race of political economists4 ,we know of nothing throughout the vast range of economic investigation more admirable1 being at once clear and conclusive1 simple and profound1 culminating in the utter razing and dismantling of the ,malthusian theory1 than the discussion of value in the ',templars' ,dialogues4' ,there is no faltering1 no hesitation1 no discursiveness2 the arrow flies swiftly and fatally to the mark4 ,it is not possible1 or desirable1 at the present time1 to discuss minutely ,de ,quincey's achievements as exhibited in his ',logic of ,political ,economy' and ',templars' ,dialogues3' in these works he laid the foundation of a colossal structure1 which the distraction of nervous misery never allowed him to complete4 ,he had laboriously gathered the materials out of every nation and tongue2 he had painfully perfected the vast design2 but1 when standing on the very verge of triumph1 he was doomed to see life-long hopes extinguished forever1 success slipped from his nerveless grasp in the moment of victory4 ,surely he might join in the passionate lament3 ',i feel it1 ,i have heaped upon my brain ,the gathered treasures of man's thought in vain4' ,the subjects which ,de ,quincey has critically investigated are very numerous1 and it cannot be expected that our limits will permit any exhaustive enumeration of them4 ,we propose to select a few of the more prominent1 which will serve as exponents of the whole4 ,de ,quincey's views on war will doubtless be astounding to most persons who have never given the subject any very particular attention4 ,deluded by the false doctrines of peace societies1 they doubtless regard war as an evil1 at once inhuman and unnecessary4 ,altogether hostile to this idea is the position of ,de ,quincey2 he solemnly declares that war neither can be abolished nor ought to be4 ',most heartily1' says he1 'and with my profoundest sympathy1 do ,i go along with ,wordsworth in his grand lyrical proclamation of a truth not less divine than it is mysterious1 not less triumphant than it is sorrowful1 namely1 that among ,god's holiest instruments for the elevation of human nature is 'mutual slaughter' among men2 yes1 that ',carnage is ,god's daughter4'' ',any confederation or compact of nations for abolishing war would be the inauguration of a downward path for man4' ',there is a mystery in approaching this aspect of the case which no man has read fully4 ,war has a deeper and more ineffable relation to hidden grandeurs in man than has as yet been deciphered4 ,to execute judgments of retribution upon outrages offered to human rights or to human dignity1 to vindicate the sanctities of the altar and the sanctities of the hearth--these are functions of human greatness which war has many times assumed1 and many times faithfully discharged4 ,but behind all these there towers dimly a greater4 ,the great phenomenon of war it is--this1 and this only--which keeps open in man a spiracle--an organ of respiration--for breathing a transcendent atmosphere1 and dealing with an idea that else would perish--viz41 the idea of mixed crusade and martyrdom1 doing and suffering1 that finds its realization in such a battle as that of ,waterloo--viz41 a battle fought for interests of the human race felt even where they are not understood2 so that the tutelary angel of man1 when he traverses such a dreadful field1 when he reads the distorted features1 counts the ghastly ruins1 sums the hidden anguish1 and the harvests ',of horror breathing from the silent ground1' nevertheless1 speaking as ,god's messenger1 blesses it1 and calls it very good4' ,startling as these assertions may appear at first sight1 they are1 notwithstanding1 profoundly philosophical2 all history proclaims their solemn truth--is1 in fact1 totally inexplicable and confused on any other supposition4 ,history is by no means merely biography condensed2 far from it2 biography is concerned with the shifting and ephemeral career of individual men2 but history1 far transcending that lowly sphere1 records the revolution and progress of principles2 these succeed each other in everlasting succession1 like the revolution of day and night2 and individuals rise into importance only as they stand related to1 are the agents of1 this progress4 ,the future is forever supplanting the present2 the feud is immortal--the antagonism inevitable2 if effete ideas and principles1 which have accomplished their mission1 refuse to retire and peaceably give place to their legitimate successors1 conflict arises of necessity--a conflict in which the usurper must finally triumph1 or the wheels of human progress will be effectually blocked4 ,war1 then1 is necessary to the advance of humanity4 ,although ,de ,quincey discerns the absolute extinction of war only at the 'infinite and starry distance of the ,millennium1' still1 as its enginery is becoming more and more destructive1 its danger and expense increasing1 as the progress of civilization is gradually effacing the darker stains from human society1 and luring it from the path of violence by the charm of luxurious repose1 the necessity of war will gradually disappear--its total decline approach4 ,we would remark in passing that ,de ,quincey is altogether too captious in his criticisms upon ,french ideas of war4 ,so far as the majority of men are concerned1 whether ,englishmen or ,frenchmen1 little pain is taken to search out the philosophy of events4 ,but ,cousin1 in his ',course of ,history1' has asserted1 even more peremptorily than ,de ,quincey himself1 the divine mission of war4 ,he essentially declares that carnage is always and of necessity ,god's daughter3 to this extreme doctrine ,mr4 de ,quincey would doubtless demur1 averring that 'by possibility' such might not be the case4 ,still profounder insight is disclosed in the article on ',christianity as an ,organ of ,political ,movement4' ,it was a chance perusal of this essay that first turned our attention to ,de ,quincey's writings1 and we involuntarily exclaimed1 as did he when first falling upon ,ricardo's work1 ',thou art the man6' ,the object in view is to distinguish accurately between the ,christian and pagan idea of religion4 ,there has been great confusion on this point4 ,what is involved in the term religion as used by a ,christian8 ,according to ,de ,quincey there are four elements3 #ast4 ,a form of worship2 #b;d4 ,an idea of ,god2 #c;d4 ,the idea of a relation subsisting between ,god and ,his creatures2 #dth4 ,a doctrinal part4 ,now1 of these cardinal elements1 only one1 that of worship1 was present in pagan religions1 and even this was so completely distorted1 arose from impulses so utterly despicable1 as to be positively immoral in its tendencies4 ,the gods were1 to their worshippers1 dreadful realities--monsters of crime1 at once powerful and vindictive--the very footballs of unhallowed passion2 hence worship was not the result of love or reverence1 or even of a regard to future interests1 but it was simply an expedient to shun danger immediately behind--a mock truce between immortal foes1 which either party might violate at pleasure4 ',because the gods were wicked1 man was religious2 because ,olympus was cruel1 earth trembled2 because the divine beings were the most lawless of ,thugs1 the human being became the most abject of sycophants4' ,even in the most solemn mysteries no such thing as instruction was known--'the priest did not address the people at all4' ,hence all moral theories1 all doctrinal teaching was utterly disjoined from ancient religions--that was resigned to nature--and1 consequently1 powerless alike to instruct men or command their respect1 they had no inherent1 self-sustaining energy1 but were built upon a mere impulse1 and that impulse was the most abject terror4 ,where1 then1 lurks the transcendent power of ,christianity as an organ of political movement8 ,simply in the fact that it brings men into the most tender and affecting relations with ,god1 and1 over and above this1 that it rests upon a dogmatic or doctrinal basis4 ,these features were never suspected even as possible until ,christianity revealed them4 ,hence ,christianity 'carried along with itself its own authentication2 since1 while other religions introduced men simply to ceremonies and usages1 which could furnish no aliment or material for their intellect1 ,christianity provided an eternal palaestra1 or place of exercise1 for the human understanding vitalized by human affections3 for every problem whatever1 interesting to the human intellect1 provided only that it bears a moral aspect1 immediately passes into the field of religious speculation4 ,religion had thus become the great organ of human culture4' ,of this profound distinction ,de ,quincey was the original discoverer4 ,it is known1 of course1 to every literary person1 that ,bentley attempted to amend ,milton's ',paradise ,lost1' and that1 on the whole1 he made a very signal failure4 ,it has been a matter of great surprise on the part of many1 that one who is so confessedly superior in the criticism of classical poetry1 whose ear was so exquisitely sensitive and accurate when awakened by ancient lyres1 should prove himself such a driveller in the presence of the grandest cathedral-music of modern times4 ,coleridge took occasion to observe that it was only our ignorance that prevented ,bentley's emendations and innovations from appearing as monstrous and unnatural in the poetry of the ancients as in that of ,john ,milton4 ,the charge appears very plausible and damaging at first sight4 ,we notice it in order to exhibit ,de ,quincey's marvellous sagacity in detecting the true relation of things3 he utterly dissipated the force of the cavil by simply stating the actual bearings of the two classes of poetry4 ,ancient poetry was darkly austere and practical2 the imagination was fettered by a grim austerity2 the merely passionate--that which proceeds from the sphere of the sensibilities alone--finds no resting place in its vast domain2 but in the poetry of ,milton the element of passion is triumphant2 hence ,bentley1 with his icy1 critical1 matter-of-fact temperament1 could never appreciate ,milton's majestic flights4 ,we cannot refrain from quoting1 at this point1 ,de ,quincey's acute and beautiful parallel between ,grecian and ,english tragedy3 ',the kind of feeling which broods over the ,grecian tragedy1 and to court which the tragic poets of ,greece naturally spread all their canvas1 was more nearly allied to the atmosphere of death than of life4 ,this expresses rudely the character of awe and religious horror investing the ,greek theatre4 ,but to my own feeling the different principle of passion which governs the ,greek conception of tragedy1 as compared with the ,english1 is best conveyed by saying that the ,grecian is a breathing from the world of sculpture1 the ,english a breathing from the world of painting4 ,what we read in sculpture is not absolutely death1 but still less is it the fulness of life4 ,we read there the abstraction of a life that reposes1 the sublimity of a life that aspires1 the solemnity of a life that is thrown to an infinite distance4 ,this last is the feature of sculpture which seems most characteristic3 the form which presides in the most commanding groups 'is not dead1 but sleepeth3' true2 but it is the sleep of a life sequestrated1 solemn1 liberated from the bonds of time and space1 and 7as to both alike7 thrown 7,i repeat the words7 to a distance which is infinite4 ,it affects us profoundly1 but not by agitation4 ,now1 on the other hand1 the breathing life--life kindling1 trembling1 palpitating--that life which speaks to us in painting--this is also the life that speaks to us in ,english tragedy4 ,into an ,english tragedy even festivals of joy may enter2 marriages1 and baptisms1 or commemorations of national trophies3 which1 or anything like which1 is incompatible with the very being of the ,greek4 ,in that tragedy what uniformity of gloom2 in the ,english what light alternating with depths of darkness6 ,the ,greek1 how mournful2 the ,english1 how tumultuous6 ,even the catastrophes how different6 ,in the ,greek we see a breathless waiting for a doom that cannot be evaded2 a waiting1 as it were1 for the last shock of an earthquake1 or the inexorable rising of a deluge3 in the ,english it is like a midnight of shipwreck1 from which1 up to the last and until the final ruin comes1 there still survives the sort of hope that clings to human energies4' ,it is not to be expected that we can fully traverse and explore this vast section of ,de ,quincey's writings2 that would be a task beyond our present resources2 and1 consequently1 we are compelled to pass unnoticed keen dissections of history2 ingenious1 although sometimes untenable1 theories regarding the ,essenes1 the supposed expressions for eternity in the ,scriptures1 the character of ,judas ,iscariot1 the doctrine of demons1 the principles of casuistry1 style1 and rhetoric2 the discussions of various points in philosophy and logic2 the prodigality of erudition displayed in the articles on ,plato1 ,homer1 ,dinner ,real and ,reputed1 ,bentley2 the transcendent critical skill revealed in the little paper entitled ',the ,knocking at the ,gate in ,macbeth1' in the essays on ,shakspeare1 ,milton1 ,wordsworth1 ,lamb1 and others2 the minute dissections of feeling and passion scattered broadcast throughout his writings4 ,we shall content ourselves with merely adducing another illustration of our author's extremely speculative and metaphysical cast of mind1 and then close this section of the review4 ,this is taken from that touchingly beautiful chapter in the ',autobiographic ,sketches1' entitled ',the ,afflictions of ,childhood4' ,de ,quincey1 even in his childhood1 was profoundly sensitive1 and capable of forming the most ardent attachments4 ,tender and absorbing was the love which had sprung up between himself and his sister ,elizabeth2 she was the joy of his life--she was supreme in his affections4 ,at the age of nine years she suddenly sickened and died2 ,de ,quincey1 although younger by three years1 was overwhelmed with unspeakable agony4 ,when his sister had been dressed for the grave1 he stole silently and alone into her chamber to look once more upon her beautiful face1 to kiss once more her sweet lips3 while standing by the bedside he is suddenly struck down in a trance1 and his description of the scene is one of the noblest prose poems in the ,english language4 ,but even here1 amid the absorbing disclosures of a frantic sorrow1 when the mighty swell of passion had reached its culmination1 and a solemn ,memnonian wind1 'the saddest that ear ever heard1' began to arise1 and the seals of a heavenly vision were about to be unloosed--even here he pauses1 philosophically to 'explain why death1 other conditions being equal1 is more profoundly affecting in summer than in other parts of the year'6 ,we have said that ,de ,quincey was an eminent master of the historic art4 ,his power in this direction is signally displayed in his account of ',the ,household ,wreck1' ',the ,spanish ,nun1' ',the ,first ,rebellion1' and the ',flight of a ,tartar ,tribe4' ',the ,household ,wreck' is a powerful and dramatic narrative1 but the plot is somewhat confused2 on the whole1 it is decidedly inferior to the ',spanish ,nun4' ,the nun is a bona-fide historical personage1 and her career is delineated with surprising effect4 ,she was the daughter of a ,spanish hidalgo1 who pitilessly carried her in infancy to the ,convent of ,st4 ,sebastian1 where she remained until the age of fifteen2 the quietude of that cloistered life her stormy spirit could no longer brook2 she eloped1 assumed male attire1 became the page of a nobleman1 at whose house she saw that 'old crocodile1' her father1 who was now searching with mock solicitude for his absconded daughter2 exposure was imminent2 no safety remained until the ocean divided her from ,spain1 and her plans were formed at once2 the nun embarked for ,south ,america1 doubled ,cape ,horn1 was shipwrecked on the coast of ,peru2 finally arrived at ,paita2 killed a man in a street encounter2 escaped death only by promising to marry a lady who had fallen in love with her2 once again there was no security but in flight2 she joined a cavalry regiment commanded by her own brother1 to whom she was unknown2 him she unwittingly killed in a midnight duel2 then follow the terrific passage of the ,andes1 the fearful tragedies at ,tucuman and ,cuzco1 her return to ,europe in compliance with royal and papal commands2 she approaches the port of ,cadiz2 myriads upon myriads line the shore and cover the houses to catch a glimpse of the martial nun2 cardinals and kings and popes hasten to embrace her2 the thunders of popular welcome arise wherever she appears2 but the nun finds no rest2 terrific memories rankle in her bosom1 and blast her repose2 again she embarks for ,america2 but then1 how closed that career1 so tragically tempestuous8 ,the nun reached ,vera ,cruz2 she took her seat in the boat to go ashore2 no more is known2 her fate is concealed in impenetrable mystery2 'the sea was searched for her--the forests were ransacked4 ,the sea made no answer--the forests gave up no sign4' ,these incidents1 which are historical verities1 are wrought up into a narrative of absorbing power4 ,in ,de ,quincey's brief sketch of the ',first ,rebellion' are found some graphic historical paintings4 ,the following is his description of the panic at ,enniscorthy1 at the moment when the rebels had carried the place by assault3 ',now came a scene1 which swallowed up all distinct or separate features in its frantic confluence of horrors4 ,all the loyalists of ,enniscorthy1 all the gentry for miles around1 who had congregated in that town1 as a centre of security1 were summoned at that moment1 not to an orderly retreat1 but to instant flight4 ,at one end of the street were seen the rebel pikes and bayonets1 and fierce faces already gleaming through the smoke2 at the other end1 volumes of fire1 surging and billowing from the thatched roofs and blazing rafters1 beginning to block up the avenues of escape4 ,then began the agony and uttermost conflict of what is worst and what is best in human nature4 ,then was to be seen the very delirium of fear1 and the very delirium of vindictive malice2 private and ignoble hatred of ancient origin1 shrouding itself in the mask of patriotic wrath2 the tiger glare of just vengeance1 fresh from intolerable wrongs1 and the never-to-be-forgotten ignominy of stripes and personal degradation2 panic1 self-palsied by its own excess2 flight1 eager or stealthy1 according to the temper and means2 volleying pursuit2 the very frenzy of agitation under every mode of excitement2 and here and there1 towering aloft1 the desperation of maternal love1 victorious and supreme over all lower passions4' 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is a species of narrative in the ',autobiographic ,sketches1' of a somewhat different cast from that which we have been contemplating1 less grand and passionate1 perhaps1 but more tender and exquisite--overspread with a quieter and mellower humor4 ,we refer to the account of his brother ,william4 ,he was a youth of the stormiest nature1 a genuine cloud-compeller1 forever raising storms and whirlwinds merely for the pleasure of directing them2 'haughty he was1 aspiring1 immeasurably active2 fertile in resources as ,robinson ,crusoe2 but also full of quarrel as it is possible to imagine2 and in default of any other opponent1 he would have fastened a quarrel upon his own shadow for presuming to run before him when going westward in the morning2 whereas1 in all reason1 a shadow1 like a dutiful child1 ought to keep deferentially in the rear of that majestic substance which is the author of its existence4' ,he hated books1 except those which he chanced to write himself2 he was especially great on the subject of necromancy2 was even the author of a profound work1 entitled ',how to ,raise a ,ghost1 and when ,you have ,got ,him ,down1 how to ,keep ,him ,down4' ',to which work1 he assured us1 that some most learned and enormous man1 whose name was a foot and a half long1 had promised him an appendix1 which appendix treated of the ,red ,sea and ,solomon's signet ring1 with forms of mittimus for ghosts that might be refractory1 and probably a riot act for any emeute among ghosts2' for he often gravely affirmed that a confederation1 'a solemn league and conspiracy1 might take place among the infinite generations of ghosts against the single generation of men at any one time composing the garrison of death4' ,deeming this subject too recondite for his juvenile audience1 he dropped it1 and commenced a course of lectures upon physics4 ',this undertaking arose from some one of us envying or admiring flies for their power of walking upon the ceiling4 ',poh6' said he1 'they are impostors2 they pretend to do it1 but they can't do it as it ought to be done4 ,ah6 you should see me standing upright on the ceiling1 with my head downward1 for half an hour together1 and meditating profoundly4' ,my sister ,mary remarked that we should all be very glad to see him in that position4 ',if that's the case1' he replied1 'it's very well that all is ready except as to a strap or two4' ,being an excellent skater1 he had first imagined that1 if held up till he had started1 he might then1 by taking a bold sweep ahead1 keep himself in position through the continued impetus of skating4 ,but this he found not to answer2 because1 as he observed1 'the friction was too retarding from the plaster of ,paris2 but the case would be very different if the ceiling were covered with ice4' ,but as it was not1 he changed his plan4 ,the true secret1 he now discovered1 was this3 he would consider himself in the light of a humming top2 he would make an apparatus 7and he made it7 for having himself launched1 like a top1 upon the ceiling1 and regularly spun4 ,then the vertiginous motion of the human top would overcome the force of gravitation4 ,he should1 of course1 spin upon his own axis1 and sleep upon his own axis--perhaps he might even dream upon it2 and he laughed at 'those scoundrels1 the flies1' that never improved in their pretended art1 nor made anything of it4 ,the principle was now discovered2 'and1 of course1' he said1 'if a man can keep it up for five minutes1 what's to hinder him from doing so for five months8' ',certainly1 nothing that ,i can think of1' was the reply of my sister1 whose scepticism1 in fact1 had not settled upon the five months1 but altogether upon the five minutes4 ,the apparatus for spinning him1 however1 perhaps from its complexity1 would not work--a fact evidently owing to the stupidity of the gardener4 ,on reconsidering the subject1 he announced1 to the disappointment of some among us1 that1 although the physical discovery was now complete1 he saw a moral difficulty4 ,it was not a humming top that was required1 but a peg top4 ,now1 in order to keep up the vertigo at full stretch1 without which1 to a certain extent1 gravitation would prove too much for him1 he needed to be whipped incessantly4 ,but that was what a gentleman ought not to tolerate3 to be scourged unintermittingly on the legs by any grub of a gardener1 unless it were ,father ,adam himself1 was a thing that he could not bring his mind to face4' ,attempted improvements in the art of flying1 which1 he alleged1 was then 'in a condition disgraceful to civilized society2' the composition and exhibition of that bloody tragedy1 ',sultan ,amurath2' the conduct of a protracted war which arose out of a fancied insult from a factory boy1 whom1 surveying with intense disdain1 'he bade draw near that he might 'give his flesh to the fowls of the air6'' the government of the imaginary kingdom of ',tigrosylvania'--occupied the attention of this hundred-handed youth until his death1 at the age of sixteen--all of which is narrated with unequalled pathos and humor4 ,but there is still another section of the narrative art1 yet more sublime and unapproachable1 where ,de ,quincey stands alone--the section in which are recorded his dreams4 ,these are without a rival or even a precedent in the ,english language2 nay1 purely impassioned prose as ',the ,confessions' and ',suspiria de ,profundis' is scarcely to be found in any language2 but the narration of dreams1 while exposed to all its difficulties1 is invested with superadded difficulties1 arising from the shifting1 visionary character of the world in which its scenes are laid1 'where a single false note1 a single word in a wrong key1 will ruin the whole music4' ,de ,quincey's habit of dreaming was constitutional1 and displayed itself even in infancy4 ,he was naturally extremely sensitive1 and of a melancholy temperament2 he was so passionately fond of undisturbed repose1 that he willingly submitted to any amount of contempt if he could only be let alone2 he had that weird faculty which is forever peopling the darkness with myriads of phantoms2 then came the afflictions of childhood--that night1 which ran after his footsteps far into life--and finally came opium1 which is a specific 'for exalting the dream scenery1 for deepening its shadows1 and1 above all1 for strengthening the sense of its fearful realities3' all these allied characteristics and circumstances1 combined with his vast intellectual capacity1 imparted to ,de ,quincey's dreams a terrific grandeur4 ,they were sometimes frightful1 sometimes sublime1 but always accompanied by anxiety and melancholy gloom4 ',i seemed1' says he1 'every night to descend--not metaphorically1 but literally to descend--into chasms and sunless abysses1 depths below depths1 from which it seemed hopeless that ,i could ever reascend4 ,nor did ,i1 by awaking1 feel that ,i had reascended4 ,this ,i do not dwell upon2 because the state of gloom which attended these gorgeous spectacles1 amounting1 at least1 to utter darkness1 as of some suicidal despondency1 cannot be approached by words4' ,de ,quincey's most elaborate dreams are3 ',the ,daughter of ,lebanon1' ',levana and ,our ,ladies of ,sorrow1' ',the ,vision of ,sudden ,death1' and ',dream ,fugue4' ,the last named is the most perfect in its conception1 the most powerful in its execution4 ,it is too long to quote1 too sublime to be marred by abbreviation4 ,if any one desires to see what can be done with the ,english language in an 'effort to wrestle with the utmost power of music1' let him read that dream4 ,we shall1 meanwhile1 present one from the year #ahbj1 and leave the reader to form his own estimate of it3 ',the dream commenced with a music which now ,i often heard in dreams--a music of preparation and of awakening suspense2 a music like the opening of the ,coronation ,anthem1 and which1 like that1 gave the feeling of a vast march1 of infinite cavalcades filing off1 and the tread of innumerable armies4 ,the morning was come of a mighty day--a day of crisis and of final hope for human nature1 then suffering some mysterious eclipse1 and laboring in some dread extremity4 ,somewhere1 ,i knew not where--somehow1 ,i knew not how--by some beings1 ,i knew not whom--a battle1 a strife1 an agony1 was conducting--was evolving like a great drama1 or piece of music1 with which my sympathy was the more insupportable from my confusion as to its place1 its cause1 its nature1 and its possible issue4 ,i had the power1 and yet had not the power1 to decide it4 ,i had the power1 if ,i could raise myself to will it2 and yet again ,i had not the power1 for the weight of twenty ,atlantics was upon me1 or the oppression of inexpiable guilt4 ',deeper than ever plummit sounded1' ,i lay inactive4 ,then1 like a chorus1 the passion deepened4 ,some greater interest was at stake2 some mightier cause than ever yet the sword had pleaded1 or trumpet had proclaimed4 ,then came sudden alarms2 hurryings to and fro2 trepidations of innumerable fugitives4 ,i knew not whether from the good cause or the bad2 darkness and lights2 tempest and human faces2 and1 at last1 with the sense that all was lost1 female forms and the features that were worth all the world to me1 and but a moment allowed--and clasped hands1 and heartbreaking partings1 and then--everlasting farewells6 and1 with a sigh1 such as the caves of hell sighed when the incestuous mother uttered the abhorred name of death--everlasting farewells6 and again1 and yet again reverberated--everlasting farewells6' ,o mighty magician6 ,in point of style and general method of treating subjects1 ,de ,quincey's greatest faults are pedantry and discursiveness4 ,of the former we have no defence to make2 we think that1 in writing avowedly for the public1 and not for any particular class1 the use of technical terms merely because they are technical1 and of learned terms merely because they are learned1 is a positive blemish4 ,but still greater offence is given to many readers by the occasional practice of discursiveness2 we employ the epithet intentionally1 for the habit is by no means so inveterate as many seem to suppose4 ,yet even where it is most triumphant1 there is1 nevertheless1 a goal to be reached--a goal which will finally be reached1 despite interminable zigzags and 'harsh angles4' ,this peculiarity was1 doubtless1 in a great degree occasioned by the use of opium4 ,opium1 even amid the very delirium of rapture it produces1 nay1 in consequence of that delirium1 is hostile to strictly logical thought2 the excitation approaches the character of an intuition2 the glance1 however keen and farsighted1 is not steady2 it is restless1 fitful1 veering forever with the movements of an unnatural stimulation2 but when the exaltation has subsided1 and the dread reaction and nervous depression succeeded1 this result is intensified a hundred fold1 and gradually shapes itself into a confirmed habit4 ,even if the use of opium was positively beneficial to the intellect1 still its dreadful havoc with the physical system would far more than outweigh its contributions in that direction4 ,but1 so far is that from being the truth in the case1 that opium1 at best1 has only a revealing1 a disclosing power2 it cannot1 even in the lowest sense of the term1 be called a creative lower4 ,let a man dream dreams as gorgeous as ,de ,quincey's1 it does not at all follow that he can write like ,de ,quincey2 as related to literature1 the grandeur of dreams depends absolutely upon the dreamer's mastery of the narrative art1 which the dreaming faculty itself does not either presuppose or bestow4 ,but1 over and above all this1 universal experience has declared that the use of opium is fatally hostile to any very protracted mental power4 ,it ravages the mind no less fearfully than it does the body--precipitates both in one common ruin2 by it ordinary men are speedily degraded to hopeless impotence1 and the most mighty shorn of half their power--a swift-pursuing shadow closes suddenly and forever over the transient gleam of unnatural splendor4 ,these considerations account in part for ,de ,quincey's discursiveness1 but perhaps not wholly4 ,discursiveness is not without its beauties4 ,we believe in logic1 but still it is pleasant1 at times1 to see a writer sport with his subject1 to see him gallop at will1 unconfined by the ring circle of strict severity4 ,nor is this all4 ,possibly the apparent discursiveness may be only the preliminary journeying by which we are to secure some new and startling view of the subject4 ,perhaps you may consider these initial movements needlessly protracted and fatiguing2 but trust your guide2 whatever your private opinion1 at the time1 may be1 he will never miss the road1 and when at last you are in the proper position for observation1 the thrill of unwonted pleasure will swallow up all memory of former efforts and former misgivings4 ,occasionally such is not the case2 for instance1 in the papers on ,sir ,william ,hamilton4 ,they are three in number4 ,nearly half of the first is taken up in describing the difficulties under which the writer suffers of communicating with his publishers2 the nervous maladies that torment his happiness2 the limits of time and space so narrowly circumscribed4 ,the same strain is taken up in the second paper4 ,we have short dissertations on the deadly 'hiatus in the harness which should connect the pre-revolutionary with the post-revolutionary commonwealths of ,england2' on the adjective old1 and the aged noun civilation2 then comes a general belaboring of athletes and gymnasts1 at which point ,sir ,william fairly emerges into view2 suddenly our author seems to recollect that his space is fast diminishing1 and concludes to 'take a rise out of something or other' at once2 sets down ,sir ,william as a genuine logician1 and immediately commences the consideration of several ancient word puzzles1 one of which is stated in a very business-like manner3 ',vermin in account with the divine and long-legged ,pelides4' ,logic is pretty uniformly the subject of the third paper1 and no inferior acquaintance with the topic is displayed2 but we see very little of ,sir ,william ,hamilton in this miscellaneous collection4 ,but unpardonable wandering is of extremely rare occurrence2 and1 on the whole1 the evils of discursiveness are altogether outweighed by the positive advantages and beauties to which we have referred4 ,to this characteristic trait must be added another--the dramatic and cumulative manner in which the subjects discussed are treated4 ,that gives to ,de ,quincey's style increased power and increased beauty2 artistic symmetry is superinduced upon solid excellence4 ,this peculiarity is especially noticeable in narratives where the element of horror is central1 as in ',the ,avenger4' ,the gentle whisper rises1 gradually and by insensible degrees1 to the awful voice of the thunderbolt4 ,the prelude is calm enough1 sweet enough1 but soon the music ascends to a fiercer key2 the plot darkens2 the crisis gathers2 louder and more tumultuous waxes the fiendish tumult1 until all lesser passions are swallowed up1 and the empire of a blank1 rayless revenge is triumphant2 we are spellbound amid the successive stages of the demoniac tragedy2 we start up convulsively1 as from the horrors of nightmare1 at its ghastly catastrophe4 ,but1 over and above all this1 in that melody1 in that music of style1 which exalts prose to the dignity of poetry1 ,de ,quincey is absolutely without a rival4 ,read the ',confessions1' or the ',autobiographic ,sketches1' or the touching tribute to the ,maid of ,orleans1 and all doubt upon that point will disappear4 ,besides1 over the surface of his writings there ripples a quaint1 genial humor1 which is1 for the most part1 kept within the limits of propriety by an exquisite taste4 ,in marked contrast to many of our most illustrious writers1 ,de ,quincey always exhibits a profound respect for ,christianity4 ,listen to his indignant rebuke of ,kant1 who1 in his work on ',religion within the ,limits of ,pure ,reason1' had expressed opinions so utterly atheistical as to draw forth severe menaces from the reigning ,king of ,prussia1 ,frederic ,william the ,second3 ',surely1 gray hairs and irreligion make a monstrous union2 and the spirit of proselytism carried into the service of infidelity--a youthful zeal put forth by a tottering1 decrepid old man1 to withdraw from desponding and suffering human nature its most essential props1 whether for action or suffering1 for conscience or for hope1 is a spectacle too disgusting to leave room for much sympathy with merit of another kind4' ,finally1 we love ,de ,quincey for his abhorrence of all knavish or quackish men1 and his deep respect for human nature4 ,we suspect that but few dignitaries of the past ever received so sound a 'knouting' as did that 'accursed ,jew' ,josephus1 at his hands2 nor do ,grotius and ,dr4 ,parr fare much better4 ,he believes ,josephus to be a villain1 ,grotius and ,dr4 ,parr literary impostors1 and he strips off their masks in a very summary manner4 ,but with the trials1 the struggles1 the miseries of humanity1 no man more profoundly sympathizes than ,thomas de ,quincey4 ',oftentimes1' says he1 speaking of the daily police reports1 'oftentimes ,i stand aghast at the revelations there made of human life and the human heart2 at its colossal guilt1 and its colossal misery2 at the suffering which oftentimes throws a shadow over palaces1 and the grandeur of mute endurance which sometimes glorifies a cottage4' ,how touching is his memorial of those forlorn twin sisters1 who 'snatched convulsively at a loving smile1 or loving gesture1 from a child1 as at some message of remembrance from ,god2' how tender his tribute to 'poor ,pink2' how affecting his devotion to unhappy ,ann1 whom1 in the strength of his gratitude1 he could 'pursue into the darkness of a ,london brothel1 or into the deeper darkness of the grave'6 ,but we must close4 ,we have found ,de ,quincey a subtile philosopher1 a mighty master of the historic art1 a prose poet of unrivalled splendor4 ,to powers so versatile and extraordinary1 combined with learning so profound1 and a style of such matchless brilliance1 we believe that no other writer of the present age can lay any great claims4 ,still we take our leave of that eccentric1 storm-tossed man of genius with feelings of profound regret4 ,great as his contributions to literature are1 he might have done vastly more4 ,but nervous maladies blasted his hopes1 overthrew his colossal designs1 and he evermore drifts down the ages a wreck--splendid1 brilliant1 the admiration of all beholders--but none the less a wreck4 ',,feed ,,my ,,lambs4' ,,part ,,first4 ,harry has crept to his little bed1 shivering with childish dread of the dark4 ,ungentle hands have placed him there1 guardians careless of his comfort and chary of kind words and looks1 and a coarse-voiced girl has said1 as she took the light away1 and banged the door behind her3 ',cry out loud1 you little imp1 and ,i'll send the black bears to catch you4' ,so ,harry is choking down his sobs1 and crying silently1 very silently4 ,the chill and melancholy night wind1 as it comes moaning through the casement and rustling the light leaves of the tall poplar as they rest against the window panes1 and the great round tears as they fall with a dull1 heavy drop1 drop on his lonely pillow1 are the only sounds that break the dismal stillness1 excepting now and then1 when a great sob1 too mighty to be choked down1 bursts from the little1 overcharged heart4 ,and then ,harry fancies he feels1 through the thin coverlet and torn night dress1 the huge black paws of these same bears grasping the tender round shoulder1 blue with the cold1 while the little boy lies there shivering and shuddering in an agony of apprehension4 ,darkness above and around him1 terrible1 black1 silent darkness2 darkness which enwraps and enfolds him and takes away his breath1 like the heavy1 stifling folds of a hideous black mantle2 darkness that the active imagination of the timid child peoples with phantom shapes1 grotesque and horrible--forms made unnaturally visible by their own light1 that mouth and leer1 and stretch out distorted arms to seize him1 whose appalling presence fills the room from floor to ceiling1 and which eddy and circle around him in horrid demon dances1 whirling gradually nearer and nearer1 until myriads of hideous faces are thrust close to his own1 or grin above him1 while he chokes for breath--forms that make the cold sweat stand on his baby forehead1 and freeze the blood in his veins1 that he watches night after night1 with his blue eyes starting from their sockets and his hair standing on end1 that make of the desolate nighttime a dread and a horror6 ,and there is no one to kneel beside his lonely bed and tell the frightened child1 sick with dread1 that there are no such things as odious black dwarfs1 who drag young children off to dark and dismal dungeons by the hair of their head1 nor great giants1 who grow always bigger as you look at them1 and who eat up1 at a mouthful1 little boys who cry in the dark4 ,no tender mother bends low with all but divine compassion to listen to his little sorrows1 or soothe his childish fears--to teach him his simple prayers1 or tell him sweet stories of a little child like himself1 before whose lowly cradle wise men bowed as at a shrine1 and to do whom reverence shining ones came from a far-distant country4 ,there is no one to pillow his curly head upon a loving bosom1 and lull him to sleep with quaint old lullabies4 ,harry is worse than motherless4 ,so on the night in question1 as on all other nights preceding1 poor ,harry1 worn out with fright and weariness1 is dropping to sleep from sheer exhaustion1 closing his swollen eyes in troubled slumber1 when1 half unconsciously turning his curly head upon the pillow to find a dry place for the wet cheek to rest against1 something bright and shining makes long lines of light in the tears still wet on ,harry's lashes1 and wakes him up again4 ,such a bright1 beautiful star it is4 ,one that has been slowly rising1 climbing the blue outside1 until it reaches a break in the foliage of the tree before the window1 and shines straight into ,harry's eyes4 ,something of that strange solemnity that fills minds of a maturer growth when gazing on the starry heavens1 hushes that baby's soul into reverence as he looks upon it4 ,the terrible shapes melt away into the gloom1 he feels no dread of the dark now1 and vaguely and gradually there arises the first dim consciousness of the deep spiritual want within him--the first awakened desire of the finite soul to see and find the ,infinite ,father and claim his protection4 ,fragments of childish hymns1 parts of simple prayers1 such poor and scattered crumbs of spiritual instruction as he has gleaned here and there somehow1 and on which the infant soul has been but meagrely fed1 crowd in upon him4 ,then come wondering thoughts of that great good ,being1 that strange1 unfathomable mystery1 whose name is ,god1 ,who lives up in the blue somewhere1 and yet is everywhere4 ,this problem of ,omnipresence he has pondered and pondered over1 and reasoned upon1 in his childish fashion1 but now it dawns with a newer and clearer light on ,harry's mind4 ,god is everywhere4 ,to his awakened spiritual perception this holy1 mysterious1 and invisible presence seems pervading the sky1 the air1 the earth1 filling and enfolding all things4 ,night after night1 as he had lain there sobbing and crying and thought himself all alone in the darkness1 this great good ,god had been with him all the time1 and he had never known it1 never felt it until now2 and1 overwhelmed by the mighty thought1 powerfully felt1 though imperfectly comprehended1 awestruck ,harry1 tremulous with reverence1 obedient to some childish fancy that the name of father is not holy and reverent enough for such a ,being1 folds his tiny hands1 earnestly praying3 ',our ,grandfather which art in heaven1 stay near poor ,harry in the dark1 and keep the bears away6' ,is it faith or fancy1 that soft1 gentle1 summery atmosphere that fills the room1 and makes the little1 lonely heart thrill as with the pleasant consciousness of a loving presence8 ,it is real to ,harry1 with his child's undoubting faith4 ,stretching forth his rounded arms1 and clasping the dark1 impalpable air in a joyous embrace1 he nestles closely to the wet pillow as if it were a loving bosom1 and falls asleep with a smile upon his lip4 ,a childhood robbed of childish joys and pleasures1 the little1 insignificant trifles which form its sum of happiness1 denied the sympathetic love and tenderness which is the life of little hearts1 deprived of the pleasures suited to its state1 yet too immature to turn within itself for comfort in its need1 its life without and within a dull1 joyless1 dreary blank--such was poor ,harry's1 for a shadow dark and terrible rested on his baby heart and home1 a something that darkened and deepened day by day1 and grew more and more insupportable as the weary time crept on4 ,what it was1 and how long it had rested there before he became conscious of its presence1 and whether his miserable home had ever been free from it and ever been a happy one1 little ,harry never knew4 ,all his brief life it had lain there4 ,its shadow had crept into the violet eyes with the first faint glimmer of intelligence1 and when the new-born soul1 mysterious breath of ,god1 first woke from its mystic dreaming1 and looked consciously out upon the world into which it had come1 its baleful presence crept into that holy sanctuary1 and darkened what should have been cloudless as well as sinless4 ,he had drawn it in with every breath from the atmosphere of the little world around him2 it rested on all he came in contact with1 and gradually and sadly there arose in the mind too immature to comprehend the cause and the nature of this desolating power1 yet feeling vaguely day by day its blighting effects1 sorrowful and earnest questionings--questionings like the following1 to which there came back no answer to the little1 suffering heart3 ,why his home 7if home it may be called in which the heart finds no resting place71 the four walls that enclosed the place where he ate and slept1 was such a dull1 joyless1 lonesome spot8 ,what that dark something was that shadowed its light and took from it all joy and comfort1 causing every face within it to wear a melancholy or forbidding aspect8 ,why there was no glad smile even on his father's lips1 when he came to seek the sad young creatures that crept silently to his knee and looked wistfully up into the care-worn face2 and why1 though loving and kind1 he was always kind with that sorrowful tenderness which makes sad hearts the sadder8 ,why this craving that he feels within him1 this half-undefined1 insatiable longing for maternal love and sympathy8 ,what had sealed from the thirsting heart this purest fountain of earthly tenderness8 ,a mother's form was present to him day by day1 but where was the maternal heart of love which should have beat within that bosom8 ',can a mother forget her children8' ,there is a fell and terrible destroyer1 which murders peace in hearts and homes1 whose very breath is a mildew and a blight1 in whose desolating track follow woe1 want1 and ruin2 a fierce1 insatiable appetite1 trebly cursed1 that makes of life a loathsome degradation1 and fills dishonored graves1 blighting all that is divine and godlike in human nature1 sealing the gushing fountain of maternal tenderness1 and teaching even a mother's heart forgetfulness4 ,o ,god6 of what punishment shall thy justice deem those worthy1 who1 by cold neglect1 cruelty1 or shameful slavery to such a passion1 shut out the light1 and check the rich and limitless expansion of all that is divine in the souls committed to their charge8 ,ah6 what did it matter that there were honorable titles affixed to the name so disgraced1 that in the home thus blighted were all the luxuries and appliances of wealth1 that rare pictures hung against its walls1 carpets covered the floors whose velvet surface muffled the footfalls1 costly curtains shut out the too garish light1 that servants were at command1 well paid to take care of the neglected children1 paid to care for the house1 and all fine things within it1 and--paid to keep its secrets6 ,what did all this matter to the miserable possessor of wealth and name1 the disgraced husband1 the heart-broken father8 ,he could comprehend this woe in all its bearings1 could measure the length1 the breadth1 the depth of the curse that had lighted upon him8 ,homes there were whose walls and floors were bare1 whose windows were shaded by no costly curtains1 but from which happy faces looked--lowly homes1 poor in this world's wealth1 but rich in domestic peace and love2 and for the blessed quiet of their lowly hearthstones1 he would joyfully have bartered wealth and fame1 and all such dross as men call happiness4 ,and ,harry saw them too4 ,the little1 lonely heart1 saddened by a shadow it could not comprehend1 from its own gloomy home turned longingly to their homely cheerfulness1 as flowers turn to the light4 ,one in particular had attracted his childish notice4 ,it was just across the road2 he could see it from the window of the nursery where he played1 and he used to leave his play to watch it4 ,such glimpses of a happy home had streamed through its opening portals and fallen on the heart of the little solitary watcher like a benison4 ,what hasty peeps he took at its homely brightness as the door opened and closed1 and what long1 long looks he bestowed upon it1 when it stood open for hours together1 as it did now in the fine ,june weather6 ,it was only a simple cottage4 ,too unpretending for hall or entry1 the little parlor opened into the street1 and from the window where he stood1 ,harry could see straight into it4 ,there it was1 with its bright papered walls1 and gay red carpet1 its deep low window seat looking like a garden1 where flowers bloomed and frail exotics stretched forth their delicate leaves to bathe in the sunlight that came streaming in1 and cunning little yellow birds1 in quaint1 tiny cages1 sang the long day through4 ,and there--oh1 busy fingers6 making neat and bright the little home--heart of love1 shedding blessed sunlight around it--there1 so busy and blithe1 so happy and gay1 sat the presiding genius of the place1 with a face so bright and good--just such a face as you would expect to see in such a home2 one that sad and disappointed mortals1 meeting in the street1 would turn to for a second look1 and bless it as it passed2 a face to which childhood cleaves instinctively1 sure of ready sympathy with its little joys and sorrows2 one that would never be disfigured by envy or malice2 never grow black with passion1 and oh6 never1 never look senseless1 idiotic1 and drivelling1 as another face on which he looked so often did2 but to ,harry's fancy1 it was like the sky on a calm summer's day1 always pure and bright1 and always the same4 ,it was brighter and happier and better altogether when1 in the fresh morning time1 the little lady went tripping by on the pavement beneath the window with a small market basket on her arm4 ,then ,harry1 clambering to the sill1 and leaning out1 could see straight into it2 and sometimes it happened that1 attracted by that fixed gaze of earnest admiration1 that happy face would be turned upward1 and break into a beaming smile1 as the sunny eyes met the large1 blue1 mournful orbs looking down upon them4 ,then there would be a smile on the lip and a song in the heart of the little watcher for the rest of the day4 ,cheering and dear as that face had ever been to him since he had first had the happiness of beholding it1 much as he had watched and loved it1 it had drawn him with a more potent attraction still and grown doubly dear of late4 ,he had been within the sacred precincts of a true home2 he had breathed that atmosphere of heaven2 he knew how that small1 snug1 cosy room looked to its inmates now4 ,yes1 he had been there1 and his going in chanced in the following manner3 ,this lady1 whose cheerful presence was fast becoming a benison to ,harry1 had1 among her other bright possessions1 a rosy-cheeked1 laughing-eyed1 frolicsome mischief1 about ,harry's age1 and he had recently come from the country happier1 merrier1 and fresher than ever1 having still1 as it were1 about him the fragrant breath of the wood-violets1 the purity of the unvitiated air1 the freedom of the broad1 green fields1 the fragrant atmosphere of all the delightful things with which he had been so recently in contact4 ,one morning1 not long after his coming1 the cross girl who put ,harry to bed at night1 marshalled him and his brother out 7as was her wont in fine weather7 for a dreary promenade1 which usually agreeable exercise consisted in the present instance in marching down a dusty stone pavement1 by a long1 unbroken line of brick buildings1 up one street1 and down another 7for they always went the same way71 until they came to a huge1 dreary-looking schoolhouse1 where they left ,charley1 and came back more drearily than they went4 ,well1 on this particular morning1 ,charley had forgotten his slate1 and he and the girl returning to search for it left ,harry at the gate to await their return4 ,the little urchin1 just at that precise moment1 spying ,harry solus1 and impelled by the agreeable prospect of a playfellow1 rushed across the street1 at the imminent danger of being run over1 to scrape acquaintance4 ',come1 and play with me1' cried the little fellow1 bounding up to ,harry in all the ardor of a glowing anticipation1 eagerly folding one thin hand in both his dimpled ones1 and flashing a whole flood of sunlight into the sad young eyes that so timidly met his sunny ones4 ',come1 and play with me1 do6 and we'll play at horse and build mud houses1 and ma'll give us lots of candy and raisins1 and a great big doughnut1 ever so big1 as big as my hands and your hands1 and all our hands put together4' ',i can't1' said ,harry1 sadly resigning all thought of these rare dainties4 ',betty'll scold so6' ',we'll sit on the bank under the willow at the back of the house1' pursued the tempter1 folding the hand he held still tighter within his own1 'where she can't see us2 and when she comes to take you away1 ,i'll bite her4' ,the youthful pleader had unconsciously used the most potent argument possible4 ,harry wavered4 ,to sit on a green bank under a willow1 with such a sunny-faced companion as that1 and listen to the birds singing in the branches1 and the rustling of the leaves--to look up through the green1 and see patches of blue sky through breaks in the foliage--and then1 too1 oh1 blessed hope6 to see the lady whom he regarded with such enthusiastic and reverent devotion1 and to whose love he clung with all the wild tenacity of a desolate heart--to see her smile1 and hear her speak--to him1 perhaps2 all this rose like a glorious vision before ,harry1 and the possibility of its realization sent the light to his eyes and the color to his face4 ,the contemplated walk in the hot1 dusty streets1 with the cross ,betty--7which tyrannical young female1 having brought the children1 as it were1 under military rule1 and being a rigid disciplinarian1 seldom failed to punish some fancied dereliction of duty by sundry shakes and pinches as they went along7--this prospect1 placed beside the bright1 cool picture his fancy had conjured up1 seemed more unendurable than ever4 ,with one quick glance toward the house1 to see if that ogre1 having in custody that form a little taller and face a little older and sadder than his own1 was making her appearance1 ,harry1 seized by an irresistible impulse1 and still holding fast the chubby hand that had taken his so confidingly1 bounded from the pavement1 dashed across the road1 and both dashed through the garden and into the cosy parlor in a trice1 panting like young racehorses4 ,and there1 in the brightest spot of the snug1 bright room1 by that bower of a window1 sat the sunny-faced lady whom ,harry's childish imagination had exalted into a superior being4 ,abashed at having so rudely rushed into that revered presence1 ,harry stood shyly by the door1 trembling with embarrassment1 while his more active companion1 releasing his hand1 bounded across the room1 and1 clambering up into his mother's lap and putting his arms around her neck and his rosebud of a mouth close to her ear1 commenced a whispered explanation4 ,there was something strangely attractive in that mother's face1 as she pushed back the clustering hair1 after smilingly listening to the story1 and pressed a fervent kiss upon that baby brow--a look which had never been on any face for him1 but which he had dreamed of at night1 and longed for by day1 with a strange1 undefined1 half-conscious longing4 ,it was as if he had found something he had been blindly searching1 something for which the solitary heart had vaguely felt an ever-present need2 and the timid child1 forgetting his timidity1 his awe of the presence into which he had come--forgetting all but his heart's great need--in a burst of pathetic longing1 more sorrowful than tears1 cried3 ',give me a kiss1 too1 just one6' ,he was across the room and in her arms in a moment4 ,blessings on the true mother's heart6 it gave not one kiss1 but a dozen4 ,ah6 feeling the blessing of those tears upon his head1 pressed close against the breast throbbing with pure maternal sympathy1 his own starved heart eagerly drinking from that overflowing fountain1 the word mother rose naturally to his lips then4--,alas for her from whom alone that beating heart1 throbbing with a new delight1 should have received that revelation6 ,alas for the heart thus robbed of its lawful heritage1 to whom the highest and holiest of earth's affection had manifested itself but as a brutish instinct1 which1 in fits of maudlin tenderness1 could fold the little form in a loathsome embrace1 and smother the pure breath with drunken kisses6 ,no other love1 however high and pure it may be1 can atone to the wronged heart that has been cruelly robbed of this4 ,in this new-found joy all heavy sorrows were forgotten4 ,pressed close against that sympathetic bosom1 he was happy now1 happier than he had ever been before2 and when at last she wiped her tears away1 and1 lifting the hand on which his grateful tears were falling 7for ,harry cried too71 and smilingly up-turning the tear-wet face to meet her own1 that face was so changed by joy that she hardly knew it1 and ,harry wondered why it was that she laughed and cried together when she looked at it1 and kissed him over and over again more times than he could count4 ,laughing and chatting gayly until she saw her own smiles reflected on the little1 sorrowful features1 she1 with a tender mother's care1 bathed the flushed face1 combed out the bright silky hair1 smoothed and arranged the rumpled dress1 and1 taking the small hand1 went out to the garden gate to meet the expedition sent in search of ,harry4 ,now this was his red-letter day4 ,harry was in luck4 ,therefore it was not one of the many servants of the establishment1 or any straggling acquaintance that had joined in the search4 ,luckily1 it was not one of these1 or the cross ,betty1 who first espied ,harry and the lady3 otherwise he would have been borne away from his friend and his recently discovered ,eden in triumph1 in spite of all cries and protestations4 ,it was ,harry's own papa2 and it did not take many words1 when the bright-faced lady was the pleader 7backed by that little face1 with that strange flush of joy upon it1 that spoke more eloquently to the father's heart than any words could have done71 to induce that gentleman to allow ,harry to remain where he was all day2 likewise to extort a promise that he might come to see the lady whenever and as often as she chose to trouble herself with the care of him3 and this being nicely arranged1 ,harry's papa went his way and they went theirs4 ,and ,harry did that day what is seldom done in this world of disappointment--more than realized his anticipations4 ,he sat on the bank and heard the birds sing2 he played at horse until he was tired2 and though he did not build mud houses1 he ate sugar ones1 which was1 in every respect1 a vast improvement on the original design2 and1 what was more than all1 his little playfellow1 whose temper was as sunny as his face1 never gave him a cross word or look the whole day through4 ,they had supper1 when the time came1 under the rustling leaves of a huge green tree2 and there were raisins and nuts and candy1 cakes grotesquely cut and twisted into every conceivable shape1 and every imaginable dainty4 ,all through that memorable day1 ,harry was the happiest of the happy4 ,other days succeeded this that were but a thought less bright4 ,a time had come when the rough path seemed smooth to the little pilgrim's feet1 and flowers sprang up by the lonely wayside1 and golden sunlight fell through the rifted clouds and crowned the little head with its blessing1 and light and warmth crept into the chilled and desolate life1 and made existence beautiful3 a brief and joyful time1 on which was written1 as on all bright things of earth1 those words of mournfulness unutterable3 ',passing away6' ,,part ,,second4 ,it is that hour of day's decline when the turbulent roar from the city's busy mart is hushed into a lazy hum1 when a peaceful1 quiet calm breathes through the atmosphere and settles on the noisy earth1 as if all things were hushed into tranquil silence at thought of the coming twilight's holy hour4 ,the sun's red1 slanting rays fall on the dusty pavement in front of that gloomy1 stately mansion which ,harry calls his home1 enter a richly furnished room where the blinds are thrown open and the curtains looped back1 and with their fervent glow rest compassionately upon a drooping female figure1 upon a bent head bowed in shame1 a head still young1 whose wealth of rich black tresses passion and remorse have already marked with gray4 ,sin-stricken1 woe-stricken1 and remorseful1 feeling how inefficient is even her mother's love1 how powerless every earthly consideration to hold her back from ruin2 stretching out palsied hands to ,heaven for help2 racked by the fierce fires of repentance1 her tortured soul corroded by remorse1 she mourns passionately but unavailingly4 ,oh6 there are hours like this in the hidden history of every fallen and degraded son of ,adam1 when the scales are removed from the spiritual eyes1 and the sin-stained soul shiveringly beholds the depth to which it has fallen1 and shrinks back appalled at the sight2 when the demon has departed for a season1 and evil thoughts and evil influences are cast out1 and1 feeling their power returning with repentance1 angels come to minister unto the sorrowing one4 ,gentle guardians are there1 who have watched it all its life through1 striven with all the means that lie within the grasp of a spirit's power to stay it on its downward course and bring the lost soul back4 ,ah6 ',love's labor lost4' ,ineffectual these oft-repeated efforts may be1 ineffectual through all time they doubtless will be2 but who shall say in the 'land of the undying' that the work of ministering love shall not continue8 ,what man is that1 that in an hour like this can look upon his brother1 prostrate in spirit1 racked with remorse1 no matter how vile and polluted1 and can say anguish like this shall be that soul's undying portion in the long hereafter2 that ,god's justice requires infinite punishment for a finite crime2 that1 when freed from its earthly body1 the ears of the ,all-,compassionate shut out that soul's despairing cry for pardon8 ,who shall limit infinite mercy8 ,who shall set bounds to ,divine compassion1 or think that1 toiling painfully and slowly up the endless heights of progression1 there shall not be a time away onward in the solemn future1 hidden in the dim mists of ages yet to come1 when that soul shall be cleansed from its pollution1 freed from its mourning1 sin entirely cast out1 and ,god shall be all and in all8 ,the light breeze1 as it sways the loose heavy tresses1 wafts to her ear a strain of distant music4 ,all the drowsy afternoon it has been playing1 lost almost entirely at first in the busy hum of the streets and in the long lull of the lazy wind--a strain only caught at rare intervals when the breeze is strong enough to bear it to her4 ,it has been slowly approaching as the hours creep on1 advancing a few steps at a time4 ,ballads and simple ditties1 dances1 waltzes1 grand old marches6 with that unaccountable attraction for trifles which the mind often experiences in its hours of suffering1 mechanically1 one after another1 she has traced them all4 ,now the varied tones cease to pervade the atmosphere1 and there is a long resting pause4 ,when the music begins again1 it is on the pavement1 almost beneath the window1 and the old musician1 perhaps unconsciously wrought upon by the silent influence of the hour1 has merged from the gay to the pathetic1 and plays only sad little pieces in the minor key4 ,presently from the multitude of sweet sounds there arises on the air a song lower and sadder than the others--a strange1 pathetic melody1 falling on the ear like a low1 plaintive wail1 broken by keen throbs of agony3 her whole nature beats in responsive echo4 ,o ,god6 gone so far down the dreary road which has darkly led her from that time of purity and peace when that song was nightly sung to her2 after so many weary years of sin and suffering1 to hear those notes again6 ,it is but a simple thing which has the power so to move her1 a mere nothing2 half dirge1 half hymn1 familiar to her long-forgotten childhood1 once sung by her mother as a cradle song6 ,with her wretched face buried in her hands1 she hears it1 and clearly the past rises before her3 her childhood in its innocence2 her girlhood in its purity2 her womanhood1 her motherhood in its degradation6 ,all the holier part of what was once herself2 all that was true and noble1 womanly and pure1 from the deep waters of oblivion to which that damning appetite has consigned them1 rise to haunt her now1 pale1 wan1 and spectre-like4 ,oh6 to sit down1 side by side with her former self2 to see herself as she used to be before the tempter crept into the ,eden of her heart2 to look despairingly up to the height whence she had fallen1 so wrecked in moral strength that she had not the power to retrace a single step6 ,peace departed1 virtue lost1 health undermined1 affection squandered1 ruthlessly murdering the peace of one whose life through all the time of its sad earth-sojourning is linked with hers2 cursing the home she should have blessed and brightened1 making of that fair garden1 wherein sweet domestic graces should have bloomed and blossomed as the rose1 but a desolate and barren waste1 knowing that hearts1 little hearts1 that had drawn their life-beat from her own1 had starved and sickened for the love which is their rightful food2--with senses bleared and deadened1 she had heard them piteously wailing but for a morsel of that bread of life without which even the footsteps of the self-reliant1 the strong and brave of heart1 faint and falter by the way1 and she had cruelly denied them that precious nutriment2 she had given them life1 but had robbed them of all that makes life endurable4 ,life's duties unfulfilled1 life's high and holy aims trampled under the foot of sensual indulgence1 living to blight instead of to bless6 ,o woman1 wife1 and mother1 thy life when lived aright a crucifixion of the flesh1 a sublime self-sacrifice--not for thee the pleasures of sense and time1 not for thee may peal earth's songs of triumph6 ,fainting oft beneath the burden of the cross1 we trace thy way by bloody footprints1 suffering as a saint2--falling from thy estate1 how terrible will be thy retribution as a sinner6 ,hark6 ,there is the patter of little feet ascending the staircase1 coming down the long upper hall4 ,to the repentant mother's ears what music so sweet as that8 ,she listens breathlessly4 ,was it thought of her that had impelled them thither8 ,would they approach her room8 ,since she had grown more and more repulsive day by day1 since those fits of drunken passion had become a thing of fearful frequency1 and those little ones had suffered from their violence1 and learned to fear her1 they had come but seldom--never alone2 but they are approaching now1 shyly1 hesitatingly1 as if afraid to come1 but still approaching--pausing at the very threshold4 ,the burning tears force their way through the clenched fingers--the sound of the little feet has given her power to pray4 ,though angels fail in the work of redemption1 there may yet be power in the little hands to hold her back4 ,she does not rise to open the door1 but sits choking down her sobs1 and listening to the turning1 twisting1 shaking of the door knob1 to a dozen failures in unskilful attempts to enter1 every movement of the little hand sending a strange thrill of mingled pain and pleasure through the overburdened heart4 ,it opens at last1 and ,harry stands upon the threshold1 looking timidly in4 ,ah6 no maudlin sorrow1 no senseless1 idiotic mirth1 no disgusting stupor disfigures the face on which he gazes4 ,its depth of hopeless1 despairing tenderness1 so eloquently accompanied by the pathetic movement of the outstretched hands1 almost frightens him by its intensity2 but1 in obedience to the motion1 he comes forward1 half-fearfully proffering the flower he holds in his hand4 ',a flower sent to her by a lady who was so kind1' he tremblingly explains1 'one that he loves so dearly6' ,it is the lily1 the emblem of purity4 ,she takes it from him1 lays it on the table behind her1 out of sight1 a sullen glow of resentment at the gift mingling with the sorrow of her face as she does so4 ,what mother had fathomed her shameful secret1 and dared to send her child to her with a gift like that8 ,some one that is fast gaining the place she should have occupied in his heart6 ,one that is fast winning away from her the love she so much needs to aid her in the desired reformation4 ,she notes how the little face softens and brightens when he speaks of her1 and a sharp pang of jealousy shoots through her heart4 ,the fact that she has never sought to win that heart to herself by kindness1 that she has forfeited her child's respect1 and never deserved its love1 only increases her resentment and adds poignancy to the pang4 ,she feels the slight form start and shiver with a strange1 fearful repulsion as she places it on her lap4 ,would the strong natural affection nature had implanted there1 so cruelly crushed out1 now nearly if not quite dead1 arise anew to life1 and grow stronger than this repulsion8 ,that is the question to be answered now4 ,ah6 if there were but a spark remaining1 were it only a poor1 feeble1 smouldering flame1 it would have the power1 she felt1 to light her to higher and better things4 ,with a thrill of pure maternal love1 a stranger to her heart1 whose holiest impulses1 deadened by reckless indulgence1 have degenerated into instincts1 she folds the little form closer to her1 in spite of its shuddering1 and1 looking into the upturned face 7,o mother1 miserably blind71 reads understandingly for the first time the hunger of heart so legibly written on every speaking feature4 ,with the sharp arrow of conviction that pierces her soul at the sight1 comes a voice appealing to its inmost recesses1 a voice speaking those words spoken by the great heart of ,divine ,compassion1 eighteen hundred years ago2 those words of tenderest pleading3 ',feed my lambs6' ,how had she fed those committed to her charge8 ,the wan1 thin1 sorrowful face1 the little heart finding no joy in life1 grown weary before its time1 best answer that question4 ,aided by her aroused spiritual perceptions1 she reads now all too truthfully the sad1 sad record of the heart-breaking loneliness of the life she has made desolate2 and1 pressing the wronged heart close against her own1 the keen remorse of her soul bursts forth in a low moan of irrepressible anguish3 ',oh1 my child6 my little1 little1 little child6' ,studying the face bent over him as children learn to study the faces of those whom they have reason to fear1 whose kindness is at best capricious1 and finding nothing but sorrow and tenderness in it1 he began to fear it less3 thankful even for a brief season of kindness1 the solitary child laid the pale cheek close against his mother's1 and twined the thin arms about her neck4 ,it was a strange and blissful sensation for that mother to feel them clinging there4 ,in her softened mood it made the tears fall hot and fast1 to think how strange it was4 ',what made ,harry think of coming to see ma to-day8' she said at last1 brushing them hurriedly away4 ',a lady gave me that flower1 mamma1 and told me to bring it to you4' ,a pause and a closer pressure--then she questioned nervously3 ',what lady is it1 ,harry8 ,where does she live8 ,how came you to know her1 darling8' ,harry hesitated4 ,he noticed the dark shadow that swept across her face at every reference to his new-found friend1 and1 with a child's intuitive perception1 he saw the subject gave her pain4 ,striving with ready tact to draw her attention from it to himself1 he went back to the beginning1 to give her a sort of history of how he came to form the acquaintance4 ',mamma1' he said timidly1 twining his arms still closer around her neck1 and speaking in a slow1 hesitating way1 as if he feared that this would give her pain also1 'our house1 you know1 is a very lonesome place4 ,oh1 so very lonesome6--just like a day when the sun won't shine1 and the rain comes dark and slow4 ,well1 ma1 it was always bad enough1 but when ,charley went away to school1 and you stayed up here more than ever1 and ,betty got crosser than ever1 you can't think how lonesome it was6 ,pa used to bring me playthings at first1 but ,i felt so bad ,i couldn't play with them4 ,i felt all the time as if ,i wanted something1 and1' glancing piteously up into his mother's face1 and laying his little hand upon his heart1 'as if ,i was so hungry here4 ,well1 ,i used to climb up at the window and watch the people going by1 and wonder and wonder what the matter was4' ,he waited as if half expecting an answer2 but a stifled sob was the only reply4 ',looking out the window and seeing other people1 ,i found out after a while that we were different from everybody else4 ,other mothers who had little boys like me1 always took their little boys with them when they went to walk4 ,all the sunshiny days they went walking up and down--walking up and down2 and the mothers were not cross like ,betty1 and the little boys were not lonesome like me1 but had such red1 chubby cheeks1 and looked happy 'most all the time4 ,the first day ,i found this out1 when ,betty took me away from the window1 and stood me up before the glass to comb my hair1 and ,i looked in and saw what a face ,i had1 ,i cried and cried4 ,then the mothers would smile and look pleased whenever their little boys spoke to them1 and seemed to love them so much1 that ,i wanted them to love me too2 and ,i used to throw little things out of the window sometimes1 so that they would look up and smile at me4' ,ah6 the young1 tender heart1 living1 as yet1 only by the affections1 that required such a wealth of love to fill it6 ,the little outcast heart depending on casual passers by for a stray word or look of comfort1 striving to feed itself on such poor1 miserable crumbs as these6 ,it made the mother's face grow white with anguish to think of that4 ',well1 about just such a time every morning1 when ,charley had gone to school1 and ,i sat by the window as lonesome as lonesome could be1 on the sidewalk under the window there always came a lady who was kinder to me than the other ladies1 who always looked up and smiled4 ,such a beautiful lady1 ma1 with a face as kind as pa's1 and a great deal more smiling2 you'd love her if you saw her2 ,i know you would--you couldn't help it4 ,and ma1' and here ,harry's enthusiasm died out1 and his voice took a sadder tone1 'she's got a little boy1 just about as big as ,i am1 and she always takes him with her when she goes out1 just like the other ladies4 ,and--and ma'--the low voice had a frightened tone in it1 as if the little one feared he was venturing too far4 ',yes1 ,harry4' ',i thought--that--that--' ',what1 darling8' ',that if you would go out to walk yourself sometimes1 and take us with you1 ,charley and me1 that we shouldn't be so different from everybody else1 and it wouldn't be quite so lonesome here4' ,a long pause followed--a frightened pause on ,harry's part4 ,venturing1 after a little while1 to look into his mother's face1 its sadness1 unmixed with anger reassured him1 and he proceeded3 ',that was the lady who sent you the flower4 ,she lives in a little white house just across the road4 ,one day1 when ,betty took me out for a walk1 ,i ran away and went there2 and ,i have been there a good many times since4 ,it's a little house1 ma1 a very little house4 ,there are no bright pictures or beautiful carpets in it2 but they are never lonesome there4 ,she is as kind to her little boy every day as you are to me now4 ,it's a long time1 ma1 since you kissed me and held me on your lap1 and acted as if you loved me6 ,oh1 mamma6' ,he laid the pale cheek1 wet with grateful tears1 close against her own4 ',why a'n't you good to me always8 ,i love you now1 but ,i don't love you always2 ,i can't love you always1 ma4 ,that day when you frightened me so1 when you pulled my hair1 threw me down on the floor1 and whipped me till the blood ran1 ,i didn't like you for a long time then1 you hurt me so4' ,the grief of the wretched mother burst forth anew in sobs and tears4 ',oh1 ,harry6 oh1 my poor1 poor child6 ,did ma do that8' ',don't cry1 ma1 oh1 don't cry2 ,i don't think you meant to do it4 ,there is something that changes you1 that makes you cross and strange4 ,and ma'--the timid voice sank away to a low1 frightened whisper1 broken and tremulous with tears4 ',yes1 dearest4' ',you won't be angry1 dear mamma8' ',no1 love1 no4' ,he hid his face on her shoulder1 sobbing3 ',it's something that you drink4 ,they never have it there1 in that little house1' pursued ,harry in a voice choked with rushing tears4 ',they never have it anywhere where they are happy4 ,oh1 mamma6 ,if you'd only send it away1 if you'd throw it away1 if you would put it out of sight2 oh1 my dear1 dear mamma1 if you would never look at it1 never taste it1 never1 never drink it any more6' ,in the energy of his supplication he twined the little arms still closer and closer about her neck--his tears fell like rain upon her bosom4 ,that baby face1 eloquent with entreaty and wet with tears6 ,she could not bear to see it4 ,crimson with shame1 she hid her own in her outstretched hands4 ',she never drinks it4 ,i've watched her2 she drinks coffee sometimes1 water sometimes1 tea 'most always4 ,ma1 if you must drink something1 why wouldn't tea do just as well8' ,she folded her arms about the little form1 and clasped it to her bosom4 ,her face was lighted with a high resolve1 the heart against which her child's was pressed was throbbing with a lofty impulse4 ',it would1 my darling1 it would2 with ,god's help1 it shall4 ,here in ,his holy presence1 ,i solemnly promise1 if there is any strength in good resolutions1 if there is any power of good left within me1 if ,god will not utterly forsake one who has so long forsaken her better nature1 never1 never1 from this time1 henceforth and forever1 to touch1 taste1 or look upon the accursed thing4' ,that night1 at the foot of the tall poplar1 the flickering sunlight falling through the leaves on his head1 making the brown hair golden where it fell1 ,harry sat watching the coming of his brother4 ,he had not long to wait2 in a little while the red1 slanting rays fell on that other head of darker brown4 ,the well-known form appeared at the gateway1 and ,harry went bounding down the gravel walk to meet him4 ',ma wants to see you1' panted the little brother4 ',she wanted you to come up to her room as soon as ever you got home4 ,she sent me to tell you so4' ,the message was such an unusual one1 he was so flushed and excited1 so proud to give it1 and the look of joy shining in the pale face was such a stranger to it1 that the great brown eyes of the elder brother opened wide in silent wonder1 and the excited ,harry had caught him by both hands1 and was dragging him by main force toward the house before he had recovered from his astonishment sufficiently to speak4 ',i don't want to go1' cried the unwilling ,charley1 ruefully drawing back4 ',i don't want to go1 ,harry4 ,why does she want to see me8 ,what makes her want to see me8 ,i a'n't done nothing to be whipped for6' ',oh6 it isn't that1' returned the little fellow eagerly4 ',we a'n't going to be whipped any more1 unless we're real naughty1 and then not very hard2 and ma is going to send ,betty away1 and we a'n't going to be scolded any more2 and she's going to take us to walk and ride with her sometimes1 as the other mothers do4 ,why1' cried the eager child1 all glowing at the delightful prospect1 ',why1 ,charley1 we're going to be happy now4' ',oh1 ,i don't believe we are1' sadly sighed the more experienced ,charley1 scratching his curls disconsolately1 and looking at his brother in a maze of perplexity and doubt4 ',i've thought we were going to be happy a great many times1 but we a'n't been never1 and ,i don't believe we ever will be4 ,the first thing ,i remember was being lonesome1 and ,i've been as lonesome as could be ever since4 ,no1 no2 we shall never be happy4 ,ta'n't no use thinking about being happy1' and the forlorn child threw himself upon the grass in a hopeless and dejected manner4 ',but they do say1 ,harry1' he continued1 looking up through the leaves at the blue vault above him1 'that there's a place up yonder somewhere where good people go when they die1 and where everybody is happy4 ,i've thought1 since ,i heard about it1 that perhaps some people went there without dying4 ,if they do1 ,harry1 and ,i can only find out the way1 ,i'd leave this mean old place1 and go there straight1 this very minute4 ,i'd like to have you and pa come1 ,harry2 but ma is always scolding or whipping us for something4 ,i don't like ma1 and ,i don't care whether she ever gets there or not4 ,come to think of it1' pursued ,charley1 as a new thought seemed to strike him1 ',i had a good deal rather she wouldn't come2 for if she did find out the way1 and come up there after a while1 like as any way she'd bring a switch with her4' ',you shouldn't talk so about ma1 ,charley1' said his meek-eyed brother4 ',she isn't cross always4 ,she has been kind to me to-day1 so kind1' said the little fellow1 stemming with his fingers two great round drops that were slowly running down his cheeks1 'that it makes the tears come to think about it4 ,i was with her a great long while1 and she didn't scold or speak cross once4 ,why1 only think1 ,charley1' he proceeded1 opening his eyes1 as if the fact about to be communicated could never be sufficiently wondered at1 'we were all alone together for ever so long1 and she might have got angry and whipped me just as well as not1 and pa would never know anything about it4' ',it's a wonder she didn't1' scornfully returned his brother2 'it would have been such a nice chance4 ,she don't get such a chance as that every day4 ,there wouldn't have been any fun in it if she had1 though2 for ,i tell you what it is1' he continued1 looking about on his hands for sundry marks and dents left thereon by the nails of his mother1 ',i tell you what it is1 ,harry1 when she gets hold of a feller1 she digs right in4 ,she pounds us more than half the time for just nothing at all1 only because she gets mad and likes to do it4 ,to be sure1 ,i get mad myself sometimes1 and say ugly words1 and ought to be whipped2 but you1 you never do anything to be whipped for1 and she1' proceeded the indignant little fellow1 with an emphasis of immeasurable scorn on that personal pronoun1 'she to go to work and pound a little1 pale fellow like you6 ,why1 she ought to be ashamed of herself4 ,i get so mad sometimes when she gets to whipping us1 and pa comes to take us away1 that ,i think if he would pound her just as hard as she pounds us1 and just long enough to let us see how good it feels1 ,i wouldn't care a bit--,i'd just like it3 but he don't never2 he only trembles all over and gets very white1 sets her down in a chair1 and takes us out of the room--buys us playthings1 or tells us stories to stop our crying1 and that's the end of it until next time4' ,poor ,harry6 the color had faded from his face1 the light from his eyes4 ,that deep shadow of inexpressible mournfulness had again crept into them4 ,memory of such scenes1 as are never garnered up in the breasts of happy childhood1 shadowed his face and heart4 ,his short-lived happiness was over4 ,he made no reply to his brother1 but sat motionless1 gazing at the sky with a searching1 yearning1 far-off gaze4 ,looking at the two young faces turned upward1 it would have been hard to say which was the saddest4 ,young as they were1 traces of the working of the curse which had blighted their lives1 were plainly visible in both4 ,both were equally pale and thoughtful1 both robbed of the brightness and gayety belonging to their years1 only varying in expression as they varied in temperament4 ,the look of meek and patient endurance on the face of the younger spoke of a nature that wrong and suffering might crush1 but could never rouse to anger or resentment--of a heart that would break1 if must be1 but would patiently lie down and die4 ,the scornful defiance flashing ever and anon in the face of the elder brother1 the immeasurable bitterness mingling with its sadness1 showed a proud and fiery temperament that could be goaded to desperation4 ',but she shall never strike me many times more1' continued ,charley1 with suppressed indignation4 ,after a pause1 during which1 with compressed lip and clouded brow1 he had been resentfully dwelling upon the pain and humiliation consequent upon the blows he had received3 ',never6 never6 for ,i don't care if it is wrong1 if pa does tell me not to do it1 ,i don't care if she is my mother2 after ,i get just a little bigger1 when she strikes me1 ,i'm going to strike back again4' ,these vengeful threats exciting no answering comments from his brother1 ,charley turned to look at him4 ,a strange prophetic chill swept across the intuitional soul1 and filled it with vague1 shuddering apprehension4 ',harry1 don't look that way2 ,harry1 come back to yourself6 ,oh1 ,harry6 take your eyes from the sky and look at me4 ,you frighten me so6' cried ,charley1 in a voice tremulous with agitation4 ,the consciousness of his surroundings had dawned so slowly on the rapt soul1 the patient face had turned toward his brother's so calmly1 he was so meek and quiet1 so undemonstrative usually1 that he was totally unprepared for the wild burst of passionate weeping with which ,harry threw himself upon his neck4 ',oh6 ,charley1 ,charley1 ,i cannot find it1 ,i cannot see the land you talk of4 ,i know it must be there1 where the sky is clear and the sun is shining2 but ,i've been looking1 and ,i can't see it anywhere4 ,oh6 ,charley1 where is it8 ,where is the place up yonder where they are good and happy8 ,show me the way there1 show me the way4 ,i don't want to stay here1' sobbed ,harry1 coming back to his own hopeless self again2 ',i want to go somewhere where folks don't have to be lonesome all the time2 ,i don't know what dying is1 but if dying will do it1 ,i want dying to take me there4' ,he had drawn his brother toward him1 wiped his tears away with his own little apron1 and soothed him as well as his agitation would permit1 striving1 amid the tumult of his thoughts1 to gather up such meagre scraps of information as he had gleaned upon the subject1 and put it into intelligible words1 when1 from a window almost hidden by the leaves of the tree under which they were sitting1 they heard a voice calling to them1 a familiar voice1 but with a new tone in it1 which quickens their pulse-beat1 and makes their hearts throb with a sweet joy4 ,dimly visible through the foliage1 a familiar face is looking down upon them1 loving and tender as any mother's face should be2 and with that look1 the strong instinctive love for her which nature had implanted in their hearts awoke in all its strength4 ,pride1 anger1 sorrow1 were all alike forgotten4 ,to her loving call there came from eager lips the ready response3 ',yes1 mamma2 we are coming1 dear mamma4' ,those who are blessed with golden memories of a happy childhood1 perchance but lightly prize ,heaven's brightest1 choicest gift4 ,those who have never felt the hungering and thirsting of a heart deprived of sympathy and kindness1 the desolate pining of that state more sorrowful than orphanage1 can but feebly1 faintly guess how tender tones and soft caresses1 loving words and looks1 such common blessings as awaken in the happy thought of gratitude1 were treasured up in these lonely hearts as gifts of priceless value1 or measure the deep thankfulness which thrilled them as they knelt side by side at their mother's knee1 and said their prayers in the deepening twilight that summer night4 ,they had a table spread before the open window1 and had their supper in their mother's room1 and1 as the light sank into darkness1 with an arm thrown around each little form caressingly1 and a brown head resting on each shoulder1 they sat beside her on the sofa1 and listened as she told them1 in language suited to their childish comprehension1 of the coming joys in store for them1 of what a happy home their future home should be1 now that she had resolutely parted from the curse that had destroyed their peace1 and forever turned her back against it2--listened as she drew glowing pictures of the walks and rides they would take1 of the varied pleasures they would enjoy together1 pleasures it should be her pleasing task to plan4 ,they had nothing to damp their enjoyment1 for she had dismissed ,betty1 and with her own hands undressed and bathed them1 and robed them for the night2 and they enjoyed it all1 not with the keen zest1 the careless hilarity of childhood1 but with the subdued and thoughtful gravity seen in beings of maturer years1 to whose lot has fallen more of the sorrows than the joys of life1 and who receive happiness1 when at rare intervals it comes to them1 with a tremulous thankfulness1 as if fearful of entertaining so strange a guest2 and when at last it ended1 as all happy seasons must1 and both tired heads rested on one pillow1 ,harry whispered to his brother3 ',there is nothing to be sorry for now1 ,charley4 ,she will never drink that dark stuff any more--,i know she never will2 she will never forget the promise she has made4' ,then the drowsy eyes1 ere they closed1 sought the dim night sky for that star1 the brightest in the blue above him1 which had revealed itself through his tears1 when alone in the darkness he had first learned to pray1 and1 gazing on it1 and on the sky beyond1 where a happier home than any earthly one is proffered1 murmured to himself1 with a peaceful smile3 ',oh6 we shall be so happy1 so very1 very1 very happy6' ,,part ,,third4 ,she promised4 ,oh1 frail and sandy foundation1 on which to build bright hopes of earthly happiness6 ,only for four brief weeks1 one happy month1 that solemn promise was faithfully remembered4 ,of the effort that even this short period of abstinence had cost her1 of the burning thirst which tortured her by day and night1 the fierce desire that battled with and almost overcame her feeble resolution when the enthusiasm that had at first upheld her died away1 of the suffering of those weary weeks of conflict1 only those can tell who1 heroes every one1 like her1 have battled with this fierce spiritual ,apollyon1 and who1 unlike her1 have overcome4 ,hour by hour the maddening desire of gratification wasted little by little her moral strength4 ,the thirst grew stronger1 the will weaker4 ,the thought of the home she had brightened by her self-denial1 the heart she had gladdened1 the little ones who had drawn their life from hers1 whose trust in her was growing stronger day by day1 as evening came and showed the valued promise still remembered1 and morning dawned and found her faithful1 held her back at first2 but gradually this also lost its power4 ,then that torturing1 burning1 maddening thirst swept over the doomed soul like a fierce simoom1 drying up the fountains of maternal tenderness1 bearing away all sense of duty1 all tenderness and sympathy1 the blessed hope of heaven itself1 in its desolating track4 ,one wretched day1 when this thirst was so strong upon her that her priceless soul grew worthless in her eyes1 and she would smilingly have bartered it but for a single draught2 one well-remembered1 miserable day1 when the little faces were raised to hers1 and found upon it no trace of motherly affection1 only that dark foreboding look1 and grew pale with fright when desire had reached that relentless climax which leaves the victim no choice but of madness or gratification1 she had fiercely summoned her usual messenger1 sent for her usual drink1 and sat grimly waiting for it4 ,in vain that trusty messenger1 to whose care the wretched father had confided that pitiful remnant of family honor1 the shame of public exposure1 boldly setting fear of her aside1 earnestly besought her to wrestle with the demon yet a little longer1 were it but a single day2 and implored her with tears to remember the little ones on whom this blow would fall so heavily4 ,there was no tone of motherly affection within that raging breast to respond to that appeal4 ,with parched1 cracked lips1 and burning eyes and bloated face fierce with desire1 she had driven her from her presence4 ,fear lest the lack of this great need would drive her to distraction quite1 and some worse evil yet befall them1 she had gone her way1 weeping as she went4 ,she came back presently4 ,there was enough of that terrible poison in the bottle she brought to make her mistress drunk a score of times4 ,she may get drunk now1 dead drunk2 in a little while she may lie upon the floor a senseless1 idiotic1 disgusting creature4 ,she almost prays it may be so1 as she hands her the glass which she angrily calls for1 for there is yet a greater evil to be dreaded4 ,the liquor so long untasted1 acting upon her naturally high temper1 may arouse within her a wild tempest of passion2 in her frenzy she may fall upon those little ones1 beat1 bruise1 maim1 murder them perhaps4 ,it is not the first time their lives have been endangered by her violence4 ,to get them from the room without exciting her opposition1 so quietly and naturally that it shall hardly attract her observation1 is her first care2 hence1 under pretence of arranging the window curtain1 she says to ,charley1 who is standing near it3 ',charley1 say you want some cakes--a drink of water--anything that's down stairs1 and follow me out of this room4' ',i can't go1 ,maggie1' returned the child1 in the same cautious whisper1 glancing toward his mother with his large dark eyes wildly dilated1 and his small face bleached with fright4 ',harry won't go1 and ,i can't leave ,harry4' ',harry shall go1' energetically repeated the resolute ,maggie1 putting her head out of the window to say her say4 ',he is not going to stay here to be mauled6 ,harry1' she continued1 in the most insinuating tone imaginable1 'come down stairs with ,maggie4 ,there's a darling4' ,he was leaning out of the window1 apparently looking at something in the street below1 and did not move as she addressed him4 ',harry1 ,harry1' she called again1 in an excited whisper1 'do you hear me8 quick1 child1 quick6' ,he turned toward her his face covered with tears4 ',don't cry1 for heaven's sake1 child2 don't cry here1' returned ,maggie1 with a suppressed groan1 'or that mother of yours will pounce upon you in spite of me4' ,at the mention of that word1 what little self-possession he retained gave way1 and he sobbed outright4 ,it was a sob so passionate and long suppressed1 and it burst forth in spite of him with such vehemence1 that it shook the little form from head to foot1 and sounded through the still room so miserably hopeless1 so heart-broken1 that it even aroused the stupefied being nodding in her chair1 whom he had the misery to call by the name of mother4 ,it awakened within her some vague thought of motherly sympathy2 and1 stupidly striving to comprehend what it meant1 and idly muttering to her miserable self1 she poured out a third glass1 held it in her hand as well as she was able1 and came tottering forward1 swaying to and fro in maudlin efforts to keep her feet4 ,she took up her position directly behind ,harry1 and looked vacantly out4 ,she was trying to ask what was the matter1 with a tongue whose palsied utterance made language incomprehensible1 when ,harry's friend1 whom he had been watching1 and whose figure he had1 with love's delicate discrimination1 picked out from a score of similar figures1 and known to be hers1 when it was but a mere speck in the distance1 passed directly under the open window1 and1 startled by that sob and by that drunken voice in answer1 looked wonderingly up4 ,oh1 heavens6 she read that fearful secret in one blank1 horrified glance4 ,she read it in the despairing hopelessness of the little face turned toward hers--that look so terrible in a face so young4 ,she read it still more clearly in that fiery1 bloated1 senseless visage looking down upon her with a dull stare1 in the swaying form feebly holding the tell-tale glass4 ,she knew now why that delicate child1 nursed in the lap of affluence1 having all that wealth could purchase1 had come so timidly to her lowly dwelling1 and earnestly besought her for a single kiss2 what had made the little face sorrowful and wan1 and set that seal of suffering upon it4 ,she saw it all1 and1 under the sudden weight of that astounding revelation1 she literally staggered as under the weight of a blow4 ,looking down through his tear-dimmed eyes at the face he loved so well1 ,harry saw upon it no look of sympathy or recognition for him--only that blank1 amazed1 horror-stricken look at that something behind him1 a look which embraced every item of the shameful scene1 and showed all too clearly how plainly it did so4 ,then1 without a word or glance of kindness1 she gathered her veil closely about her pallid visage1 and quickly hurried away4 ,alas for ,harry6 he feels that the truth has turned her heart from his1 and she has gone forever4 ,the anguish of that thought was too great for suppression1 and he stretched forth his hands toward the retreating figure with a forlorn wail of supplication4 ,that look of horror1 that low1 plaintive1 heart-broken cry1 like a child forsaken of its mother1 had sobered her a little4 ,she had been a proud woman once1 and a remnant of the nobler pride which had once uplifted her was still left within her soul4 ,to have eyes from which shone forth the pure1 unsullied spirit of womanhood1 discover her secret1 and look upon her in her shame2 to behold in a rival1 whom unseen she hated1 womanhood enthroned in excellence2 to see its image in herself fallen and defaced1 sunken in degradation2 to know that a few kind and well-bestowed caresses had won her child's love from her1 that on that strange maternal bosom the little head rested more tranquilly and peacefully than on her own2 to owe her a double grudge as discoverer and supplanter--this aroused the smouldering and now perverted pride yet alive within her bosom1 and fanned it to a flame4 ,she clinched her hands convulsively1 her teeth shut together with a dull1 grating sound1 the unsteady form swayed to and fro1 like a lithe tree shaken in the wind of a coming tempest1 and the bloated face1 dark with wrath1 was terrible to look upon4 ,it was a fearful thing to be alone with that half-drunken creature1 and see wave after wave of passion rolling over her tempest-tossed soul1 lashing it into fury4 ,maggie felt it to be so now4 ,as a trusty confidant and able protector1 one who1 by some strange means1 had gained an ascendency over her mistress that no other possessed1 and wisely exercised this controlling power1 she had been with these poor children through many similar scenes1 sheltering them under the broad wing of her protection1 but she had never beheld the gathering of so dark a storm1 never felt the vague1 shuddering dread1 the chill apprehension which seized on her now4 ,one glance at that terrible being showed her power lost1 her protection insufficient1 impotent4 ,to stay with them and endeavor to breast the coming storm would be madness--to try to get the children from the room now would be both impolitic and dangerous2 at the least demonstration of the kind that storm would be sure to burst upon them in all its resistless fury1 and before its raging power she felt her strength would be utter weakness4 ,she must fly for aid4 ,perhaps even now some invisible being1 conscious of their danger1 might be impelling their father to the rescue4 ',harry1' said ,maggie1 turning very pale1 as she glanced at the dreadful figure rocking to and fro in fearful communing with itself1 and bending down to whisper a parting injunction as she tied on her bonnet1 'don't speak to her1 don't look toward her4 ,don't cross her in any way4 ,she's the devil's own1 now4' ,a word1 a look1 a gesture of entreaty to ,charley1 placing in dumb show his brother in his charge1 and she passed from the room hastily and noiselessly1 but not unperceived4 ,as she vanished1 an evil smile of triumph at thus being so easily rid of an able antagonist1 flashed across the terrible face1 giving it almost the look of a demon4 ,in passing out1 ,maggie has left the door ajar1 which perceiving1 the wretched woman totters across the room1 shuts the door1 locks it1 throws the key upon the floor1 and1 tottering back to her seat1 again takes a long1 deep draught from the glass upon the table4 ,fixing her fiery eyes full on ,harry1 she calls out imperiously3 ',come here1 sir6' ,the tone in which the command is given is cruel1 stern1 and cold1 unsoftened by maternal tenderness1 untouched by womanly gentleness1 and the bloated face has the same evil look upon it4 ,harry shrinks back affrighted4 ',are you deaf1 you adder8 ,come here1 ,i say1 come here4' ,there is a fierceness in the tone now which shows a longer delay will be dangerous2 and so ,charley1 pale and trembling1 comes forth from the corner in which he has been crouching1 and1 taking his smaller brother by the hand1 they come forward together4 ',what made you bawl after that woman--that woman in the street8' she says1 viciously grasping the little shoulder1 and giving it a shake4 ',answer me this minute4 ,speak1 sir1 speak6' ',i--,i can't help loving her1 ma1' falters the poor child deprecatingly1 while the blue eyes fill1 and the tears fall slowly down his face4 ',there1 none of your snivelling1' she cries fiercely1 giving him another shake4 ',come up here2 come closer4 ,here6 ,stand back1 you1' pushing ,charley from her with a force that makes him stagger4 ',now then1' she furiously demands1 'did you ever cry after me when ,i went away and left you8' ,he is so faint with fright that he can hardly find his voice to answer1 and the words are almost inarticulate as he falters forth3 ',sometimes1 ma2 sometimes1 when you are kind to me4' ',you never did2 you know you never did1 you little liar1' shrieks the crazed creature1 savagely dealing him a heavy blow which sends him reeling from her4 ',oh1 ma6 ,oh1 ma6' gasps the poor child1 crouching down in the extremity of terror as the terrible figure comes flying toward him4 ',don't kill me1 oh1 don't kill me2 ,i'm such a little boy6' ,she pounces upon him like a tigress1 lifting the fragile form high in the air1 and dashing it down to the floor again with all her cruel force4 ,she shakes1 she bites him1 she rains blows upon the poor1 defenceless child1 leaving prints of her vicious fingers all over the poor little body wherever she touches the tender skin1 marks of her cruel nails on the delicate arms and hands1 long1 deep scratches from which the blood exudes slowly4 ,one last cruel blow hushes the suppressed cries of pain and terror1 the low moans for mercy1 and lays the bruised and quivering form senseless at her feet4 ,then the mad creature1 crazed with drink and passion1 goes careering up and down the room1 snatching from table and bureau the costly trinkets with which they are adorned1 and wildly trampling them beneath her feet as she hurries to and fro4 ,she is so terrible to look upon1 with that scarlet1 bloated face1 distorted by passion1 and the long1 thick hair unbound hanging wildly about it1 and that baleful light in her bloodshot eyes1 so terrible in the frenzied excitement of look and motion1 that ,charley1 who has crept to the side of his prostrate brother1 and is tenderly holding the unconscious head1 has no power to cry or move1 but sits half frozen with horror1 with his great brown eyes wildly dilated1 fixed in a species of fascination upon the strange motions of that dreadful figure1 and merely in obedience to the instinct of self-preservation endeavors to shield himself and his insensible charge from the heavy blows aimed at them as she comes flying past4 ,a few brief moments pass in this way1 moments which to that poor child1 alone with that wild being1 seem dreadful hours of torturing length4 ,then the blessed sounds of coming relief fall on his ear1 footsteps are approaching1 a man's firm1 hurried tread and woman's lighter but no less rapid step are heard through the hall below1 up the staircase--on1 on they come1 crossing the long upper hall1 pausing at the threshold4 ,then they try the door2 swift1 crushing blows are rained upon it1 the door is burst open1 and they come rushing distractedly in4 ',oh1 pa6 pa6' ,the tongue is loosed whose utterance fear has palsied1 and ,charley stretches forth his hands to the strong arm of his earthly saviour4 ,one hasty glance around the room strewn with fragments of costly toys1 one look at the maniacal form in the centre with wildly dishevelled hair1 and leering1 vacant face1 then the anguished eyes fall on that for which they are searching1 see the outstretched arms of the little figure cowering in a corner half hid by the window curtain1 see that other figure lying at its feet1 so livid and motionless1 so breathless1 with the deathly face upturned1 and the long brown lashes1 still wet with tears1 resting on the marble cheeks4 ',o ,god6 too late6 too late6' ,the strong agony of that father's heart bursts forth from his bleached lips in that wild1 irrepressible cry4 ,he seizes the tottering form4 ,he shakes it fiercely3 ',woman6 fiend6 blot on the name of mother6 you have killed my boy6' ,that momentary burst of passion past1 he leaves the hapless creature to her witless mumbling1 and1 with great waves of anguish rolling over his soul1 the broken-hearted father kneels beside his boy4 ',not dead6 oh1 thank ,god6 not dead4' ,there is a slight throbbing motion of the heart1 a faint1 scarcely perceptible pulsation at the wrist4 ,they raise the senseless form from off the floor4 ,up to his room they bear him2 softly on his little bed they lay him--that little bed from which he is never more to rise4 ,gentle footsteps glide noiselessly about the room1 loving eyes are bent above him1 and tears fall upon the upturned face4 ,long days go and come1 fragrant sunny days1 bright with the bloom of summer1 each day one less of earth1 one nearer heaven4 ,the loving watchers know it1 and ever and anon there are sounds of smothered weeping there4 ,but there are no answering tears from eyes soon to look on immortal things1 for on the passing soul dawns a vision of a home beyond the shadow and the blight1 where1 in meadows fragrant with immortal flowers1 the ,great ,shepherd feedeth ,his sheep1 and1 as ,he tenderly leads them beside the still waters1 gathers the lambs to ,his bosom4 ,in that clime glows the glory of unfading light1 the bloom of undying beauty4 ,henceforth the beauty and the light of this transitory sphere seem wan and cold1 and the fading things of earth grow worthless in the dying eyes1 and the tranced soul longs to be gone1 yet bides its time with patient sweetness4 ,patient amid all his pain1 no groan escapes the parched lips1 no complaining murmur4 ,bearing all his sufferings with meek endurance1 quiet and very thoughtful he lies upon his little bed1 smiling placidly upon those about him--grateful1 very grateful for their love and care2 watching with musing eyes the long hours through the changes of the day on the sky as seen from his window--gray dawn melting into morning1 morning into mellow day1 day1 with its varied changes1 sinking into night4 ,the heaven beyond on which he muses as he gazes1 the home for which he longs1 baptizes him with its light beforetime4 ,on the sinless brow the seal of a perfect peace is set1 and the air about the child grows holy4 ,a hush falls on the room mysterious and solemn1 and they know that white-robed immortals are treading earthly courts1 mingling in earthly company2 for he murmurs in his dreams of radiant faces that bend above him2 and the wan face1 as they watch it in its slumbers1 grows bright with the look of heaven4 ,a few more hours of earth1 a little longer tarrying of the immortal with the mortal part where it has lived and loved1 suffered and rejoiced2 a few more moans of pain1 and the blue eyes open and look upon the day whose silent light will dawn upon us all4 ,they had not thought the end so near at hand2 and1 worn out with grief and watching1 the father and his faithful nurses had one by one retired to rest1 leaving ,charley1 at his earnest solicitation1 to sit beside the bed and watch his brother's fitful slumbers4 ,since that fatal day1 a dread and horror of his mother had seized upon the child4 ,though surrounded by those he loved1 her near approach would cause strong nervous chills1 and her kiss or touch would throw him into frightful spasms1 from which they could with difficulty recover him2 hence1 by the doctor's orders1 she was forbidden the room1 and it was only when utter exhaustion had steeped his refined spiritual sense into perfect oblivion of surrounding objects1 that she was permitted to enter there and gaze for a little on the wan features of her sleeping child4 ,that day1 knowing his time on earth was short1 and possessed by a restless and uncontrollable desire to be near him1 even though she could not look upon his face1 into the room of her dying boy she had stolen like a culprit1 and noiselessly shrank into the farthest corner of the room1 screened from his observation by the heavy window-curtain and the high head-board of the bed4 ,they had discovered her there after a time1 but she1 in terms which would have moved the coldest heart to pity1 implored them with tears to allow her to remain2 and they1 seeing that the demon had departed from her for a season1 and compassionating the forlorn being1 had gone away and left her there4 ,she sits motionless in the silent room1 her despairing eyes fixed on the serene heaven to which her darling will soon be gone1 and from which the stern justice of an accusing conscience tells her she may be forever excluded4 ,and oh6 if this be truth1 if in the world beyond there is no hope for sinful souls that have gone astray in this1 and this parting is eternal1 then1 oh then1 through the long1 dark ages of suffering which may be her future portion1 never to look upon her darling more1 never more to kiss the sweet lips that have called her mother1 never more to look upon him here till the silken lashes droop toward the marble cheek and the half-veiled eyes have lost their lustre1 and they lead her in for a last look ere the little face is shut out from mortal gaze forever6--oh6 the unutterable anguish of that thought1 and the remorse which mingles with it6 ,not for that last dreadful act1 for she never knew that she had killed him4 ,no clear remembrance of that day lives within to curse her memory1 but she knows that a strange and unaccountable dread of her has seized upon the child1 that she is banished from his dying presence2 and an undefined and vague remembrance1 a misty horror1 has fallen on her life1 rests on her like an incubus1 pursues her in a thousand phantom shapes through the long1 dark watches of the terror-laden night1 and through burdened days of ceaseless suffering4 ,she knows1 for they have told her1 that when his consciousness returned1 his first cry had been for the mother of his heart2 that she had left everything and come to him2 that she had taken her place beside his bed1 a dearer place than she had ever occupied in his heart2 that no hands like those chill1 magnetic ones could soothe him in his pain1 or charm him to his fitful slumbers2 that on no bosom could the throbbing head rest so tranquilly as on her own4 ,what the mother's heart suffered in that knowledge when her better nature prevailed1 only the ,being knows ,who framed it4 ,the hours of the long day wore heavily on4 ,the sun1 that had paused awhile in mid-heaven1 was now sinking slowly toward the west4 ,yet1 unmindful of food or rest1 seated in the same corner into which she had shrunk on entering the room1 ever and anon rocking herself to and fro1 or wringing her hands in silent agony1 there sits the wretched mother1 hidden watcher by the bedside of her dying boy4 ,the room has been chosen for its retired situation1 and is removed from the noise of household occupations2 and the bustle of the crowded street1 even in its busiest hours1 falls on the ear in a distant hum4 ,it is quiet now1 very quiet4 ,harry has awakened once from his slumbers1 asked to be moved nearer the front of the bed1 that they may be very near each other while he sleeps again1 and1 when that was done1 has smiled lovingly upon the little1 sorrowful watcher1 and1 with his wasted hand tightly clasped in his1 has fallen into sounder slumbers4 ,in the deathlike stillness which has fallen on the room1 she can hear his breathing1 and has ventured twice or thrice1 while he slept thus1 to steal softly to the bedside and look upon his face2 but as at each successive attempt he has seemed almost immediately to feel the dreaded atmosphere1 and his slumbers have become broken and uneasy1 with a heavy heart she has crept silently back again4 ,charley has waited until the thin hand of the sick child has relaxed its clasp on his own1 then1 moved by a loving impulse1 noiselessly busies himself in removing a littered mass of vials1 cups1 and glasses1 which have accumulated on the stand near the bed1 to a table just at hand1 and taxes his childish ingenuity in arranging thereon1 in the prettiest possible form1 a multitude of toys and trinkets1 gifts sent by the servants of the house to his brother1 putting the new ones in front1 so that his eye may fall on them first when he wakes again4 ,this done1 he creeps back to his seat by the bedside1 and silently watches his slumbers as before4 ,a ray of sunlight1 bright and warm1 creeps through the lattice and falls on the veined lids2 the eyes open1 and instinctively moving from the too dazzling light1 rest placidly on a fragment of blue sky just visible through the half-closed window4 ,with eyes fixed intently on that hazy distance1 moment after moment1 silent and motionless he lies1 and the blue orbs grow lustrous as he gazes with the mystic beauty of eyes whose inner vision rests on unutterable things1 and gradually there comes upon the little face the look that never comes on any face but once4 ,oh1 mystic change6 ,oh1 strange solemnity of death6 ,the little watcher by the bedside1 face to face with its mysterious presence for the first time1 ignorant of its processes1 feels a dread1 half-defined idea of what it may be1 and1 with a piteous effort to recall his dying brother back to his old look and seeming1 tremulously falters3 ',see all the nice things they've sent you1 ,harry1 all the pretty toys you've got6 ,here they are1 spread out upon the table4 ,look1 brother1 look6' ,the eyes are bright and clear1 the shadow of death has not yet dimmed their light4 ,they turn slowly1 very slowly1 and1 just glancing at the toy-strewn table1 rest upon his brother's face4 ,oh6 what is that look within them that chills the warm life-current1 and makes him cold and shivering in the heat of that summer day1 as the sick child feebly says3 ',you may have them all1 all1 ,charley2 ,i sha'n't never want them any more4' ',you've hardly looked at them at all1 ,harry1' quavers the young voice in reply1 bravely trying to continue the subject4 ',you don't know how handsome they are4 ,the nicest ones1 the very nicest ones ,betty bought you6 ,poor ,betty6 she has done nothing but cry since you've been sick--cry1 and buy you presents4 ,she says when you get well1 ,harry--' and here the brave little voice1 that has been tremulous and tear-laden all along1 breaks down entirely1 and he puts up his hand to check the tears that are running down his face4 ,there are no tears in those other eyes looking into his2 the mists of death are gathering within them4 ,he cannot see the tear-wet face so plainly now1 but he feebly strokes the hand that lies against his own1 and says1 in a weaker voice1 pausing now and then for breath3 ',poor brother1 dear brother6 ,don't cry1 ,charley1 don't cry6 ,you must tell ,betty not to cry4 ,poor ,betty6 ,i haven't seen her once since ,i've been sick4 ,and poor mamma'--the faint voice1 forgetful of its weakness1 grows stronger for a moment1 and dwells on that name with measureless compassion--'poor1 poor1 poor mamma6 ,i don't feel afraid of ma any more1 and ,i want to see her4 ,i ,,do so much want to see her6 ,where is ma1 ,charley8' ,there is a movement in the lower part of the room1 and a bent form comes tottering forward1 with hair hanging wildly about a haggard1 despairing1 woeworn face4 ,her hands are outstretched in piteous supplication4 ',here ,i am1' a voice choked with sobs makes answer1 ',here's your poor1 miserable1 guilty mother1 ,harry4 ,o ,harry6 my sins have barred me out from the heaven you are entering2 say you forgive me before we part forever4 ,oh6 my darling1 it is the last time ,i shall ever ask it2 give me one kiss before you go6' ,he smiled as only the dying can smile1 and stretched out his feeble arms4 ',he smiles upon me1 he forgives6' shrieked the half-demented creature4 ',o ,god6 most merciful6 ,thou hast not quite forsaken me6' and with a step forward1 and a gesture of embrace1 the hapless being falls heavily upon the floor4 ',raise me up1 raise me up1' pleads the sick child1 after partially recovering from the shock the fall had given him2 and1 as he gazes upon the prostrate form1 the white1 haggard1 insensible features1 an angel's pity and compassion shine in the dying face4 ',oh1 ,i can't kiss her1 ,charley4 ,tell poor mamma ,i couldn't kiss her1' he faintly moans4 ,then the fitful strength gives way again1 and the tired head droops wearily on his brother's shoulder4 ,the chilled form creeps closer to a warm embrace4 ,a little while they hold each other thus--these little ones1 brothers by the ties of blood1 bound nearer to each other than any tie of blood can bind1 by the sacred bond of suffering6 ,then the arm around poor ,charley's neck relaxes its hold1 and falls with a dull1 lifeless sound back upon the pillow4 ,the little form grows colder1 colder yet4 ,he has no power to lay it down1 no power to cry for help1 but sits holding it1 half paralyzed1 as he hears them rushing up the stairs1 urged wildly on by the dreadful fear that they have come too late4 ,there is a piteous supplication in the large1 dilated eyes1 a mute prayer for help in the white face he turns upon them as they enter4 ,to the hurried questions which come pouring forth1 the bleached1 white lips make answer3 ',he got cold1 and went to sleep again2 and he has been getting colder ever since4' ,then the father1 stooping1 looks into the little face lying on ,charley's shoulder1 and1 staggering back as if a blow had struck him1 cries out3 ',dead6' and the friend that ,harry had loved so well raises the curly head and lays it back upon the pillow4 ,there are no tears in her gentle eyes for him1 for she knows the little1 weary heart is resting now on the great heart of ,infinite ,love--that he is gone to ,one who1 with outstretched arms1 stood ready to receive him--,one who said long ago3 ',suffer little children to come unto ,me6' ,,an ,,hour ,,in ,,the ,,gallery ,,of ,,the ,,national ,,academy ,,of ,,design4 ,,thirty-,,ninth ,,annual ,,exhibition4 ,great is the variety in the different classes of men to be found in picture galleries4 ,first in importance stand the artists1 oftentimes oracular personages1 dangerous of approach by outsiders having opinions 7such must generally expect a direct snubbing1 polite indifference1 or silent scorn71 knowing much but not everything1 no single one infallible1 highly honorable as members of a guild1 secretive as doctors or lawyers1 chary of talking shop to the uninitiated1 hardworking1 conscientious1 half luring1 half scoffing at the glorious visions of the creative imagination granted them chiefly of all men1 wonder workers1 world reformers1 recorders of the past and prophets of the future1 comforters of prose-ridden humanity1 stewards of some of ,god's best gifts1 openers of the gates of the beautiful1 and hence ushers into the vestibule of the glorious ',land of the ,hereafter4' ,may they all remember their lofty calling1 and never diminish their usefulness by unworthy contests among themselves1 or by sacrificing their own better judgment to the exigencies of popular requirement6 ,next in order come the connoisseurs4 ,unmistakably one is that young man with near-sighted eyeglass1 with ,dundreary whiskers and jaunty air1 who talks of breadth1 handling1 foreshortening1 perspective1 etc42 who perhaps quotes ,ruskin1 has seen galleries abroad1 is devoted to genre pictures1 and1 after rattling through an exhibition for a half hour1 pronounces definitely upon the merits of the entire collection1 singly and en masse4 ,equally recognizable is the older picture-fancier4 ,he talks1 if possible1 even more learnedly1 discoursing of balance1 tone1 chiaroscuro2 he despises innovations1 judges in accordance with names2 is of course convinced the present can bear no comparison with the past2 will look through a whole gallery1 and finally be captivated by some well-executed conceit--a sun shining through a hole--three different sorts of light1 of fire1 candle1 and moon1 mixed in with monstrous shadows and commonplace figures--some meaningless countenance surmounting a satin whose every shining thread is distinguishable1 and the pattern of whose lace trimming could be copied for a fashion plate2 he is1 in short1 a fussy1 loud individual1 with money to buy and some out-of-the-way place to hang pictures4 ,then there is the man who knows but one1 or at most two or three artists1 and will look at the works of none other2 who sees1 as travellers generally do1 not that which is1 but that which he had made up his mind to see before he left his own threshold4 ,there are those attracted by nothing except brilliant color1 and others who have heard so much of the vulgarity of 'high lights' and gaudy hues1 that they will tolerate nothing but brown trees1 russet grass1 gray skies1 slate rocks1 drab gowns1 copper skins1 and shadows so deep that the discovery of the objects represented becomes a real game of 'hide and go seek4' ,there are also the timidly modest1 who1 although aware of their own preferences1 are yet afraid to admire any new name until some recognized authority has given permission4 ,another division of this class consists of those who1 knowing their own inability to draw or to color the simplest object1 hesitate to refuse admiration to any art production that is even barely tolerable4 ,let us concede to this class our respect1 as humility is the only solid basis for any human acquirement4 ,we also find the pretty young lady1 who says 'lovely1' 'charming1' or 'horrid1' 'abominable1' in a very attractive1 but most indiscriminating manner2--the individual who cares only for the design 7to whom real depth or pathos and affected prettiness are too often one and the same71 and the other1 who looks only at the technical execution4 ,rare1 indeed1 are the imaginative analysts who1 while considering the design1 can comprehend its philosophy1 tell why it pleases or displeases1 why they like or dislike2 and still rarer are they who add to impartiality1 observation1 common sense1 imaginative perception1 and analytic power1 a sufficiency of technical knowledge to render their criticism useful1 not only to outsiders1 but even to artists themselves4 ,such a guide would indeed be an invaluable companion in any gallery of art4 ,in default of him1 let us do the best we can1 and come to a consideration of some of the works offered us in this1 the thirty-ninth annual exhibition of the ,national ,academy of ,design4 ,before we begin1 however1 let us make a passing remark upon a custom that seems lately to have come in vogue1 namely1 to publish in the daily papers damaging criticisms upon pictures offered for sale at auction1 such criticisms generally appearing one1 or at most two days before the sale4 ,the want of good taste1 or even of abstract justice1 in such a proceeding1 must be apparent to every one who will pause a moment to consider4 ,to compare small things with great1 for the sake of illustration1 if our neighbor has made his purchase of spring drygoods1 and spreads them upon the counter of his store1 we may or may not admire his taste in the selection of patterns1 but we surely should not think ourselves called upon to rush to the newspapers and blazon forth an opinion to his detriment1 especially if our assertions were mere guesses1 perhaps even untrue1 or if we were ourselves concerned in the selling of similar wares4 ,among the public are many tastes to be gratified1 and each man can judge for himself of that which pleases him4 ,a case of impudent pretension or actual imposition will of course require honest people to give in their testimony1 but the facts adduced in such a case must be susceptible of proof1 and not mere matters of individual taste or opinion2 neither must they be advanced at so late an hour as to render their refutation difficult1 or indeed impossible4 ,a regular exhibition1 such as that of the ,academy1 offers fair ground for discussion1 as all sides have a chance of obtaining a hearing2 but even there1 the scales of justice should be nicely poised1 and great care taken that neither rashness1 flippancy1 nor prejudice be permitted any share in their adjustment1 and 'good will toward men' be the only extra weight ever added to either side4 ,to begin with the landscapes1 one of the most remarkable1 and1 to our individual taste1 the most attractive in the whole collection1 is ,no4 #adg1 ',the ,woods and ,fields in ,autumn1' by ,jervis ,mc,entee1 ,n4 ,a4 ,the fine tree-drawing and the exquisite harmony of color in this poetic representation of autumn scenery are worthy of all praise4 ,the clouds are gathering for dark winter days1 a few pleasant hours are yet left to the dying year1 the atmosphere is saturated with moist exhalations1 with tender mists softening but not obscuring the beautiful forms of the leafless trees and shrubs4 ,the springs are filling1 the low grounds marshy1 the leaves on the woodpaths crisp and of a golden brown4 ,far away in the west is a band of gray light1 that tells of clearer skies and brighter seasons one day to come1 of new hopes to dawn1 when the earth1 and the soul1 shall have been purified by adverse blasts1 by the baring of their nakedness to the unimpeded1 searching light of heaven4 ,no4 #abd1 ',the ,wanderer1' is a picture of similar character by the same skilful hand4 ,thoughtful1 refined1 and discriminating lovers of art cannot fail to find instruction and delight in these noble conceptions1 and indeed it is chiefly in the possession of such persons that we find the truthful1 conscientious1 tenderly conceived1 and poetical pictures of ,jervis ,mc,entee4 ,s4 ,r4 ,gifford1 ,n4 ,a41 exhibits two works1 differing widely from each other1 but both worthy of his reputation4 ,let the names now longer and more widely established in the estimation of the general public look to their laurels1 for here is one who is destined successfully to enter an honorable contest for the possession of the very highest honors4 ,unity of design1 and warmth as well as vividness of light1 positive atmosphere1 characterize the works of this artist1 and render each one a satisfactorily completed poem4 ,no4 #bbf1 ',south ,mountain1 ,catskills1' presents a view doubtless well known to many of our readers4 ,the far-away horizon1 the winding ,hudson with its tiny sails1 the square dent where lies the lake in the ,shawangunk range1 the serrated ridges of the lower hills1 the smoke from the lowlands outside the ,clove1 the shadowed1 ridgy sides of the ,round ,top ,mountain1 the stunted pines of the ,south ,mountain1 so characteristically represented1 the great rock overhanging the cliffs1 and the whortleberry bushes and other low growth clustering about its base--all speak to us unmistakably of that very spot1 and tell the story of the place as we scarcely thought it could have been told1 yet so simply1 so naturally1 that the art of the artist is almost forgotten in actual enjoyment of the scene portrayed4 ,no4 #bej1 ',a ,twilight in the ,adirondacs1' glows with an intensity of light suggestive of some secret art1 and not of ordinary paint and canvas4 ,a few brilliant cloud-specks float in a golden sky1 which is reflected from the surface of a placid lake1 high up among the hills1 whose haze-flooded and light-crowned tops fade away into the far distance4 ,to many this picture will prove more attractive than the view from the ,south ,mountain3 perhaps it is our familiarity with and love for the original of the last-mentioned view1 which induce us to give to it our personal preference4 ,no4 #aeh1 ',the ,old ,hunting ,grounds1' is by ,w4 ,whittredge1 ,n4 ,a4 ,it gives a charming insight into the mysteries of the woods4 ,the characteristic white birches1 with their reflection in the quiet pool1 the dark trunk and spreading branches of the great tree in the foreground1 the tender foliage1 and soft1 hazy gleams into the depths of the forest1 afford the materials for a delightful picture1 the more precious in our sight that it is so truly a representation of our native land1 so thoroughly ,american4 ,the broken birch canoe adds to the beauty of nature a most effective and pathetic touch1 by briefly figuring the melancholy history of a fast-departing race4 ,gone forever are the moccasoned feet that pressed that mossy soil1 and the dusky forms that flitted to and fro among the white trunks that catch and hold the light so lovingly4 ,that broken canoe has a stranger tale to tell than any ruined arch or fallen column of the ,old ,world3 the one speaks of some empire passed away1 the other of the gradual extinction of an entire type of human beings1 a race of men who seem to have accomplished the work assigned them1 and who die rather than abandon their native instincts and habits of thought and life4 ,the fortunate possessor of the ',old ,hunting ,grounds1' when shut up within the confined streets and dreary walls of a city1 need only lift his eyes to the picture to dream dreams of the freshness and freedom of the wild woods1 of the scented breeze snuffed by the browsing deer1 of the rocking branches glimmering gold and green against the clear summer sky4 ,mr4 ,whittredge's picture is suggestive and harmonious as nature itself1 and one could never weary of it1 as one infallibly must of weaker and more conventional productions1 often highly prized by frequenters of galleries4 ,no4 #aec1 ',the ,iron-,bound ,coast of ,maine1' by ,w4 ,s4 ,haseltine1 ,n4 ,a41 has the freshness1 brightness1 and mistiness of such a shore4 ,we have heard ,mr4 ,haseltine's rocks complained of as too yellow2 but1 in the absence of knowledge1 are content to presume he painted them as he saw them4 ,the action of the dashing surf in washing away the lower strata1 and strewing the beach with fragments1 is one token1 among many1 of an actual observation of facts4 ,no4 #bcf1 ',an ,artist's ,studio1' and ,no4 #aca1 ',christmas ,eve1' are by ,j4 ,f4 ,weir4 ,both are well conceived and executed1 the latter being especially interesting4 ,the old wall1 the great bell1 the moonlight1 and the elves set the fancy musing over many things in heaven and earth rarely dreamed of in our philosophy4 ,no4 #ab1 ',the ,argument1' is one of ,w4 ,h4 ,beard's excellent fables4 ,the attitudes of the two bears in discussion1 of the sober-minded listener leaning with crossed paws upon the tree1 and of the self-sufficient old fellow with his paw upon his breast1 may read to many a good lesson1 especially during the coming ,presidential struggle1 when the charities and bienseances of life will doubtless be but too often outraged4 ,we have been surprised and pained to see attacks upon the works of this gentleman1 coming from opposite quarters1 said strictures being1 in our opinion1 unjust and uncalled for4 ,if behind the animal form we see proof of more than animal intellect1 let us not quarrel with the addition4 ,it is an evil mind that will go out of its way to fasten evil intentions upon the work of a man of genius4 ,if human faults and follies so ill beseem the brute creation1 should not such representation render us heartily ashamed of their existence among ourselves4 ,love and pity for the animal world1 and a proper holding up to ridicule and scorn of the brutish propensities1 too prominent1 alas6 in the composition of the human race1 have been the lessons taught us by all the works of this artist we have thus far seen4 ,no4 #bjd1 ',out ,all ,night1' by ,j4 ,h4 ,beard1 is an excellent warning to naughty puppies to keep good hours and shun bad company4 ,no4 #aad1 ',a ,buckwheat ,field on ,thomas ,cole's ,farm1' and ,no4 #adc1 ',the ,catskills from the ,village1' are by ,thomas ,c4 ,farrer1 a representative of a school which professes to paint precisely what it sees4 ,to represent nature is the aim of all our best modern landscapists4 ,of course1 no painting can give all that is in any scene1 but every painter must select the means best adapted to convey the idea he has himself received4 ,now1 in the ultra ideal school 7to use a slang word which we detest7 we recognize but little known to us in nature2 and in the ultra matter-of-fact 7pre-,raphaelite7 school of this country1 we find the same absence of abstract truth1 together with a painful stiffness1 and the want of a sense for beauty4 ,we are not sufficiently practical artists to fathom the difficulty1 but it seems to us to arise from the absence of one of the most prominent elements of beauty and interest to be found in the universe1 namely1 mystery4 ,if1 in the metaphysical world1 with our limited means1 we attempt an exhaustive explanation of any of the attributes of the ,infinite ,being1 the result must be unsatisfactory2 we will always feel that there is something beyond1 which we have failed to grasp1 a something which makes our best effort appear shallow and crude4 ,now1 the material mystery of actual landscape arises from the presence of an appreciable atmosphere1 softening forms1 etherealizing distances1 modifying color1 and lending the glow of variously refracted light to every object falling under its influence4 ,in these pictures of ,mr4 ,farrer we fail to find any trace of atmosphere1 and hence they strike us as bald1 hard1 cold1 and unnatural4 ,no4 #bac1 ',the ,awe and ,mystery of ,death1' by ,eugene ,benson1 is an able treatment of a repulsive subject4 ,as we gaze1 we cannot but admire the genius that has so far overcome the intrinsic difficulties of the situation2 and1 while congratulating the artist upon his success1 must add that the ,victor ,hugo style of morbid horrors1 however popular in some species of literature1 can never1 we hope1 become so in the purer domain of visible fine art4 ,no4 #bdf1 ',portrait1' ,william ,o4 ,stone1 ,n4 ,a41 is a charming portrayal of a charming subject4 ,no4 #bhc1 ',a ,child1' by ,george ,a4 ,baker1 ,n4 ,a41 has lovely brown eyes1 and a beautiful1 thoughtful expression4 ,no4 #bec1 ',a ,portrait1' by ,w4 ,h4 ,furness1 jr41 strikes us as a picture carefully disfigured4 ,the part in the hair is singularly continued in the part between the wings of the golden butterfly ornamenting the head1 the eyes are just sufficiently turned aside to give them the appearance of avoiding a direct gaze1 and the tight-fitting gown is of white moire1 a material of stiff texture and chaotic pattern4 ,the shimmer of waves in sun or moonlight is beautiful because restless1 but the watering of a silk is a rude attempt to fix the ever variable in form1 light1 and color1 and hence is always unsatisfactory4 ,we are glad to see that the women in our community are beginning to make some serious efforts in the way of good painting4 ,they are by nature subtile colorists1 and there is surely no reason why they should not conquer form1 attain to technical excellence1 and be inspired by noble ideas4 ,they must remember that excellence is attainable solely through hard study and patient assiduity1 and small things must be well accomplished before great ones can be expected to succeed4 ,with the general development of what we may call 'out-door' faculties1 a taste for mere sentimental prettiness will vanish1 and a healthy vigor1 united to refined and acute perception1 will1 we hope1 characterize the labors of the rising aspirants to artistic honors4 ,no4 #ia1 ',the ,sword and the ,wreath1' by ,miss ,a4 ,e4 ,rose1 is a poetical conception1 beautifully elaborated4 ,the flowers have no appearance of having been copied from wax or colored stucco1 but are faithful representations of the actual1 fragile1 delicate texture of the lovely children of the garden4 ,the method of presentation suggests a memory of ,la ,farge1 but ,miss ,rose is too talented and original ever to fall into servile imitation4 ,no4 #acb1 ',on the ,kaaterskill ,creek1' and ,no4 #fd1 ',head of the ,catskill ,clove from the ,south ,mountain1' are by ,miss ,edith ,w4 ,cook4 ,the first offers some fine delineations of foliage1 intermingled hemlock1 and deciduous trees1 and the latter is a spirited and truthful representation of a beautiful bit of ,catskill scenery4 ,the ,hunter and ,plattekill ,mountains1 ,haines's ,fall1 the ,clove ,road and intervening ravines1 the winding woodpath1 and burnt trees1 are close records of fact1 set in a far-away sky and a real atmosphere4 ,miss ,virginia ,granbery's ',basket of ,cherries' 7,no4 #ha7 and ',strawberries' 7,no4 #gc7 are tempting specimens of fruit4 ,no4 #bjb1 ',the ,seamstress1' by ,miss ,c4 ,w4 ,conant1 gives proof of future excellence in the truthful pathos of its conception and the energetic rendering of the idea4 ,but our hour has come to an end1 and we have only space left to mention the names of ,bierstadt1 ,constant ,mayer1 ,hennessy1 ,may1 ,durand1 ,griswold1 ,suydam1 ,bradford1 ,brevoort1 ,cropsey1 ,colman1 ,cranch1 ,de ,haas1 ,hart1 ,homer1 ,hubbard1 ,huntington1 ,vedder1 and ,white1 who are all characteristically represented1 and to counsel such of our readers as are fortunate enough to have the opportunity1 to go and see for themselves4 ,americans are beginning to comprehend the full value of the arts1 and to appreciate their own artists accordingly4 ,,aphorisms4 ,,no4 ,v4 ,with us it may not be the actual suffering of death1 as it was with our ,lord2 but that we may truly follow ,him1 and do what we can for the good of others1 we must hold life1 with all its endearments1 subject to any call for sacrifice that may be made on us2 and actually give up1 from day to day1 just as much of the present life1 its pleasures or interests1 as may be necessary1 that we may render the best possible service in the kingdom of ,christ4 ,we have the privilege of daily martyrdom1 to be followed by its honors and blessedness1 in whatsoever circumstances we may be placed3 how much of the sufferings that sometimes accompany the spirit and the act1 we need not concern ourselves to inquire4 ,,the ,,unkind ,,word4 ,ay--far in the feeling heart ,cast the unkind word till it smiteth1 ,till deep in the flesh like a poisoned dart ,it stingeth--and ruthlessly biteth6 ,what need that the blood ,in a crimson flood ,flow fast from the throbbing veins-- ,what need--if a sob ,or the heart's wild throb ,betoken the horrible pains8 ,the tears are forced from the mournful eyes ,as the angry word proceedeth2 ,little it cares for the stifled sighs1 ,little recks if the sad heart bleedeth2-- ,but onward it goes ,while the life-blood flows ,fast--fast on its terrible path2 ,it laughs at the moan1 ,and the low subdued groan1 ,as it cuts so deep in its wrath4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but soft on its track1 ,and calling it back1 ,soothing the wound it has made1 ,a ,spirit of ,love ,comes down from above1 ,in heavenly beauty arrayed-- ,an angel of peace ,who bids the tears cease1 ,and stops the red life-blood's flow1 ,and the poisoned dart ,draws out of the heart1 ,that dart that had torn it so1 ,and heals o'er the skin-- ,but look then within1 ,there still is a scar below6 ,,language ,a ,,type ,,of ,,the ,,universe4 ,in a preceding paper1 published in the ,may number of ,,the ,,continental1 the possibility1 the necessity1 and the characteristics of a ,scientific ,universal ,language were considered4 ,in the present paper it is proposed to examine more at large the relations of ,language to the total ,universe2 not merely in respect to ,elements or the ,alphabetic ,domain of ,language1 and that which corresponds with it in the ,universe2 but in respect equally to all that rises above these foundations of the two edifices in question which are to be compared4 ,the term ,edifice or ,structure will be found to be alike applicable to each4 ,it will be found1 likewise1 that both arise in parallel development through a succession of stages or stories 7,french1 etages1 ,,estages1 ,,stages71 and that this and other similar repetitions1 in the development of the one1 of all the facts and features of the development of ,,the ,,other1 is what is meant by the ,analogy of one with the other1 and by the affirmation implied in the title of this article1 that ,language is a ,type of the ,universe4 ,we shall begin1 therefore1 by a general distribution of these two ,domains or ,spheres or ,structures--for the facts of the analogy will justify the occasional use and interchange of all these terms--and shall pursue the relationship between them into so much of detail as space will allow4 ,what the ,universe is in itself we have no other means of knowing than as it impresses itself upon our minds1 modified as it may be by the reactive or reflectional element supplied by the mind itself4 ,in preponderance1 then1 or primarily1 the ,universe is for each of us1 what the totality of ,impression made by the ,universe is within each of us2 and the ,universe in that larger and generalized sense in which we speak of it as one1 and not as many individual conceptions1 is the mean aggregate or general average of the ,impression made upon all minds1 in so far as it has a general or common character4 ,the whole of what man individually or collectively puts forth1 as the product of his mind or of all minds1 is the totality of ,expression1 in a sense which exactly counterparts the totality of ,impression4 ,impression is related to ,nature1 external to man1 and acting on him4 ,expression has relation to ,art1 externalized from within man1 and taken in that large sense which means all human performance whatsoever4 ,science is systematized knowing1 and is a middle term1 or stands and functionates mediatorially between ,impression or ,nature and ,expression or ,art4 ,nature or the external world impresses itself upon mind1 primarily1 through the ,senses1 and predominantly stands related with the sense of ,feeling1 of which all the other special senses are merely modified forms or differentiations4 ,feeling as a sense 7the sense of ,touch71 is allied again with ,affection1 the internal counterpart of the mere external sensation1 as testified to etymologically by the use of the same word to express both2 namely1 ,feeling as the synonyme of ,touch1 and ,feeling as the synonyme of ,affection4 ,conation1 from the ,latin conari1 ,,to ,,exert ,,oneself1 ,,to ,,put ,,forth ,,effort1 is the term employed by metaphysicians to signify both ,desire and ,will1 the last being the determination of the mind which results in action4 ,conation is therefore related to action1 which is again ,expression1 and is also ,art1 in the large definition of the term above given4 ,the grand primary distribution of the ,mind made by ,kant1 followed by ,sir ,william ,hamilton1 and now concurred in by the students of the mind generally1 is into3 #a4 ,,feeling2 #b4 ,,knowing2 and #c4 ,,conation 7or ,will and ,desire74 ,in accordance with this is ,comte's famous epitome of the business of life3 ,,agir ,,par ,,affection1 ,,et ,,penser ,,pour ,,agir2 the three terms here being again1 #a4 ,affection 7or ,feeling72 #b4 ,knowledge 7or ,reflection72 and #c4 ,action 7or ,performance74 ,if now1 instead of distributing the ,mind1 we enlarge the sphere of our thinking1 and distribute upon the same principle the total ,universe 7as if it were a mind or a mirror of the mind71 for ,feeling or ,affection we shall put ,impression or ,nature2 for ,knowing or ,reflection we shall put ,science or ,systematized ,knowledge2 and for ,conation or ,action we shall put ,art4 ,the following table will exhibit the two series of distribution1 that of the ,universe at large1 and that of the ,human ,mind1 in their parallelism1 reading the two columns from below upward3 ,i4 ,universe4 ,,ii4 ,mind4 #c4 ,,art 7or ,expression74 #c4 ,,conation 7or ,will and ,desire74 #b4 ,,science4 #b4 ,,knowing4 #a4 ,,nature 7or ,impression74 #a4 ,,feeling 7or ,affection74 ,the point of present importance in the use of these discriminations is to make clear to the mind of the reader what perhaps is sufficiently implied in the very terms themselves1 namely3 that ,impression and ,expression are correlative to1 and1 in a sense1 exactly reflect each other2 that the totality of ,impression1 or the ,universe which enters the mind through the senses1 is repeated--with a modification1 it is true1 but still with traceable identity1 or with a definite and unbroken relationship--in the totality of ,expression1 or in the ,universe of ,art1 taken as the entirety of what man does or creates4 ,it is by the mediation of ,science or ,knowledge1 that one of these worlds is converted into the other4 ,nature or ,impression is the aggregate of the ,rays of ,incidence falling upon a mirror2 ,science is the ,reflecting ,mirror2 and ,art or ,human ,performance is the aggregate of the ,reflected ,rays1 whose angles can be exactly calculated by the knowledge of the angle of incidence4 ,science or ,knowledge is not only the mirror which makes the ,reflection1 but it is the plane or level which is to furnish us the means of adjusting the angles2 of knowing their correspondence or relation to each other2 and of translating the one into the other4 ,science must1 therefore1 as it develops1 be the instrument of informing us of the exact analogy between ,nature and ,art2 and must enable us so to apply the ,laws of ,nature1 or the ,laws of ,god as exhibited in ,nature1 that they shall become a perfect canon of life and action1 in all our attempted performances and constructions1 whatsoever they may be2 or1 vice versa1 it must enable us from the knowledge of the laws of our own actions to reveal the secrets of ,nature1 and to know1 by the analogy1 in what manner she acts4 ,it will then perhaps be found that the ,moral ,code1 as dictated by inspiration1 is only the forecast1 through that method1 of what is destined to be more perfectly revealed to the intellect1 when the veil is rent by the millennial perfection of man4 ,it will be perceived by the reader that the term ,art is here employed in a larger than its usual sense1 although the analogy in question has a special intensification when we confine the term to mean1 as it ordinarily does1 the choicest performances of man4 ,the term ,science has also a larger and a smaller extension4 ,in the larger sense it means the totality of knowledge extracted from ,impression or the observation of ,nature1 and distinguished from mere ,impression or ,nature on the one hand1 and from ,expression1 ,action1 ,performance1 or ,art--the reprojection of the knowledge into new forms of being--on the other hand4 ,in the more restricted sense1 ,science means systematized knowledge1 or1 still more specifically1 the ,body of ,principles or ,laws in accordance with which knowledge becomes systematized in the mind4 ,the larger and the smaller ,art-,performances of ,humanity--first1 all the ,work or ,product of the ,creative ,power of ,man2 and1 secondly1 ,grand and ,fine ,art1 as the ,choice ,product of that faculty--are again epitomized in ,,language or ,,speech4 ,this last is the ,sense-,bearing ,product of the ,lips and ,cooeperative ,organs1 put representatively for the product of the hands and of all the other instrumentalities of action4 ,it is in this representative sense that ,,language is preeminently and distinctively denominated ,,expression4 ,but1 as we have seen1 ,expression is the ,equivalent and exact ,reflect of ,impression2 ,art1 of ,nature2 through the mediation of ,science1 meaning thereby the ,laws of ,knowing4 ,these ,laws of ,knowing thus hold an exact relation to the ,laws of ,doing2 or1 in other words1 ,scientific ,laws to ,creative and ,vital ,laws1 which last are the ,laws of ,administration1 human and divine4 ,as an epitome or miniature1 then1 the ,laws of ,language must be an exact reproduction of the ,laws of the ,universe4 ,language itself1 in other words1 must be an epitome or miniature image1 in all its perfection1 of the ,universe at large2 as the image formed upon the retina of the eye1 though infinitely small in the comparison1 is an exact epitome or image1 inversely1 of the external world presented to the vision4 ,let the reader guard himself well against supposing that what is here meant is the mere commonplace truth that ,language is the equivalent of our ,impression of the ,universe1 in the fact that we can1 through the medium of ,language1 describe1 and in that sense express1 what we think and feel of and about the ,universe4 ,what is here intended is something far more recondite than this superficial relation between ,speech1 ,thought1 and the ,world thought about4 ,it is this--,that1 in the ,phenomena1 the ,laws1 and the ,indications of the ,structure of ,language--considered as a fabric1 or ,word-,world--there is an exact image or reproduction1 in a miniature way1 of the ,phenomena1 the ,laws1 and the ,indications of the entire ,universe2 in so definite and traceable a manner as to furnish to us1 when the analogy is understood1 a complete model and illustration of the ,science of the ,universe as a whole4 ,if this be true1 the immense importance of the discovery can hardly be over-estimated4 ,we are furnished by means of it with a simple object1 of manageable dimensions1 as the subject of our direct investigations2 which1 when mastered1 will1 by reflection1 and a definite law of relation and proportion1 enable us to master the ,plan of the ,universe2 and so to constitute a one ,science out of the many ,sciences by recognizing the ,domains which they cover as parts of a larger domain1 which is equivalent to the whole4 ,holding fast1 then1 to this thought1 let us proceed to the endeavor so to distribute the totality of the aspects of ,language as to exhaust the subject2 and1 by a concurrent projection of the analogies into the larger domain of the ,universe as a whole1 to establish a valid scientific nexus between the minor and the major spheres of our investigation4 ,first recurring to the preceding table1 and translating the ,abstract ,conceptions1 ,,nature1 ,,science1 and ,,art1 into their ,concrete ,equivalents or ,analogies1 they will stand thus3 ,abstract4 ,concrete4 #c4 ,,art4 #c4 ,,human ,,production4 7,art ,creation47 #b4 ,,science4 #b4 ,,man4 #a4 ,,nature4 #a4 ,,the ,,world4 7,the ,natural ,universe47 ,this is to say1 that the ,world or the ,natural ,universe is put for the ,natural ,impression which it makes of itself on the mind of the knowing subject2 that the ,knowing ,subject is put in the place of ,knowledge2 and that the ,product of ,activity--the ,thing ,created--is put for the ,activity itself or the ,act of ,creation4 ,it is clear enough that this distribution is exhaustive1 thus3 #a4 ,the ,world1 including1 in a sense1 all things2 but here contrasted with1 and in that sense excluding1 two of its own minor domains2 #b4 ,man1 including ,spirit1 and ,god1 in so far as human 7not seeking to compass or bring within our scientific classification whatsoever is divine in a sense absolutely supernatural or transcending the ,universe as such72 #c4 ,the ,collective or ,aggregate ,product of ,human ,activity2 including1 especially1 as norm or sample1 ,grand and ,fine ,art1 the ,choice ,product of ,human ,activity2 and1 in a more especial sense1 ,language1 as the ,special or ,typical ,,expression1 which exactly counterparts and represents the totality of ,,impression made by ,primitive ,nature or ,the ,world1 upon ,man or the ,human ,mind4 ,nature has again1 therefore1 like both ,science and ,art1 as shown above1 a double significance1 in the former and larger of which it includes and covers or envelops the two other departments of ,being2 in the latter and smaller of which it excludes them1 and makes ,nature1 or the ,world1 to stand over against them1 as that which is to be compared with ,man and the ,product of the ,labor of ,man2 and in an especial sense with that particular product called ,speech4 ,the easy transition from the minor to the larger conception of ,nature or the ,world is what renders ,language a type1 not only of the ,universe as distinguished from ,man and the ,product of his ,activity1 but equally a type of the ,universe in that larger sense in which it embraces them both4 ,hence the two terms of our comparison are3 #a4 ,,language1 as the miniature and image of the whole1 with1 #b4 ,the ,world or ,universe1 in that larger sense in which it is the whole1 and1 as such1 includes ,language and all else4 ,observe1 in the next place1 that ,art1 whether in the larger or in the smaller sense which we have assigned to it1 is the ,product of the ,combination and ,blending of ,science with ,nature 7reflective knowledge with natural impression72 or1 speaking in the concrete1 of the conjunction of man with the outside world2 man as the ,agent or ,actor1 and the ,world or ,nature as the ,object wrought upon4 ,in the production of ,speech1 the phonos or mere sound is the natural1 unwrought material1 which corresponds with the ,reality of ,nature2 and the ,meaning or ,minding which acts on1 articulates and organizes the ,sound into ,speech1 and which measures the sound quantitatively1 as in ,music1 is the ,scientific ,attribute corresponding with ,knowledge4 ,the result of these two in combination is the ,art of ,speech1 generally1 and ,improvisation or ,song as the ,fine ,art of this ,lingual ,domain4 ,but passing from the ,abstract to the ,concrete ,domain1 ,unwrought ,natural ,sound1 bearing its proportion of meaning1 furnishes the great basic department of language1 which1 for the reason that it is basic1 is usually regarded as the whole of language1 namely1 ,,oral ,,speech1 or ,,speech ,,language1 as distinguished from ,,music ,,and ,,song4 ,music1 on the other hand1 is wrought or measured ,sound1 bearing also its proportion of meaning2 a superior language1 corresponding with ,science1 from its relation to measure1 to numbers1 to fixed laws2 as ,oral ,speech corresponds1 in its freedom and unconstraint1 with ,nature4 ,music and ,oral ,language united or married to each other constitute ,,song1 which is then the analogue or type1 or ,nature's hieroglyph1 in this ,domain1 of ,art4 ,we say instinctively the ,art of ,speech2 the ,science of ,music1 and the ,art of ,singing4 ,in the first instance1 ,art is used for ,natural ,performance or ,nature2 but the whole of speech falling within the domain of art or performance1 its lowest or natural division still has some claim to the distinction of an art4 ,the first step of this series1 ,nature1 and the third step1 ,art1 repeat each other by overstepping the second1 which is ,science1 as ,do is accordant with ,mi1 but disharmonic with ,re4 ,it is1 therefore1 from the instinctual perception of this harmony1 that ,oral ,speech1 the basis of ,language1 the true ,nature-department of ,language1 is still denominated the ,art of ,speech4 ,adhering1 however1 to the ,concrete ,domain1 and seeking our analogies there1 oral speech1 a ,concrete ,thing1 does not directly correspond with ,nature1 an ,abstract ,conception1 but with ,the ,world1 a concrete thing2 nor does ,music1 a ,concrete ,thing1 correspond with ,science1 an ,abstract ,conception1 but with ,man 7the ,mind-being1 ,knowledge-being1 the ,science-being71 a concrete thing2 nor1 again1 does ,song1 a ,concrete ,thing1 correspond with ,art1 an ,abstract ,conception1 but with ,human ,product or ,doing1 a concrete thing4 ,song is again but the lowest and simple expression for that combination of ,music and ,oral ,expression1 aided by ,action1 to which the ,italians1 full of instinct for ,art1 have given the name ,,opera1 ,,the ,,work par excellence1 the culmination of ,art in ,movement and ,sound4 ,this word1 from the ,latin1 opus1 operari1 work1 to work1 connects in idea with the ,greek ,greek3 poiheo1 and the whole with ,action and ,art4 ,this last relationship accounts beautifully for the fact that the words poetry1 poesy1 and poet should be derived from the ,greek word ,greek3 poiheo1 which signifies simply ,,to ,,do4 ,the first threefold division of ,language and of ,the ,universe1 both brought into a parallelism in the ,concrete--the three ascending ,stories of each ,edifice1 so to speak1 when compared with each other--appear then as shown in the table below3 ,language4 ,the ,universe4 #c4 ,,song4 #c4 ,,human ,,achievement4 #b4 ,,music4 #b4 ,,man4 #a4 ,,oral ,,speech4 #a4 ,,the ,,world4 ,oral ,speech is the agglomerism of ,sound1 conceived of as roundish or in the lump1 as an undifferentiated ,oneness or mass2 and1 when wholly unarticulated1 it is the ,bawl1 a mere orthographical variation of ,ball2 that is to say1 it is1 to the imagination1 ,globe-shaped1 or ,world-shaped4 ,it is the concrete or massive world of ,language or ,speech4 ,music is the ,strain or the ,abstractism of ,sound4 ,to strain means ,,to ,,draw4 ,ab-stract is from the ,latin ab1 ,,from1 and strahere1 ,,to ,,draw4 ,the idea is not here roundish1 as in the other case1 but elongate2 sound made into a strain1 a cord1 or a string1 equivalent to a line1 which is the subject of measure-ment1 by notes 7or points7 and intervals4 ,the line1 with its twoness of determination and extremity1 has a relation to the number ,,two1 like that which the ball or globe has to the number ,,one4 ,the line is at the same time the type of ,the ,abstract1 the ,domain of ,science1 and hence of ,science1 and of ,knowledge1 and again1 in the concrete1 of ,man1 the ,knowledge-being4 ,the ball 7bawl7 is at the same time the type of ,the ,concrete 7con1 ,,with1 crescere1 ,,to ,,grow2 ,,the ,,grown ,,together1 or ,,agglomerate-world71 and hence of ,nature1 and again in ,the ,concrete1 of ,the ,world1 as contrasted with ,man4 ,song is the measure of the strain and the mingle of the bawl again commingled with each other1 in a composite blending of ,the ,measured and ,the ,free4 ,as the ,composity of that which has for its numerical type ,two1 with that which has for its numerical type ,one1 the proper numerical type of ,song is ,three2 or thus3 ,language4 ,number4 #c4 ,song1 ,,three4 #b4 ,music1 ,,two4 #a4 ,oral ,speech1 ,,one4 ,these numerical analogues can only be adverted to here1 and their meaning may not be very distinctly perceived4 ,their full exposition and that of their immense importance as principles and guides in the domain of analogy must be treated of elsewhere4 ,rhythm is the measure of the strain4 ,music is the mingled measure of many strains4 ,song is the higher mingling of music with the bawl 7the phonos1 or the material of ,oral ,speech74 ,measure is the analogue of ,science1 and hence ,music is another such analogue4 ,men-s1 ,,mind1 and men-sura1 ,,measure1 are etymologically cognate words2 so the ,english words ,,mean-ing1 ,,the ,,mind that is in a thing1 and ,,mean1 the average or measure1 or the dia-meter1 or through-measure of a thing4 ,again1 the concrete analogue of ,science 7,knowledge1 ,mind1 ,the ,abstract1 etc47 is1 as we have seen1 ,man4 ,,men-s1 ,,man1 hu-,,man-us1 are again1 probably1 etymologically cognate to homo1 hominis1 hoc men-s1 as hodie is to hoc or haec dies4 ,the ,line or ,cord is the instrument of measuring1 and as such is again the type of ,science1 as the ,ball or ,globe is the type of ,nature2 the ,line1 the type of strictness1 straightness1 stretchedness1 exactness2 and the lump or aggregative form1 that of ,freedom from ,constraint1 ,solution1 as of the water-drop1 and of ,absolute-ness 7ab1 ,,from1 and solvere1 ,,to ,,free74 ,,the ,,relative repeats ,,the ,,abstract2 and ,,the ,,absolute1 in ,philosophy1 repeats ,,the ,,concrete4 ,the ,relative has for its type ,two1 or di-termination 7dis or di1 ,two1 and termini1 ,,ends72 and the ,absolute has for its type ,one1 ,greek3 to hen of the ,greeks4 ,,existence1 embodying ,the ,absolute and ,the ,relative2 the one and the two2 has for its type ,three2 and the all-sided aspect of ,universal ,being which distinguishes and yet combines these three aspects of ,being1 is ,,tri-,,unity1 ,,or ,,the ,,three ,,in ,,one4 ,the ,trinism1 or third story of ascension in the constitution of things1 again divides into ,two ,branches1 the first of which accords with ,duism 7music1 line1 science1 mind1 man71 and the second with ,unism 7oral speech1 globe1 nature1 world74 ,in respect to ,language1 the division here made distributes ,song 7as the higher type1 including all music7 into two great departments2 as1 #a4 ,,composition1 and #b4 ,,performance1 or the ,songas a ,thing1 and ,singing as an ,act4 ,song as a whole is the analogue in language of the totality of ,human ,achievement1 in the distribution of the total ,universe1 as shown above4 ,the same division applied here distinguishes the permanent product of human activity1 the book or the statue1 from the performance of man--the action of the author or sculptor4 ,it is the distinction of the ,latins between #a4 ,res1 and #b4 ,res gestae4 ,dismissing for the present the higher domain of ,language1 which is ,song1 we reduce the scope of investigation to the lower and middle divisions1 namely3 #a4 ,to ,oral ,speech1 and #b4 ,to ,music2 and1 in the distribution of the ,universe at large1 to the corresponding lower and middle divisions1 namely3 #a4 ,the ,world 7,nature71 and #b4 ,man 7,mind74 ,oral ,speech1 the ,nature-department of language1 separates1 grammatically1 into two grand ,subdivisions1 as follows3 #a4 ,analysis1 ,the ,elements of ,language1 namely1 ,the ,alphabetic and ,syllabic distribution of ,language1 culminating in ,word-,building2--,the ,word in ,language being ,,the ,,individual in that ,domain2 and1 #b4 ,synthesis1 ,construction1 the ,grammatical ,domain proper1 including the ,parts of ,speech and their ,syntax1 or their putting together in a ,structure or ,lingual ,construction4 ,the first of these is the ,domain of the ,elementality of ,language1 and corresponds with and illustrates what ,kant denominates ,,quality2 as the name of one of the groups of three in his table of the twelve ,categories of the ,understanding4 ,this group of ,quality includes #a4 ,,affirmation2 #b4 ,,negation2 and #c4 ,,limitation4 ,by ,affirmation is meant the ,positive ,element or ,factor of ,being2 by ,negation1 the ,negative ,element2 and by ,limitation is meant the ,articulation1 that is to say1 the jointing or joining of the ,positive and ,negative ,elements1 in a seam or ridge1 which is the existential reality1 arising from the positive 7quasi-negative7 and the negative grounds of ,being4 ,the ,positive ,element or ,factor of ,oral ,speech1 the ,absolute ,reality or ',affirmation' of ,language1 is ,vocal ,utterance1 or1 specifically1 the kind of ,sound called ,,vowel4 ,the ,negative ,element or ,factor of ,oral ,speech1 the ',negation' of ,kant1 as illustrated in the ,speech ,domain1 is ,,silence2 the ,silences or ,intervals of ,rest which intervene between ,sounds 7and1 by repetition1 between ,syllables1 ,words1 ,sentences1 and the still larger divisions of ,speech74 ,the ,limitational ,element of ,oral ,speech is ,,consonantism1 or1 specifically1 the ,consonant ,sounds1 which for that reason are otherwise denominated ,articulations1 or jointings2 as they are the breaks of the otherwise continuous vocal utterance of ,vowel ,sound1 and1 at the same time1 the joinings between the fragments of ,vowel ,sound1 namely1 the ,vowels1 and the surrounding and intervening medium of ,silence4 ,the ,consonants thus become1 in a sense1 the ,bony ,structure1 or ,skeleton of ,speech1 the most prominent part1 that which furnishes the fossil remains of ,language1 which are investigated by the ,comparative ,philologists4 ,sound1 the ,positive ,element or ,factor1 the ,affirmation1 the ,eternal ,yea1 the ,absolute ,reality1 is the ,,something of ,speech4 ,silence1 the ,negative ,element or ,factor1 the ,negation1 the ,eternal ,nay1 the ,absolute ,unreality1 is the ,,nothing of ,speech4 ,articulate ,sound1 the ,resultant ,element1 the ,limitation or ,articulation1 the ,eternal ,transition1 the ,arriving and ,departing1 is the ,,existential ,,reality1 which comes up between and out of the ,absolute ,vocality 7quasi-negative71 and the ,absolute ,silence4 ,but the ,vowel ,absolute1 the continuous1 unbroken1 unarticulated1 undifferentiated1 monotonous ,vowel-,sound1 would be precisely equivalent to ,silence4 ,this1 then1 illustrates the famous fundamental aphorism of the ,philosophy of ,hegel3 ,,something 7equal to7 ,,nothing2 and the seemingly absurd ,hegelian affirmation that the real ,something is the resultant of the conjunction of two ,nothings4 ,what ,kant denominates ,quality1 would be1 for some uses1 better denominated ,elementism or ,elementality1 and the ,domain in which this principle dominates might then be called the ,elementismus of such larger ,domain as may be under consideration4 ,thus the ,elementismus 7or ,elementary ,domain7 of ,language would include ,sounds1 or the ,alphabet1 ,syllables1 and ,root-,words4 ,these are three powers or gradations of the ,roots of ,language4 ,this same domain might therefore be called the ,radicismus or ,root-,domain of ,language4 ,typically1 one-letter1 two-letter1 and three-letter roots1 again1 represent these three powers4 ,the ,elementismus or ,radicismus of the ,universe1 correspondential with that of ,language1 consists of the ,metaphysical1 the ,scientific1 and the ,descriptive ,principles of ,being4 ,the parallelism is exhibited throughout in the following table3 ,language4 ,universe4 #c;d ,power4 ,,root-,,words #c4 ,,descriptive ,,generalizations4 7,three-letter ,syllables74 7,averages74 #b;d ,power4 ,,syllables #b4 ,,scientific ,,principles4 7,two-letter ,syllables74 7,force1 ,attraction1 etc47 #c4 ,,articulations4 #c4 ,,categories4 #ast ,power4 ,,the ,,alphabet #b4 ,,silence4 #a4 ,,metaphysical ,,principles4 #b4 ,,nothing4 7,one-letter ,syllables74 #a4 ,,sound4 #a4 ,,something4 ,it results from this table that the deep ,metaphysical ,domain1 wherein ,aristotle and ,kant were laboring to categorize the ,universe1 is the ,alphabetic ,domain of ,universal ,being2 and that their profound effort was1 so to speak1 to discover ,the ,alphabet of the ,universe4 ,it also appears that the ,syllabarium of the ,universe1 and typically the open two-letter syllables of ,language1 as bi1 be1 ba1 correspond as analogues with the ,physical ,principles which lie at the basis of the ,sciences2 and finally1 that the completed ,root-,words1 typically the closed three-letter syllables1 or usual monosyllabic root-words1 as min1 men1 man1 correspond with the descriptive generalizations or general averages of ,natural ,science1 as ,universe itself1 ,matter1 ,mind1 ,movement1 etc4 ,these analogies need further elaboration and confirmation to render them perfectly clear and to establish them beyond cavil--such as space here does not admit of4 ,let us hurry on1 therefore1 to the ,relational or ,constructive ,domains of ,language and the ,universe1 where the analogies are more obvious4 ,the second of ,kant's groups of ,categories1 in the order in which it is most appropriate now to consider them1 he denominates ,,relation4 ,relation is that which intervenes between the ,,parts of a ,,whole4 ,prepositions are especially defined in ,grammar as words denoting relations4 ,our attention is thus turned in the ,domain of ,language to the ,parts of ,speech2 and to the ,syntax 7putting together71 or ,construction of these ,parts into the wholeness of ,discourse4 ,this is more specifically the ,department of ,grammar4 ,conjointly these are what may be denominated the ,relationismus of ,language4 ,this is the ,domain immediately above the ,elementismus4 ,in the same way the division of the human body or any other object into ,parts1 ,limbs1 ,members1 etc41 and the recombination of these into a structural whole1 arises in the scale of creation above the ,domain of ,elements 7,ultimate1 ,proximate1 ,chemical1 etc471 this last embracing only the qualitative nature of the substances entering into the structure4 ,in the ,universe at large1 therefore1 this ,relational ,domain is that in which we shall find ,things1 ,properties1 ,actions1 and1 specifically1 the ,relations between such1 and their ,combinations into ,structures and ,departments1 ,branches1 or ,limbs of ,being1 and finally into the total ,universe itself1 which is the analogue of the totality of ,language4 ,relation has a threefold aspect3 first1 in respect to ,space2 second1 in respect to ,time2 and third1 in respect to ,instance or ,present ,being1 the conjunction of the ,here and the ,now4 ,the first of these aspects subdivides into what ,kant denominates1 #a4 ,,substance1 and #b4 ,,inherence4 ,the second of these aspects subdivides into what ,kant denominates1 #a4 ,,cause1 and #b4 ,,dependence4 ,the third of these aspects of ,relation ,kant sums up in the term ,,reciprocal ,,action4 ,commencing with the first of these three subdivisions of ,relation1 and making our application within the ,domain of ,language1 it is obvious that it refers to the ,substantive and ,adjective region of ,grammar2 ,substance relating to ,substantives1 and ,inherence 7or ,attributes7 to ,adjectives2 or otherwise stated1 thus3 ,,substantives ,,things 7 ,substance4--,kant74 ,,adjectives ,,properties 7 ,inherence4--,kant74 ,the one ,thing inclusive of all minor ,things is the ,universe4 ,the ,universe as ,thing1 or the concrete domain of ,being1 subdivides into the world of ,things proper as distinguished from the ,personal world1 or the ,human world or ,man4 ,this first division of the substantive ,universe corresponds with the first grand grammatical division of ,nouns ,substantive into #a4 ,common ,nouns ,substantive1 and #b4 ,proper ,nouns ,substantive4 ,common ,nouns ,substantive correspond with ,things proper1 not aspiring to the rank of ,personality2 ,things put in contrast with ,persons2 ,things in that sense in which we speak of a person derogatorily as a mere thing2 hence1 common or ordinary1 and as a common1 undistinguished herd of objects1 only named and discriminated by the class-name of the class of objects to which they belong4 ,proper ,nouns ,substantive are the individual and distinctive names of ,men1 ,women1 and ,children4 ,hence they belong to and correspond with the domain of ,personality1 or to that of ,man as against the world of mere ,things4 ,some objects1 lower in the scale of ,being than man1 are treated with that respect and consideration which ordinarily attach to ,human ,beings1 and are then dignified by applying to them ,proper ,names4 ,these are especially the ,domestic ,animals immediately associated with man2 ,mountains1 ,rivers1 ,lakes1 etc4 ,restated1 this discrimination is as follows3 #a4 ,,common ,,nouns ,,substantive ,,things1 ,,the ,,world4 #b4 ,,proper ,,nouns ,,substantive ,,personality1 ,,man4 ,it is to be borne in mind that1 as a minor proportion of mere ,things are raised to the dignity of wearing ,proper ,names1 so1 on the other hand1 ,men1 though appropriately distinguished by prenomens and cognomens1 may also sink to the character of ,things1 and be mentioned by class-names4 ,thus it is that throughout ,nature one domain overlaps another domain1 and all of our discriminations1 though made in terms as if absolute1 signify1 in fact1 merely the preponderance2 thus1 when we say1 that ,proper ,names apply to the ,human ,domain1 that is true in preponderance1 but not absolutely or exclusively2 and when we say that ,common ,names apply to ,things below ,persons1 the statement is true in preponderance1 but not absolutely or exclusively4 ,proper ,names--,the ,human ,world in ,language--are1 in the next place1 distinguished by ,gender1 as that word itself is distinguished by ,sex4 ,by the principle of ,overlapping1 above explained1 this distinction of ,gender or ,sex descends in a minor degree into the ,thing ,world2 in a large degree to the ,animal ,world below man3 in less degree to the ,vegetable ,world2 and in the least degree to the ,mineral and ,abstract ,world4 ,but characteristically and predominatingly1 ,sex is predicated of ,humanity1 where it is developed in its highest perfection2 and in the same degree ,gender in ,grammar is1 in predominance1 confined to the ,proper ,nouns ,substantive4 ,masculine and ,feminine are the only ,proper ,genders4 ,neuter ,gender means of neither ,gender1 and includes the great mass of ,common ,nouns1 or the ,thing ,world1 as distinguished from ,personality4 ,reversing the order1 and resuming the above discriminations in the two domains1 ,language and the ,universe1 they are as follows3 ,language4 ,universe4 ,,masculine4 ,,male4 ,,proper-,,noun-,,dom ,,person-,,dom ,feminine4 ,female4 ,,common-,,noun-,,dom4 ,,thing-,,dom4 ,again1 in this ,concrete ,world1 the world of ,persons and ,things1 ,number reappears1 and guides the next great ,grammatical division of ,nouns ,substantive2 and the ruling numbers are1 again1 ,one1 ,two1 ,three4 ,the ,number ,one corresponds with the ,singular ,number in ,grammar1 and with the ,individual or ,single ,person 7or ,thing7 in the ,universe at large4 ,the ,number ,two corresponds with the ,dual ,number in ,grammar1 and with the ,couple or ,pair in the ,world of ,persons 7and ,things72 and finally the ,number ,three corresponds with the ,plural ,number in ,grammar and with ,society or the many among ,persons 7and ,things72 or in tabular form1 thus3 #a4 ,,singular ,,number1 ,,the ,,number ,,one 7#a74 #b4 ,,dual ,,number1 ,,the ,,number ,,two 7#b74 #c4 ,,plural ,,number1 ,,the ,,number ,,three 7#c74 ,the ,number ,three1 as the first ,plural ,number above the ,dual1 is the ,head and ,type of ,plurality in the grammatical discrimination1 and stands representatively for all ,plurality4 ,one1 ,two1 and ,three1 are the ,representative ,numbers and ,heads of the whole ,cardinal ,series of ,number4 ,first1 ,second1 and ,third are the corresponding ,representatives and ,heads of the ,corresponding ,ordinal ,series of ,number4 ,these latter numerals find their representation1 grammatically1 in the next ,grand ,grammatical ,distribution of the ,proper ,nouns ,substantive1 namely1 ,,person1 so called1 or1 specifically1 the #ast ,,person1 #b;d ,,person1 and #c;d ,,person 7of ,proper ,nouns74 ,this distribution represents properly the ,rank or ,degree of ,persons in the ,hierarchy of ,personality2 the ,ego ranking naturally as ',number ,one4' ,deference or ,grace teaches us afterward to defer to the personality of others1 and converts our primitive notions of rank into opposites1 in a way which is indicated by the honorific use of ,thou in addressing the ,supreme1 etc4 ,this idea of ,personal ,rank1 the ,hierarchical ,ascension of ,individuality or ,personality in ,society1 abstracted from the particular ,individuals1 and rendered purely official1 becomes nominally a new ,part of ,speech1 and is the whole1 substantially1 of what we denominate the ,pronouns4 ,the ,pronoun1 as a ,part of ,speech1 is1 therefore1 the ,analogue1 within the ,lingual ,domain1 of ,the ,state or the ,constitution1 governmentally1 of ,human ,society1 the ascending and descending rank of individuals in the social organization1 the ,heraldic ,schedule of ,man4 ,finally we arrive at the consideration of the ,casus or ,case of ,nouns ,substantive4 ,the ,accidents of ,life or ,being1 the occasional states of ,men or ,things1 as acting or being acted upon1 or simply as related to each other in ,space1 or otherwise1 are here represented4 ,it is this which is meant by ,,case1 from the ,latin casus1 itself from the ,latin cadere1 ,,to ,,fall1 or to ,,fall ,,out or ,,happen4 ,in the old ,grammars1 the ,cases of the ,nouns are denominated ,accidents4 ,ac-cid-ent1 is from ad1 ,,to1 and cadere 7cid71 ,,to ,,fall2 and the same root with ob 7oc71 gives us ,,oc-,,cas-ion1 ,,oc-,,cas-ionally1 etc4 ,the ,accidents of ,being are a special kind of ,inherence to the ,substance of ,being2 the ,relational kind par excellence1 as distinguished from the ,qualitative kind2 which last is denoted by the proper ,adjectives4 ,the ,oblique ,case of a ,noun ,substantive1 whether formed by an ,inflexion or by a ,preposition1 is therefore nothing else than a special kind of ,adjective1 destitute of the property of ,comparison1 because it denotes the ,accident instead of the ,quality of ,being1 and because ,accidents or ,relations between ,things do not vary by degrees of ,intensity as ,qualities do4 ,the above description of the ,cases of ,nouns applies especially to the ,oblique ,cases2 that is to say1 to all except the ,nominative ,case4 ,the ,nominative ,case is itself susceptible of being regarded as an ,accident2 but its more important office is that of the ,,subject of the ,proposition1 which takes it out of the minor category of an accident1 or at least subordinates this latter view of its character4 ,the ,accidents of ,being in the ,universe at large are therefore the analogues of the oblique cases of ,nouns ,substantive in the ,domain of ,language2 the ,nominative ,case representing1 on the contrary1 the central figure in the particular member of discourse1 and that which the accidents or falls 7casus7 are perceived to relate to or affect4 ,substantives and ,adjectives were both formerly included under the term ,nouns or ,names2 and we have still to distinguish1 when they are under special consideration1 as they are here1 ,nouns ,substantive1 and ,nouns ,adjective4 ,by regarding all the ,oblique ,cases of ,nouns ,substantive as a species or variety of ,nouns ,adjective1 and so classifying them along with the ,adjectives proper1 the ,nominative ,case alone remains to represent the ,substantive1 in the higher and exclusive sense of the term4 ,this is then1 at the same time1 ,the ,subject4 ,the terms employed to designate them sufficiently indicate this identity3 ,substantive1 from sub1 ,,under1 and stans1 ,,standing2 and ,subject1 from ,,sub1 ,,under1 and jectus1 ,,thrown or ,,cast4 ,these are1 therefore1 nearly etymological equivalents4 ,before passing to the consideration of the ,subject and the ,proposition1 let us finish with the ,nouns ,adjective1 to which we have only given an incidental attention4 ,these are the representatives of ,incidence or ,attribution2 and correspond to the entire adjectivity pertaining to the substantiality of the real or concrete ,universe2 both ,substance and ,incidence falling as parts of one domain within the larger domain of ,,relation1 which in ,language is the domain of ,grammar proper1 including ,etymology and ,syntax4 ,it may now be shown that this ,adjective ,world is so much a world by itself that ,kant's namings for the four groups of the ,categories of the ,understanding1 which we are here enlarging to be the ,categories of ,all ,being1 are precisely the most appropriate namings for the subdivisions of the ,adjective ,world4 ,these are3 #a4 ,adjectives of ,,quality4 #b4 ,adjectives of ,,relation4 #c4 ,adjectives of ,,quantity4 #d4 ,adjectives of ,,mode4 #a4 ,adjectives of ,quality are those which designate the qualities of things as good or bad1 etc4 ,they are susceptible of three ,degrees of ,comparison2 and are1 without due consideration1 usually regarded by ,grammarians as if they constituted the whole of the ,adjective ,world4 #b4 ,adjectives of ,relation are1 as we have seen1 7chiefly7 the ,oblique ,cases of the ,noun ,substantive4 ,they admit of no ,degrees of ,comparison4 ,these have not heretofore been regarded as ,adjectives2 but broadly and philosophically considered1 they are so4 #c4 ,adjectives of ,quantity are the ,numerals1 which always instinctively find their way among the ,adjectives in the ,grammar ,books1 without their presence there being duly accounted for1 that part of speech having been usually defined as relating exclusively to the ,quality of ,things4 ,these numeral ,adjectives subdivide into ,ordinal ,numerals and ,cardinal ,numerals2 and1 like ,adjectives of ,relation1 they are not susceptible of being varied by the ,degrees of ,comparison4 #d4 ,adjectives of ,mode relate to the ,conditions of ,existence1 as necessary and unnecessary1 important and unimportant1 etc4 ,they are somewhat ambiguous as to their susceptibility to comparison4 ,it is over this class of ,adjectives that the ,grammarians dispute4 ,if a thing is necessary1 then1 it is said1 it cannot be more necessary1 or most necessary1 the ,positive ,case being itself ,absolute or ,superlative4 ,in some cases this rule is not so clear1 and there is doubt whether it is proper to apply the signs of ,comparison or not4 ,we may correctly say more important and most important2 and on the whole the ,adjectives of ,mode1 or ,modal ,adjectives1 are to be classed as capable of ,comparison4 ,these four classes of ,adjectives again classify in respect to their usual susceptibility to comparison1 as follows3 ,adjectives of ,quality1 ,adjectives of ,mode ,capable of ,comparison4 ,adjectives of ,quantity1 ,incapable of ,comparison4 ,adjectives of ,relation1 ,the ,principle of ,comparison is itself hierarchical1 or pertaining to gradation or rank divinely ordained2 or as the mere scientist might prefer to say1 naturally existent4 ,it repeats1 therefore1 in an echo1 or correspondentially1 ,,the ,,person 7,first1 ,second1 ,third7 of ,nouns ,substantive and ,pronouns2 and has relation to the ,three ,heads of the ,ordinal ,series of ,number1 #ast1 #b;d1 #c;d2 as ,,the ,,number of ,nouns ,substantive 7,singular1 ,dual1 and ,plural7 has relation to the ,three ,heads of the ,cardinal ,series of ,number1 #a1 #b1 #c4 ,the ,qualities1 the ,relations1 the ,numerical ,character1 and the ,modal ,condition of ,things1 are conjointly an ,adjunct ,world to the ,real ,world of ,persons and ,things1 in the ,universe at ,large2 and taken collectively1 it is that domain or aspect of the total ,universe which is the scientific echo to or analogue of the ,part of ,speech called ,adjective in the ,grammar of ,language4 ,the ,substantivity and the ,adjectivity1 taken again collectively with each other1 are the totality of the ,concrete ,universe considered in a state of ,rest4 ,the ,movement of the ,universe is expressed by the verbal department of ,language1 and will receive our subsequent attention4 ,it is1 therefore1 from within this department that our concrete analogues of the larger ,abstractions of the ,universe1 ,nature1 ,science1 and ,art1 namely1 ,the ,world1 ,man1 and the ,product of ,man's labor1 were taken4 ,they belong to the ,substantivity 7,kant's ,substance7 of the ,universe1 and their qualities1 relations1 number1 and mode of being belong to the ,adjectivity of the ,universe 7,kant's ,inherence72 and these two departments of ,universal ,being or of the possible aspects of ,universal ,being are the ,scientific ,analogues1 in the ,universe at large1 of ,nouns ,substantive and ,nouns ,adjective1 in the ,grammar ,department of the total distribution of the little ,universe of ,language2 which is the point to be here specially illustrated and insisted upon4 ,we pass now to the consideration of the ,verb and ,participle1 related to ,movement4 ,the ,great ,noun ,class of ,words1 including the ,nominative ,noun ,substantive1 not yet brought into action and made to functionate as ,subject or ,agent1 together with the whole ,adjective ,family of ,words as above defined1 is without ,action4 ,these words1 and correspondentially1 the ,things and their ,attributes which they represent in the ,universe at large1 are static or immovable4 ,the ,universe1 viewed in the light of them solely1 is a ,universe at rest1 or1 as it were1 arrested in its progression through ,time1 and existing only in ,space2 for ,,time has relation to ,,motion1 as ,,space has relation to ,,position or ,,rest4 ,this aspect of the ,universe or of ,language may therefore be appropriately denominated ,statoid 7or ,spaceoid74 ,the relations between the ,parts of this ,aspect1 denoted by the ,prepositions and ,conjunctions1 are inert or static relations1 concerning predominantly ,position in ,space1 as above1 below1 etc4 ,when the ,substantive proper 7the ,nominative ,case7 passes over and becomes functionally a ,,subject 7we will consider1 first1 the case where the ,verb is ,active ,transitive1 and the ,subject therefore an ,agent71 we pass from ,statism to ,motism2 or from ,rest to ,movement4 ,this is1 at the same time1 to pass from the ,domain or ,kingdom of ,space to the ,kingdom or ,domain of ,time 7or ,tense74 ,noun-dom 7in its largest extension1 including ,nouns ,substantive and ,nouns ,adjective1 together with their ,words of ,relation1 ,prepositions and ,conjunctions7 constitutes1 therefore1 the ,,statismus 7or ,domain of the ,principle of ,rest7 within the ,,relationismus 7or ,domain of ,parts and their ,construction1 or ,syntaxis into a whole7 of the larger ,domain of ,language1 which might then be properly denominated the ,linguismus of the ,universe4 7,every new ,science has to have its new nomenclature4 ,let the reader not be repelled1 therefore1 by these innovations upon the speech usages of our ,language2 their great convenience1 and their actual necessity even for the right discussion of the subject1 furnishing their sufficient apology47 ,to determine what the limits of the corresponding ,domain are in the ,universe at large1 and its proper technical designation1 it is only necessary to go back upon the analogues already indicated4 ,we have1 then1 the ,statismus of the ,relationismus of the ,universe2 which is the ,structural ,universe1 viewed in respect to the relationship between the parts and the whole1 and as if arrested in ,space1 or1 what is the same thing1 abstracted from ,movement in ,time4 ,in going over to the new ,domain in ,language1--the ,grammar of the ,verb and ,participle1--we pass then1 technically speaking1 to the ,,motismus of the ,,relationismus of ,language2 and in going over to the corresponding ,domain of the ,universe at large1 we pass to the ,,motismus of the ,,relationismus of the ,universe1 in which action and the relations between actions are concerned4 ,since ,motion and ,action involve the idea of ,force or ,power1 for which the ,greek word is dynamis1 furnishing the ,english words ,dynamic and ,dynamics1 our ,philosophers have chosen the distinction ,static and ,dynamic1 instead of ,static and ,motic1 the true distinction1 and have in that way obscured and disguised from themselves even the fundamental and all-important relationship of these two great ,aspects of ,being1 with the two great negative ,grounds or ,containers of all ,being2 namely1 with ,,space and with ,,time respectively4 ,it is here1 in the ,domain of ,movement and ,time1 the ,motismus of ,language1 and especially of ,grammar1--the ,relationismus of ,language1--that the ,grand ,lingual ,illustration or ,type of the ,second ,subdivision of ,kant's ,group of ,relation occurs2--the subdivision which he should have denominated ,tempic1 as distinguished from the former ,subdivision 7of ,substance and ,inherence71 which should then have been called ,spacic4 ,this ,tempic ,sub-,group of ,relation again subdivides1 as already stated1 into #a4 ,,cause1 and #b4 ,,dependence4 ,the ,subject of a ,proposition1 in the ,active ,voice1 which is the ,typical or ,direct ,expression of ,action1 is the ,,agent or ,actor in the performance of the given ,action4 ,to be an agent is to act2 and to act is to exhibit an effect1 the ,cause of which resides in the ,agent4 ,agent and ,cause are thus identified4 ,in other words1 the ,nominative ,case1 in the ,active ,transitive ,locution1 is the type and illustration of the ,sub-,category1 ,cause1 in the ,group of ,relation1 as conceived by the great ,german metaphysician4 ,his ,correlative ,sub-,category1 ,dependence1 is the ,action itself1 resulting from the ,activity of the ,agent1 and expressed by the ,verb and its dependencies4 ,the ,cause and ,dependence of ,kant1 as a ,sub-,group of ,relation1 are therefore1 when translated into their typical expression in ,language1 simply ,the ,nominative and ,the ,verb2 and belong to the ,domain of ,movement1 and hence to that of ,time4 ,it is only1 however1 when the ,verb is ,active that the ,nominative is ,agent or ,cause4 ,in the ,passive ,locution or ,voice1 a ,conversion into ,opposites occurs2--the ,direct is exchanged for the ,inverse ,order of the ,action4 ,the ,nominative then names the ,object which receives1 suffers1 or endures the force of the ,action1 and the ,agent is then thrown into the ,category of an ,accident1 and expressed in an ,oblique ,case2 thus1 ,charles is struck by ,john4 ,the term ,subject1 applied to the ,nominative ,case1 is made1 by a happy equivoque1 to cover both these aspects2 that in which the ,nominative is ,agent or ,cause1 and that in which it is not so4 ,it is only in the latter instance that it is really or literally a subject1 that is to say1 subjected to1 or made to suffer the force of the action of the ,verb2 but action is a reaction from such invasion or infliction of suffering or impression upon the person 7or thing72 and the term ,subject1 changing its meaning1 accompanies the person nominated or named by the ,nominative ,case over into this new positive relation to the action4 ,it is interesting to observe that precisely the same doubleness of meaning arises1 in the same way1 in respect to the word ,passion1 from ,latin patior1 to suffer4 ,when we speak of the passion of ,christ1 we retain the primitive and etymological meaning of the word2 but1 ordinarily1 passion means just the opposite2 that violent reaction of the feeling side of the mind from ,impression 7or passion in the first sense71 which is nearly allied to ,rage4 ,intermediate between the ,active and the ,passive ,locutions is a compound ,active and ,reactive state--the action put forth by the agent1 and yet terminating upon himself--which is expressed lingually by what is appropriately called in ,greek the ,middle ,voice 7,sanscrit1 ,at mane pada71 and in our modern ,grammars1 as the ,french1 ,the ,reflective ,verb4 ,this last1 the ,reflective or ,reciprocal ,locution1 is the grammatical type and illustration of ,kant's third subdivision of the ,group of ,relation1 that1 namely1 which he denominates ,,reciprocal ,,action4 ,the correspondences between ,language and the ,universe at large are here too obvious to require to be enlarged or insisted upon4 ,the ,active ,voice in ,grammar repeats the ,world of ,direct ,actions2 the ,passive ,voice1 the ,world of ,inverse ,actions2 and the ,middle ,voice the ,world of ,reciprocal ,actions1 in the ,universe at large4 ,the ,nominative ,case 7in the first and leading of these ,locutions7 is the ,analogue of ,cause1 and the ,verb1 of ,dependence1 or the ,chain of ,effects resulting from the ,cause4 ,the ,i1 the ,me1 the ,,ego1 as ,subject1 in the domain of ,philosophy1 is first ,subject 7-ed7 under ,impression from the world without1 and afterward becomes ,cause 7in ,expression72 and the term ,subject has here1 therefore1 precisely the same ambiguity as in ,grammar1 and stands contrasted in the same way with the word ,object2 the ,accusative ,case of the old ,grammarians being now called the ,objective ,case1 and denoting that upon which the force of the 7direct7 action is expended4 ,the ,middle ,voice becomes1 by an elision1 the ,neuter ,verb4 ,i walk1 means1 ,i walk myself4 ,neuter ,verbs fall1 then1 into the ,category of ,reciprocal ,action4 ,the ,typical ,neuter ,verb1 the ,typical ,verb1 in fine1 of all verbs1 is the ,substantive or ,copula ,verb ,,to ,,be1 the ,verb of ,existence or ,being4 ,i am1 means1 ,i am myself1 or1 ,i keep or hold myself in being4 ,in strictness1 the verb to be is the ,,only ,,verb4 ,every other ,verb is capable of ,solution into this one1 accompanied by a ,participle2 thus1 ,i walk1 becomes1 ,i am ,,walking1 etc4 ,by this analysis1 the ,verb1 as such1 falls back among words of ,relation1 or mere ,connectives4 ,it may then be classed with ,prepositions and ,conjunctions2 its office of ,connection being still peculiar1 however1 namely1 to intervene between the ,subject and the ,predicate4 ,participles1 into which all other verbs than this ,copula1 are so resolved1 then fall back in like manner into the ,class of ,adjectives4 ,the ,tempic and ,motic ,word-,kingdom is thus carried back to its dependence upon the ,spacic and ,static ,word-,kingdom1 as basis2 in the same manner as1 in ,nature1 ,time and ,motion have ,space and ,rest for their perpetual background4 ,reduced to this degree of simplicity1 there are but three ,parts of ,speech3 #a4 ,substantives2 #b4 ,attributes2 and #c4 ,words of ,relation2 which correspond with #a4 ,things2 #b4 ,properties of ,things2 and #c4 ,the ,interrelationship of ,things1 of ,properties1 and of ,things and their ,properties1 in the ,universe at large4 ,the ,adverb has not been mentioned4 ,analysis reduces it in every instance to an ,oblique ,case of the ,substantive1 or1 what is the same thing1 to a ,substantive governed by a ,preposition2 and hence1 by a second transfer1 as shown above1 to the class of ,adjectives of ,relation3 thus1 happily means in a happy manner2 now means in the present time1 etc4 ,in the ,grammatical ,motismus the ,three ,tenses1--for there are but three strictly1 or in the first great natural ,division of ,time1--namely1 the ,past1 the ,present1 and the ,future1 correspond with the ,grand ,three-fold ,division of ,the ,tempismus1 the ,universal ,ongoing or ,procession of ,events1 the ,grandis ,ordo ,naturae2 namely1 the ,past1 the ,present1 and the ,future1 as the ,three-fold ,aspect of ,time and of the ,universe of ,res ,gestae1 or ,things ,done1 and ,contained in ,time1 as distinguished from the other equal ,aspect of the total ,universe1 namely1 the ,static ,expansion of the ,universe in ,space4 ,mode1 which is subsequently developed in ,music as a ,distinct ,grouping of ,categories1 finds here1 in the domain of ,relation1 a subordinate development1 in connection with the ,verb4 ,kant's ,subdivision of ,mode1 as a group of ,categories is1 #a4 ,,possibility and ,,impossibility2 #b4 ,,being and ,,not-,,being2 and #c4 ,,necessity and ,,accidence4 ,it is obvious that ,,possibility is that ,category which is expressed grammatically by the ,potential ,mode 7from potentia1 ,,power1 ,,possibility72 otherwise called the ,conditional ,mode4 ,i should do so and so if--,the ,negative ,form of this ,mode expresses ,,impossibility3 ,i should or could not do so and so unless1 etc4 ,,being and ,,not-,,being1 direct ,assertion and ,denial1 find their grammatical representation in the ,indicative ,mode3 ,i do or ,i do not2 and in an ,un-fin-it-ed or ,in-defi-nite way1 as a mere naming of the idea1 in ,the ,infinitive ,mode1 to do1 etc4 ,,necessity and ,,accidence are expressed in the ,imperative ,mode for the former and in the ,subjunctive ,mode for the latter4 ,necessary and ,imperative are synonymes4 ,to command absolutely1 is to require1 and ,the ,required or ,the ,requisite is again ,the ,necessary4 ,accidence is that which is under a condition1 sub-joined1 ,sub-junctive2 which may or may not happen1 hence introduced by an if1 equal to gif1 give1 grant1 provided it so happen4 ,,elementality 7,kant's ,,quality of ,being7 reappears in this domain of ,relation in ,connection with the ,verb3 ,,affirmation1 in the ,affirmative ,propositions1 as1 ,i love2 ,,negation1 in ,negative ,propositions1 as1 ,i do not ,love2 and ,limitation1 wavering as between two1 in the ,dubitative or ,questioning ,forms of the ,proposition1 as1 ,do ,i love8 ,do ,i not love8 ,the ,celtic tongues have special modal forms to express these modifications of the ,verb4 ,,number1 the remaining one of ,kant's ,groups of the ,categories1 finds also its minor representative in this domain in the ,numbers1 ,singular1 ,dual1 and ,plural1 incorporated into the ,conjugation of the ,verb4 ,this leads us to the consideration of ,grammatical ,agreement and ,government2 carries us over into ,syntax1 ,prosody1 ,logic1 and ,rhetoric2 back to ,lexicology1 the domain of the ,dictionary or mere ,vocabulary in ,language2 and thence upward to ,music1 and finally again to ,song1 the culmination of ,speech4 ,the subject grows upon us1 and it is impossible to complete it in a single paper4 ,the ,portions of ,language which we have been considering belong to the two ,departments3 #a4 ,,elementismus 7,kant's ,,quality71 and #b4 ,,relation 7,grammar more properly74 ,the treatment of these is not fully exhausted1 and must be recurred to hereafter4 ,the two remaining ones of ,kant's ,groups of the ,categories of the ,understanding 7here extended to be the ,categories of all ,being7 are1 #c4 ,,quantity1 and #d4 ,,mode4 ,the proper domain of these two is ,music4 ,the mere mention of the musical terms ,unison1 ,discord 7duism1 diversity71 the ,spirit of ,one and the ,spirit of ,two2 and of the ,major and the ,minor ,mode1 suggest ,,quantity and ,,modality as the reigning principles in that domain4 ,the appearance of ,number and ,mode in the domain of ,relation 7,grammar71 is1 as already stated1 a subordinate one1 and has respect to the principle of ,,overlapping1 already adverted to1 by which all the domains of ,nature are intricated or con-creted with each other4 ,,quantity and ,,mode1 in their own independent and separate development1 will1 therefore1 be the special subjects of a subsequent treatment4 ,,aphorisms4--,,no4 ,,vi4 ,mind is a thing that we partly have by nature1 and partly have to create by mental discipline and exercise4 ,or1 as ,horace says3 ',ego nec studium sine divite vena1 ,nec rude quid prosit video ingenium4' ,de ,arte ,poetica1 #dji1 #daj4 ,in ,english3 ',what can our studies yield1 where mind is weak2 ,or what a genius do1 that's not with discipline prepared8' ,nor is it yet clear1 on which1 supposing a well-organized and healthy body1 most will depend--upon the native endowment1 or upon the labor of developing and applying the inborn power4 ,distinguishing1 however1 between genius and talent1 we may safely admit that no discipline1 without 'the gift and faculty divine1' will produce the one2 and hold that well-directed industry1 in almost any case of a naturally sound mind1 will surely develop the other4 ,the half-made and often ill-tutored efforts of the usual processes of learning1 are not to be allowed a decisive voice against the supposition that vigorous mental life might be the common portion of educated men4 ,,an ,,army3 ,,its ,,organization ,,and ,,movements4 ,the immense military operations of our civil war have familiarized1 to a considerable extent1 not only those connected with the armies1 but the people generally with the systems on which military forces are organized and the methods of conducting war4 ,much has been learned in the past three years1 and much accomplished in the improvement of tactics1 internal organization1 and the construction of all kinds of material4 ,civilians1 who were well read in the history of former wars1 and even professional military officers1 were comparatively ignorant of all the numerous details necessarily incident to the formation and movement of armies4 ,on account of the deficiency of practical information on these matters1 the difficulties which arose at the commencement of the war1 were1 as it is well known1 immense2 but they were overcome with a celerity and energy absolutely unparalleled in the history of the world1 and to-day we are able to assure ourselves with justifiable pride that in all essential particulars our armies are fully and properly organized1 equipped1 and provided for4 ,we propose to exhibit in a few articles the methods by which these results have been accomplished--to present to readers generally the system of organization and the principles of operation existing in our armies--giving them such information as can be obtained only from actual thorough acquaintance with military life1 or extended perusal of works on military art1 as now understood among the leading civilized nations4 ,that such information would be desirable1 we were led to believe from the surprise expressed by an intelligent friend at the definition given him of the phrase 'line of battle4' ,he was greatly astonished on learning that battles are fought1 mostly1 by lines of only two ranks in depth4 ,the history of the 'line of battle' is of great interest1 and indeed contains an exposition of the principles on which a great portion of modern warfare is founded4 ,while the chief principles of strategy1 of the movement of armies1 of attack and defence1 and to some extent of tactics1 are the same now as in the earliest ages1 the mode of arraying men for battle has undergone an entire change1 attributable to the improvement in the weapons of warfare4 ,we are not superior to the ancients so much in the science of war1 as in the character of our arms4 ,they undoubtedly fought in the manner most appropriate to the means which they possessed4 ,the great change which has taken place in the method of battle1 consists chiefly in this--that formerly men were arrayed in masses1 now in lines4 ,the ,grecian phalanx was composed of #cb1jjj men arranged as follows3 #af1jjj spearmen placed in sixteen ranks of a thousand men each1 forming the centre2 on each wing1 #d1jjj light spearmen in eight ranks2 #d1jjj men armed with bows and slings1 who performed the part of skirmishers2 #d1jjj cavalry4 ,the ,roman legion contained #d1ejj men1 of which #a1bjj were light infantry or skirmishers armed with bows and slings4 ,the main body consisted of #a1bjj spearmen1 who were formed into ten rectangular bodies of twelve men front by ten deep2 behind them were ten other rectangles of the second line2 and behind these a third line of #fjj in rectangles of six men front by ten deep4 ,to the legion was attached #cjj cavalry4 ,in the middle ages1 infantry was considered of little importance1 the combat being principally among the knights and cavaliers4 ,the introduction of gunpowder caused a change in the method of fighting1 but it was effected gradually4 ,for a long time only clumsy cannon were used1 which1 however1 made great havoc among the formations in mass still retained4 ,rude arquebuses were then introduced1 and improvements made from time to time2 but even so late as the #agth century the ancient arms were retained in a large proportion4 ,they did not disappear entirely until the invention of the bayonet in the #ahth century4 ,this contributed as much as the use of firearms to change the formations of battle4 ,in the #afth century the number of ranks had been reduced from ten to six2 at the end of the reign of ,louis ,,xiv4 the number was four2 ,frederick the ,great reduced it to three4 ,with this number the wars of the ,french ,republic and ,empire were conducted1 until at ,leipsic1 in #ahac1 ,napoleon's army being greatly diminished1 he directed the formation in two ranks1 saying that the enemy being accustomed to see it in three1 and not aware of the change1 would be deceived in regard to its numbers4 ,he stated also that the fire of the rear rank was dangerous to those in front1 and that there was no reason for the triple formation4 ,in this judgment military authorities have since concurred1 and the two-rank formation is almost universally adopted4 ,russia is the only civilized power which places men in masses on the battle field4 ,formations in column are used when necessary to carry a particular local position1 even at a great expenditure of life4 ,but the usual mode of combat is that adopted by ,napoleon4 ,our battles have been almost universally fought in this manner4 ,the rebels have probably used the formation in column more frequently than the ,northern troops4 ,the non-military reader can easily perceive that formations in mass are more subject to loss from the fire of artillery and from that of small arms even at considerable distances1 and are less able to deliver their own fire4 ,our old regular army consisted of ten regiments of infantry1 two of cavalry1 two of dragoons1 and one of mounted rifles1 of ten companies each1 and four artillery regiments of twelve companies each4 ,two companies each of the latter served as light artillery--the companies alternating in this service4 ,there was also a battalion of engineers4 ,at the commencement of the war our force of light artillery was very inadequate1 and rifled ordnance had scarcely been introduced4 ,our present immense force of the former has been almost entirely created since the commencement of the war2 the splendid achievements in rifled artillery have been entirely accomplished within the last three years4 ,although it had been applied some years previously in ,europe1 it was not formally introduced into our service until needed to assist in suppressing the gigantic rebellion4 ,the ,ordnance ,department had1 however1 given attention to the matter1 and boards of officers were engaged in making experiments4 ,a report had been made that 'the era of smooth-bore field artillery has passed away1 and the period of the adoption of rifled cannon1 for siege and garrison service1 is not remote4 ,the superiority of elongated projectiles1 whether solid or hollow1 with the rifle rotation1 as regards economy of ammunition1 extent of range1 and uniformity and accuracy of effect1 over the present system1 is decided and unquestionable4',a ,we shall see1 in discussing artillery1 how far these expectations have been realized4 ,the regular army was increased in #ahfa by the addition of nine regiments of infantry1 one of cavalry1 and one of artillery4 ,the ,mounted ,rifles were changed into the #c;d ,cavalry1 and the two dragoon regiments into the #ast and #b;d ,cavalry4 ,the old #ast and #b;d ,cavalry became the #dth and #eth4 ,all cavalry regiments have now twelve companies1 and the new infantry regiments are formed on the latest ,french system of three battalions1 of eight companies each1 with a colonel1 lieutenant-colonel1 and three majors4 ,each of the #bd companies has #hb privates4 ,footnote ,a3 ,scott's ,military ,dictionary4 ,the old regular army comprised1 when full1 about #ah1jjj officers and men4 ,as increased1 the total complement is over #dc1fjj1 including five major-generals1 nine brigadier-generals1 thirty-three aides-de-camp1 besides the field officers of the various regiments and the company officers4 ,in addition to these officers 7but included in the aggregate above given7 are the various staff departments1 as follows3 ,adjutant-,generals4--#a brigadier-general1 #b colonels1 #d lieutenant-colonels1 #ac majors4 ,judge-,advocates4--#a colonel4 ,inspector ,generals4--#ad colonels1 #e majors4 ,signal ,corps4--#a colonel1 #a lieutenant-colonel1 #b majors4 ,quartermaster's ,department4--#a brigadier-general1 #c colonels1 #d lieutenant-colonels1 #aa majors1 #dh captains1 #ab military storekeepers4 ,subsistence ,department4--#a brigadier-general1 #b colonels1 #b lieutenant-colonels1 #h majors1 #af captains4 ,medical ,department4--#a brigadier-general1 #b colonels1 #af lieutenant-colonels1 #ej majors1 #e captains1 #aji first lieutenants1 #f storekeepers1 #aai hospital chaplains1 #gj medical cadets4 ,pay ,department4--#a colonel1 #b lieutenant-colonels1 #be majors4 ,corps of ,engineers4--#a brigadier-general1 #d colonels1 #aj lieutenant-colonels1 #bj majors1 #cj captains1 #cj first lieutenants1 #aj second lieutenants4 ,the battalion of engineers comprises a total of #hje4 ,ordnance ,department4--#a brigadier-general1 #b colonels1 #c lieutenant-colonels1 #f majors1 #bj captains1 #bj first lieutenants1 #ab second lieutenants1 #ae storekeepers1 and a battalion of #ije men4 ,these figures all pertain to the regular army4 ,a considerable number of the officers in the regiments have been appointed from civil life2 but in the staff departments the officers are almost exclusively graduates from the ,military ,academy at ,west ,point4 ,the raising of the immense volunteer force necessitated a great increase in the staff departments1 and large numbers of persons from civil life have been appointed into the volunteer staff in the ,adjutant-,general's1 ,judge-,advocate's1 ,quartermaster's1 ,commissary1 ,medical1 and ,pay ,departments4 ,the ordnance duties are performed by officers detailed from the line1 and engineer duties by regiments assigned for that purpose4 ,a large number of additional aides-de-camp were also authorized1 forming that branch of duty into a department4 ,aides-de-camp are also detailed from the line4 ,the highest rank yet created for volunteer staff officers is that of colonel in the aides-de-camp4 ,the heads of staff departments at corps headquarters are lieutenant-colonels1 including an assistant adjutant-general1 assistant inspector-general1 a chief quartermaster1 and chief commissary4 ,many regular officers hold these volunteer staff appointments1 gaining in this manner additional rank during the war--still retaining their positions in the regular service2 in the same manner as many regular officers are field officers in volunteer regiments4 ,the aggregate militia force of the ,united ,states 7including seceded portions71 according to the last returns1 was #c1bad1gfi4 ,the reports of the last census increase this to about #e1fjj1jjj1 which exceeds to some extent the number actually fit to bear arms4 ,the computed proportion in ,europe of the number of men who can be called into the field is about one-fifth or one-sixth of the population4 ,if the population of the entire ,united ,states be assumed to be #bc1jjj1jjj1 the number of men liable1 according to this computation1 would be about #d1jjj1jjj1 which is sufficiently approximate4 ,the ,european computation of the force to be kept as a standing army is a hundredth part of the population--varied somewhat by circumstances4 ,this would give the ,united ,states a force of #bcj1jjj4 ,it will be seen how greatly inferior our regular force has been and still is to the computations adopted in ,europe4 ,but the ,united ,states will probably never require such a large force to be permanently organized2 for we have not1 like the ,european powers1 frontiers to protect against nations with whom we may at any time be at war1 nor oppressed nationalities to retain in subjugation by force4 ,our frontiers on ,canada and ,mexico have good natural defences--the first by the ,st4 ,lawrence river and lakes1 and the second by the great distance to be traversed by an invading army before it could reach any important commercial position4 ,our vulnerability is in our extensive seacoast4 ,the principal requirement for an army is a large framework1 which can be rapidly filled by volunteers in expectation of war4 ,with such a military constitution and a system of military education and drill in the different ,states1 large and effective armies could be rapidly organized4 ,our staff corps and regular army are insignificant1 compared with those of ,european nations1 in which the average strength of the standing armies is from #bej1jjj to #cjj1jjj men on the peace footing1 and #djj1jjj to #fjj1jjj on the war footing1 with immense magazines of equipage and material1 numerous military schools1 and extensive organizations in all the departments incident to an army4 ,our own army has hitherto been modelled to a great extent on the ,english system--the most aristocratic of all in ,europe1 and consequently the least adapted to a republic4 ,to this is attributable much of the jealousy hitherto felt in regard to the army and all pertaining to it4 ,we are now1 however1 conforming more to the ,french system1 and from it will probably be adopted any changes that may be introduced4 ,the ,french army1 since ,napoleon gave it the impress of his genius1 has in many characteristics been well adapted to the peculiarities of republican institutions4 ,a soldier can rise from the ranks to the highest command1 by the exhibition of valor and ability1 more easily1 in fact1 than he can in our own army1 with which political favoritism has much to do in promotions and appointments4 ,by a recent policy of our ,war ,department1 however1 vacancies have been left in the subordinate commissioned officers of the regular army1 which are to be filled exclusively from the ranks4 ,many deserving officers in the army have been private soldiers4 ,no system will be effective for providing an adequate military organization that does not include thorough instruction for officers4 ,the prevailing feeling in our country1 as remarked above1 has rather been to underrate the army1 and to look with some jealousy on the ,west ,point ,military ,academy and its graduates4 ,the present war has effected a change in this respect4 ,the country owes too much to the educated regular officers for the organization and conduct of the volunteer forces1 to be insensible of the merits of the system which produced them4 ,a capable civilian can undoubtedly become just as good an officer of any rank as a graduate of ,west ,point2 but it must be through a course of study similar to that there pursued4 ,no natural ability can supply the want of the scientific training in the military1 more than in any other profession4 ,military science is only the result of all the experience of the past1 embodied in the most comprehensive and practical form4 ,napoleon was a profound student of military history4 ,in his ,memoirs he observes3 ',alexander made #h campaigns1 ,hannibal #ag 7of which #a was in ,spain1 #ae in ,italy1 and #a in ,africa71 ,caesar made #ae 7of which #h were against the ,gauls1 and #e against the legions of ,pompey71 ,gustavus ,adolphus #e1 ,turenne #ah1 the ,prince ,eugene of ,savoy #ah1 and ,frederic #aa 7in ,bohemia1 ,silesia1 and upon the ,elbe47 ,the history of these #hg campaigns1 made with care1 would be a complete treatise on the art of war4 ,the principles one should follow1 in both offensive and defensive war1 flow from them as a source4' ,to one familiar with the gradual progress in the organization of our armies1 it is interesting to recur to the time when the first levies of volunteers were raised4 ,regiments were hurried into ,washington half accoutred and indifferently armed4 ,officers and men were for the most part equally ignorant of the details1 a knowledge of which enables a soldier to take care of himself in all circumstances4 ,staff officers knew nothing of the various departments and the methods of obtaining supplies4 ,the ,government had not been able to provide barrack accommodations for the immense irruption of ',northern barbarians1' and the men were stowed like sheep in any unoccupied buildings that could be obtained4 ,these were generally storehouses1 without any cooking arrangements1 so that when provisions were procured1 no one knew what to do with them4 ,hundreds of men1 who previously scarcely knew but that beef-steaks and potatoes grew already cooked and seasoned1 could be seen every day sitting disconsolately on the curbstones cooking their pork on ramrods over little fires made with twigs gathered from the trees4 ,those who happened to be the lucky possessors of a few spare dimes1 straggled off to restaurants4 ,washington1 in those days1 was only a great country-town1 and not the immense city which the war has made it4 ,the vague and laughable attempts of officers to assume military dignity and enforce discipline1 with the careless insubordination of the men1 furnished many amusing scenes4 ,it was not easy for officer and man1 who had gone to the same school1 worked in the same shop1 sung in the same choir1 and belonged to the same base-ball club1 to assume their new relations4 ,privates would address their officer1 ',i say1 ,bill1 have you got any tobacco8' ,officers would reply1 ',do you not know1 sir1 the proper method of addressing me8' ,private would exclaim1 ',well1 ,i guess now you're puttin' on airs1 a'n't you8' ,pompous colonels strutted about in a blaze of new uniforms1 and even line officers then considered themselves of some consequence2 while a brigadier-general was a sort of a demigod--a man to be revered as something infallible4 ,now-a-days old veterans care very little for even the two stars of a major-general1 unless they know that the wearer has some other claims to respect than his shoulder straps4 ,as matters gradually became arranged1 the troops were provided with tents1 and encamped in the vicinity4 ,never was guard duty more vigilantly performed than in those camps around ,washington4 ,every one of us came to the capital with the expectation of being immediately despatched to ,virginia1 and ordered to pitch into a miscellaneous fight with the rebels4 ,rebel guerillas and spies were supposed to be lurking in the surroundings of the capital1 and 'taking notes' in all the camps4 ,woe betide the unsuspicious stranger who might loiter curiously around the encampments4 ,with half a dozen bayonets at his breast he was hurried off in utter amazement to the guard house4 ,at night the sentinels saw 'in every bush' a lurking rebel4 ,shots were pattering all night in every direction4 ,unfortunate straggling cows were frequently reduced to beeves by the bullets of the wary guardians4 ,the colonel's horse broke loose one night1 and1 while browsing around1 his long1 flowing tail1 the colonel's pride1 was reduced to an ignominious 'bob' by a bullet1 which neatly severed it near the root4 ,many was the trigger pulled at me1 many the bullet sent whizzing at my head1 as ,i returned to camp after an evening in the city4 ,fortunately1 the person fired at was usually safe--any one within the circle of a hundred feet diameter was likely to receive the ball4 ,one evening1 about dusk1 going into camp1 ,i took a running jump over a ditch1 and this rapid motion so frightened an honest ,german sentinel--probably a little muddled with lager--that he actually forgot to fire1 and came at me in a more natural way with his musket clubbed4 ,i escaped a broken head at the expense of a severely bruised arm4 ,the rule for challenging1 it used to be said1 was to 'fire three times1 and then cry 'halt6' instead of the reverse1 as prescribed in the regulations4 ,when the order--long anticipated--for actually invading ,virginia arrived1 then was there excitement4 ,every man felt the premonition of battle1 and nerved himself for conflict4 ,as we marched down to ,long ,bridge1 at midnight1 perfect silence prevailed4 ,breaths were suspended1 footfalls were as light as snowflakes1 orders were given in hollow whispers4 ,we placed our feet on the 'sacred soil' with more emotion than the ,normans felt when landing in ,england1 or the ,pilgrims at ,plymouth4 ,this was war--the real1 genuine thing4 ,but our expectations were not realized4 ,as the 'grand army' advanced1 the scattered rebel pickets withdrew4 ,the only fatality of the campaign was the death of the gallant but indiscreet ,ellsworth4 ,we had our first experience of lying out doors in our blankets4 ,how vainglorious we felt over it6 ,many a poor fellow complained jocosely of the hardship and exposure1 whom since ,i have seen perfectly content to obtain a few pine boughs to keep him from being submerged in an abyss of mud4 ,many1 alas6 have gone to a couch where their sleep will be no more broken by the reveille of drum and fife and bugle--in the trenches of ,yorktown1 in the thickets of ,williamsburg1 in the morasses of the ,chickahominy1 on the banks of the ,antietam1 at the foot of those fatal heights at ,fredericksburg1 in the wilderness of ,chancellorsville1 on the glorious ridge of ,gettysburg4 ,comrades of the bivouac and the mess6 ye are not forgotten in that sleep upon the fields where swept the infernal tide of battle1 obliterating so much glorious life1 leaving so much desolation6 ,even amid the roar of cannon1 exulting in their might for destruction1 amid the shrieking of the merciless shells1 amid the blaze of the deadly musketry1 memories of you occur to us4 ,we resolve that your lives shall not have been sacrificed in vain4 ,and in these long1 dreary1 monotonous days of winter1 as the sleet rattles on our frail canvas covering1 and the wind roars in our rude log chimneys1 while the jests go around and the song arises1 thoughts of the battle fields of the past cross our minds--we recall the incidents of fierce conflicts--we say1 there and there fell----1 no nobler fellows ever lived6 ,a blunt and hasty epitaph1 but the desultory vicissitudes of a soldier's life permit no other--we expect no other for ourselves when our turn to follow you shall come4 ,so we break out into our favorite chorus3 ',then we'll stand by our glasses steady1 ,and we'll drink to our ladies' eyes4 ,three cheers for the dead already1 ,and huzza for the next man that dies4 ,though your graves are unmarked1 save by the simple broad slab from which storms have already effaced the pencilled legend1 or perhaps only by the murderous fragment of iron1 which lies half imbedded on the spot where you fell and where you lie1 yet you live in the memory of your comrades1 you live in the hearts of those who were desolated by your death1 you live in that eternal record of heaven where are written the names of those who have given their lives to promote the truth and the freedom which ,god has guaranteed to humanity in the great charters of ,nature and ,revelation4 ,for we are fighting in a holy cause4 ,no crusade to redeem ,eastern shrines from infidels1 no struggle for the privilege of religious freedom1 no insurrection for civil independence1 has been more holy than this strife against the great curse and its abettors1 who seek to make a land of freedom a land of bondage to substitute for a ,union of freemen1 miserable oligarchies controlled by breeders of slaves4 ,if we die in this cause1 we have lived a full life4 ,an anomalous state of things had existed between the time of the attack on ,sumter and the 'invasion' of ,virginia4 ,although the war had in reality commenced1 communication was not suspended between ,washington and ,alexandria4 ,on the day following the march over the ,potomac1 we found the plans of intrenchments marked out by wooden forms on the spots which subsequently became ,fort ,corcoran1 opposite ,georgetown1 ,fort ,runyon1 opposite ,washington1 and ,fort ,ellsworth1 in front of ,alexandria4 ,how this had so speedily been done by the engineers ,i did not learn until many months afterward1 when one of the party who planned the works described the modus operandi4 ,they went over to ,virginia in a very rustic dress1 and professed to the rebel pickets to be from 'down country1' come up to take a look at 'them durned ,yankees4' ,so they walked around unmolested1 selected the sites for the intrenchments1 formed the plans in their minds1 made some stealthy notes and sketches1 and1 returning to ,washington1 plotted the works on paper1 gave directions to the carpenters about the frames1 which were constructed2 and1 after the army crossed1 these were put in their proper positions1 tools were placed conveniently1 and1 soon after the crossing was made1 the men commenced to work4 ,in raising these intrenchments1 drilling and organizing1 the army passed about a month--varied only by alarms two or three times a week at night that the rebels were coming1 whereupon the troops turned out and stood in line till daylight4 ,it was shrewdly suspected that these alarms were purposely propagated from headquarters to accustom the men to form themselves quickly at night without panic4 ,in after times1 in front of ,richmond1 we had such duty to perform1 without any factitious reasons4 ,it was a matter of necessary precaution to stand to our arms nightly for two or three hours before daybreak4 ,until just previous to the disastrous ,bull ,run campaign1 no higher organization than that of brigades was adopted2 but a day or two before the march commenced1 ,general ,mc,dowell organized the brigades into divisions4 ,these were reorganized by ,general ,mc,clellan as the two and three years volunteers joined the army4 ,the organization of corps was made in the spring of #ahfb1 just before the commencement of the ,peninsula campaign1 and is now the organization of the army4 ,the complete organization is now as follows3 ,regiments1 generally of ten companies4 ,brigades1 of four or more regiments4 ,divisions1 generally of three brigades4 ,corps1 generally of three divisions4 ,the various staffs have gradually been organized1 until they now stand 7in the ,army of the ,potomac7 as follows3 ,at the headquarters of the army3 ,a ,chief of ,staff4 ,an ,assistant ,adjutant-,general4 ,a ,chief ,quartermaster4 ,a ,chief ,commissary4 ,a ,chief of ,artillery4 ,an ,assistant ,inspector-,general4 ,a ,medical ,director4 ,a ,judge ,advocate-,general4 ,an ,ordnance ,officer4 ,a ,provost ,marshal-,general4 ,a ,chief ,engineer4 ,a ,signal ,officer4 ,aides-de-,camp4 ,the rank of these officers1 as the staff is now composed1 is as follows3 ,the chief of staff1 a major-general2 the assistant adjutant-general1 chief of artillery1 and provost marshal1 brigadier-generals2 assistant inspector-general1 a colonel2 medical director1 chief engineer1 judge advocate-general1 majors2 the signal officer1 chief commissary1 and ordnance officer1 captains2 the aides1 of various ranks1 lieutenants1 captains1 and majors4 ,most of these officers do not derive their rank from their position on the staff1 but it has been given them in the volunteer organization1 or pertains to them in the line of the regular or volunteer army4 ,all the department officers 7meaning all except aides7 have a number of assistants1 and the general officers have staffs and aides of their own1 to which they are entitled by law4 ,the total number of officers on duty at the headquarters may amount to fifty or more1 and there is plenty of work for all of them during a campaign4 ,besides the regular staff1 constituted as above related1 there are the officers of an infantry regiment which furnishes guards and escorts1 and officers of cavalry squadrons detailed to furnish orderlies4 ,the headquarters of the army is therefore a town of considerable population4 ,at the headquarters of the different corps the staffs are as follows3 ,an ,assistant ,adjutant-,general--,lieutenant-colonel4 ,a ,chief ,quartermaster--,lieutenant-colonel4 ,a ,chief ,commissary--,lieutenant-colonel4 ,an ,assistant ,inspector-,general--,lieutenant-colonel 4 ,these officers derive their rank from their position1 under a law of ,congress4 ,a ,medical ,director--being detailed from the senior surgeons of the regular or ,volunteer army1 and ranking as a major4 ,a ,commissary of ,musters4 ,a ,provost ,marshal4 ,a ,signal ,officer4 ,these officers are detailed from the line1 and have the ranks which there belongs to them4 ,the signal corps is1 however1 now being organized1 with ranks prescribed by law4 ,aides-de-,camp--one with the rank of major1 and two with the rank of captain4 ,besides these1 additional aides are sent to the corps from those created under an act of ,congress of #ahfa--now repealed--and are detailed from the line4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the quartermaster1 commissary1 and medical director generally have assistant officers4 ,there is a squadron of cavalry and usually a company of infantry at each corps headquarters4 ,the staffs of divisions and brigades resemble those of the corps1 except that the regular staff officers usually rank only as captains1 except in cases where a major-general commands2 he is entitled to an assistant adjutant-general with the rank of major4 ,officers detailed from the line to act on any staff in any capacity1 bring with them the rank they hold in the line4 ,they are not entitled1 except the authorized aides and in some other particular cases1 when ordered by the ,war ,department1 to additional allowances2 but if they are foot officers1 and are properly detailed for mounted duty1 the quartermaster of the staff on which they serve is obligated to furnish them a horse and equipments4 ,divisions usually have an ordnance officer1 whose duty it is to take charge of the ammunition of the division1 keep the quantity ordered1 and supply the troops in time of battle4 ,by law the chief of artillery at corps headquarters is the chief ordnance officer for the corps1 but this arrangement has been found impracticable4 ,in the ,army of the ,potomac the chief of artillery does not remain at corps headquarters1 but is assigned directly to the command of the artillery1 where he also has a staff1 including an ordnance officer1 who supplies ammunition and other articles pertaining to his department1 exclusively to the artillery4 ,the staff1 it must be recollected1 is to an army what the masons1 carpenters1 ironworkers1 and upholsterers are to a building4 ,as the latter are the agents for executing the designs of the architect1 so the staff are the medium by which the commander of an army effects his purposes4 ,without competent staff officers in all the various grades of organization constituting an army1 the most judicious plans of the ablest commander will entirely fail4 ,if a campaign is to be made1 the commanding general1 having formed his general strategical plan1 needs the advice of his chief of staff as to the condition of his troops1 and his assistance in devising the details4 ,his adjutant-general's office must contain full records of the numbers of the troops--effective and non-effective--armed and unarmed--sick and well--present and absent1 with all reports and communications relative to the state of the army4 ,his quartermaster must have been diligent to provide animals1 wagons1 clothing1 tents1 forage1 and other supplies in his department2 his commissary and ordnance officer1 the same in relation to subsistence and munitions--all having made their arrangements to establish depots at the most accessible points on the proposed route of march4 ,his chief of artillery must have bestowed proper attention to keeping the hundred batteries of the army in the most effective condition4 ,his chief engineer must have informed himself of all the routes and the general topography of the country to be traversed2 he must know at what points rivers can be best crossed1 and where positions for battle can be best obtained2 his pontoon trains and intrenching implements must be complete and ready for service2 his maps prepared for distribution to subordinate commanders4 ,his inspector must have seen that the orders for discipline and equipment have been complied with4 ,his medical director must have procured a supply of hospital stores1 and organized the ambulance and hospital departments4 ,his provost marshal must have made adequate arrangements to prevent straggling1 plundering1 and other disorders4 ,his aides must have informed themselves of the positions of the various commands1 and become acquainted with the principal officers1 so as to take orders through night and storm with unerring accuracy4 ,they must be cool-headed1 daring fellows1 alert1 and well posted1 good riders1 and have good horses under them4 ,all this work cannot be accomplished in a day1 a week1 or a month4 ,the full preparations required to render a campaign successful must have been the result of long1 patient1 thoughtful consideration and organization4 ,it is no time to teach sailors seamanship in a hurricane4 ,they must know where to find the ropes and what to do with them1 with the spray dashing in their eyes and the black clouds scurrying across the sky4 ,it is no time for staff officers to begin their duties when a great army is to be moved4 ,then it is needed that every harness strap1 every gun-carriage wheel1 every knapsack1 every soldier's shoe should have been provided and should be in serviceable order2 that the men should have had their regular fare1 and have been kept in the healthiest condition2 that clear and explicit information be ready on all details4 ,prepared by the assiduous1 intelligent labor of a vigilant and faithful staff1 an army becomes a compact1 homogeneous mass--without individuality1 but pervaded by one animating will--cohesive by discipline1 but pliant in all its parts--impetuous with enthusiasm1 but controlled easily in the most minute operations4 ,these remarks1 relative to the requirements for an effective staff1 pertain to all grades of organization4 ,the staff officers at the headquarters of the army organize general arrangements and supervise the operations of subordinate officers of their department at the headquarters of corps2 these have more detailed duties1 and1 in their turn1 supervise the staffs of the divisions2 the duties of these again are still more detailed1 and they supervise the staffs of brigades2 these finally are charged with the specific details pertaining to their commands1 supervising the staffs of the regiments1 who are in direct communication with the officers of companies4 ,prepared for service by the unremitting labors of the staff officers1 it is seldom that the army cannot move in complete order at six hours' notice4 ,think what preparation is required for a family of half a dozen to get ready to spend a month in the country--how tailors and milliners and dressmakers are put in requisition--how business arrangements must be made--how a thousand little vexing details constantly suggest themselves which need attention4 ,think of a thousand families--ten thousand--making these preparations6 ,what a vast hurly burly6 ,what an ocean of confusion6 ,how many delays and disappointments6 ,during the fortnight or month which has elapsed while these families have been getting ready1 an army of fifty or a hundred thousand men has marched a hundred miles1 fought a battle1 been reequipped1 reclothed1 reorganized1 and1 perhaps1 the order of a nation's history has experienced an entire change4 ,our next paper will describe in detail the operations of the staff departments4 ,,sleeping4 ,the purple light sleeps on the hills1 ,the shadowed valleys sleep between1 ,down through the shadows slide the rills1 ,the drooping hazels o'er them lean4 ,the clouds lie sleeping in the sky-- ,the crimson beds of sleeping airs2 ,the broad sun shuts his lazy eye ,on all the long day's weary cares4 ,the far1 low meadows sleep in light1 ,the river sleeps1 a molten tide2 ,i dream reclined1 with half-shut sight-- ,my dog sleeps1 couching at my side4 ,the branches droop above my head1 ,the motes sleep in the slanting beam1 ,yon hawk sails through the sunset red-- ,adieu thought1 sailing through a dream6 ,and here upon this bank ,i lie1 ,beneath the drooping1 airless leaves1 ,and watch the long1 low sunset die1 ,on silent1 dreamy summer eves4 ,the slant light creeps the boughs among1 ,and drops upon the sleeping sod-- ,,she lies below1 in slumber long1 ,,asleep till the great morn of ,,god6 ,,dr4 ,,fox',s ,,prescription4 ',none but bigots will in vain ,adore a heaven they cannot gain4'--,,sheridan4 ,there is a story1 familiar to most people of extensive reading1 and quite frequently alluded to1 of a fox that1 after endeavoring in vain to possess himself of some luscious grapes which grew beyond his reach1 walked composedly away1 solemnly assuring himself and ,mr ,a,esop1 who overheard him1 that as yet the grapes were unripe4 ,the story1 or any allusion to it1 seldom fails to excite a smile4 ,i1 too1 laugh when ,i hear it2 but not so much at ,reynard's inconsistency as at his wit4 ,the faculty of discovering grave defects in that which we have failed to obtain is one for which we cannot be too thankful4 ,it is a source of infinite comfort in this comfortless world--a principle which enables both parties in every contest to be victorious--an important article in the great law of compensation4 ,it is as old as the human race4 ,the great fabulist no more invented it than ,lord ,bacon invented inductive reasoning4 ,like that philosopher1 he simply enunciated a principle which had been unconsciously recognized and constantly used ever since the machinery of the human mind was first set in motion4 ,i have no doubt that when ,adam found himself outside of ,eden he wondered how he could have been contented to remain so long in that little garden1 assorting pinks and training honeysuckles1 when here lay a vast farm1 well watered and fertile1 needing only to be cleared1 fenced1 and cultivated to yield a handsome income4 ,it is well that pride should sometimes have a fall4 ,but you and ,i1 dear reader1 have often seen envious people gloating over that fall in any but a ,christian spirit4 ,at such times have we not rejoiced at any circumstance which could break the force of the fall and disappoint the gratification of such malicious hopes8 ,and what has accomplished that object so often and so effectually as ,reynard's great principle8 ,once or twice in my life ,i have seen a smile on a female face under circumstances which made it impossible to doubt that the smile was gotten up for my especial benefit4 ,on such occasions my sense of gratitude 7which is quite large7 and my vanity 7which is very small7 have conspired to exalt women in my estimation to perhaps an undue elevation4 ,they have seemed to me to be angels visiting poor1 weak1 degraded man from pure motives of love and sympathy4 ,and ,i have felt a sort of chagrin that we have only such a dirty1 ill-constructed world to ask them into4 ,but let us suppose that a short time afterward ,i see on the same face a decided frown or a look of chilling disdain 7,i do not say that ,i ever did71 under circumstances which indicate that this also is displayed with reference to1 and out of a kind regard for1 myself4 ,here1 it should seem1 the premises are established which compel me to admit a very disagreeable conclusion4 ,this ,i cannot think of doing4 ,how shall ,i escape8 ,why1 deny one of the premises1 of course4 ,but the frown--,i saw it plainly1 alas1 too plainly6 ,i cannot dispute the evidence of my senses4 ,for a moment ,i falter2 and again that ghastly conclusion stares me in the face4 ,but now ,i remember that a shrewd debater sometimes gains a point by denying the premise which he is expected to concede4 ,can it be done in this case8 ,certainly6 ,human judgment1 you know1 is fallible4 ,not that mine can be at fault now2 but it may have been so heretofore4 ,all men have erred2 but no man errs4 ,there is the point6 ,i was in error when ,i said women were angels4 ,they are1 they must be1 mortal4 ,there are unmistakable signs that they are but human--indeed1 some of them might almost be called inhuman4 ,the world is plenty good enough for them--a little too good for some ,i could name4 ,the ,mussulman is quite right in excluding them from heaven4 ,what should we want of them when we get there8 ,won't there be plenty of houris there1 with all their beauty and virtue1 but without their extravagance and wilfulness8 ,to say the least1 they are the weaker vessels1 though they carry the most sail4 ,am ,i1 then1 to drop my lip and hang my head and put my finger in my eye1 because one of them1 for some cause or no cause1 chooses to turn up her nose at me8 ,the proposition is absurd4--,thus1 thus only1 ,i save my self-respect without sacrificing my logic4 ,am ,i inconsistent8 ,nay1 verily4 ,for what is the highest consistency but correspondence with truth8 ,and have ,i not at length hit upon the exact truth8 ,before1 ,i was deceived2 then1 ,i was inconsistent4 ,but now--now ,i am thoroughly1 beautifully consistent4 ,but all this is simply ,dr4 ,fox's method of treating half the ills which flesh is heir to1 reduced to logical forms and written out in plain ,english4 ,had ,lord ,byron but availed himself of this panacea after his adventure in ,jack ,muster's vineyard1 it might1 perhaps1 have rendered his life happier1 and imparted a 'healthy1 moral tone' to his writings4 ,every science1 in its true progress1 works toward simplicity4 ,and mankind will acknowledge at some future time that the 'sour grapes' at which they were wont to sneer1 contain a powerful stimulant for drooping ambition--the only infallible remedy for damaged honor and wounded pride4 ,when the scales shall have fallen from our eyes in that happy day1 politics will become a delightful profession1 the contentious spirit of man will cease from its bickerings1 the tongue of woman will settle down into a steady and respectable trot1 the golden age of duelling will retreat into the shadowy past until it shall seem contemporary with the half-fabulous chivalry of the middle ages1 distracted maidens will no longer die of broken hearts1 nor disappointed lovers of unbroken halters4 ,as the parties to a lawsuit have the privilege of challenging peremptorily a certain number of jurymen1 so every man should be allowed to enjoy a reasonable number of whims and prejudices without being called upon to give reasons for them4 ,then let us hear no more derisive laughter when it is hinted that an unfortunate brother has resorted to the sour-grape remedy4 ,we all1 at times1 would be glad to find relief in a similar way1 but are deterred sometimes by ignorance of the true principles of therapeutics1 but oftener by a false pride of consistency4 ,let us rather say that he has simply fallen back upon a final privilege1 and exercised a ,god-given faculty4 ,,literary ,,notices4 ,,historical ,,memoir ,,of ,,joan ,,of ,,arc1 ,,the ,,maid ,,of ,,orleans4 ,compiled from ,authentic ,sources4 ,boston3 ,patrick ,donahoe4 #ahfd ,our attention was first drawn to this work by a notice of it in that sprightly paper1 the ,round ,table4 ,the writer of the notice therein says3 ',i am at a loss where to award its authorship1 since it comes anonymously1 but from internal evidence it seems to be a translation from the ,german1 and to have been rendered likewise into ,french4 ,it seems also to have been written before the official publication of the documentary evidence given on ,joan's trial1 which was committed to the press for the first time in #ahdg1 and which within ten years thereafter was the occasion of an address to the present ,emperor of the ,french1 accompanied by elaborate historical notes1 praying him to take the preliminary steps to secure the canonization of the ,maid4 ,it is always to be regretted that a book is put forth1 like the present1 without any vouchers for its authenticity1 especially when the knowledge of its origin dimly presents itself to the reader upon perusal4' ,we can imagine no possible reason for the suppression of the name of the careful and conscientious author of the work under consideration4 ,such suppressions and literary piracies expose the writers and translators of ,america to suspicion and censure4 ,have we any right to defraud an author of his just fame1 or to use his works to fill our own pockets1 without at least giving the name of the man to whose labors we stand indebted for our whole tissue8 ,we think our publishers should frown upon all such attempts1 bearing as they do upon the just claims of foreign authors4 ,the work in question is a translation from the ,german of ,guido ,goerres1 the son of the great ,goerres1 author of ',the ,history of ,mysticism4' ,so far as we have examined it1 it gives the original without abridgment until the thirtieth chapter1 when1 in the most interesting part of the whole life1 condensation and omissions begin4 ,the ten last chapters of the original are crowded into three4 ,we have thirty-three chapters in the translation1 and forty in the original4 ,many of the most characteristic1 exciting1 and intensely interesting passages of the wonderful trial are excluded4 ,this work was first translated into ,english by ,martha ,walker ,cook1 and was given to the public without abridgment in #ahei1 in the pages of the ,freeman's ,journal1 published in ,new ,york4 ,the title page ran thus3 ',joan of ,arc1 the ,maid of ,orleans4 ,an ,authentic ,life from ,contemporaneous ,chronicles4 ,from the ,german of ,guido ,goerres4 ,by ,mrs4 ,martha ,walker ,cook4' ,mrs4 ,cook's translation has never appeared in book form4 ,the rendering of the work in question differs in many important points from that given by ,mrs4 ,cook4 ,the life in the original is one of exceeding interest4 ,the standpoint of its author is a ,catholic one1 he being a firm believer in the divinity of the mission of the maiden4 ,her career was full of marvels1 every step marked by the wildest romance united to the strangest truths4 ,chained and exposed to the fury and brutality of the ,english soldiery1 defenceless and alone1 she yet knew how to preserve her virgin sanctity2 the hero of the battle field1 the deliverer of her country from the rule of the foreigner1 she shed not human blood2 deserted by her friends1 she never ceased to pray for them2 bewildered1 betrayed1 tried and condemned by the clergy of her own church1 her firm faith never wavered4 ,her answers to the subtle metaphysical questions propounded to her by her judges on purpose to entrap her during her painful trial1 are models of simplicity1 innocence1 and faith1 mingled with keen intellect and intuitive perception of their bearing upon her fate4 ,maligned and persecuted by the ,english1 deserted by the ,french1 forgotten by the king she saved and crowned1 betrayed and condemned by the ecclesiastics of the church she honored--she perished in the flames with the name of the ,saviour she worshipped upon her pure1 young lips4 ,her fame brightens with the increasing light of our own century1 and her canonization is now loudly demanded from the ,church4 ,she has been celebrated in the most opposite domains of human intelligence1 by historians1 romancers1 theologians1 jurisconsults1 philosophers1 writers on tactics1 politicians1 genealogists1 heralds1 preachers1 orators1 epic1 tragic1 and lyric poets1 magnetizers1 demonologists1 students of magic1 rhapsodists1 biographers1 journalists1 and critics1 and yet we have never met with a single writer who appeared to comprehend her aright1 or who was able to do justice to the marvellous simplicity1 truth1 modesty1 and force of her character4 ,a ,french author has drawn up a list of four hundred works dedicated to her history1 but as yet this uncultured girl of nineteen has puzzled all her delineators6 ,,the ,,national ,,almanac ,,and ,,annual ,,record ,,for ,,the ,,year #ahfd4 ,philadelphia3 ,george ,w4 ,childs1 #fbh #fcj ,chestnut street4 ,for sale by ,j4 ,bradburn1 #di ,walker street1 ,new ,york4 ,the value of this compilation as a book of reference can scarcely be overestimated4 ,almost every question likely to be asked about officers1 offices1 governments1 finances1 elections1 education1 armies1 navies1 commerce1 navigation1 or public affairs1 at home or abroad1 is answered herein4 ,there are #fjj pages of compactly and clearly printed matter1 and it is marvellous how much has been included in them through a judicious system of condensation4 ,stores of information relating to the volunteers furnished by the several ,states to the ,united ,states army2 names1 dates1 figures in detail of all the regimental organizations from all the ,states and ,territories2 valuable records of the events of the war1 presented in a twofold form1 first by tracing the operations of each of the great armies1 and then by noting the events in chronological order--are given in these pages1 where millions of figures and names occur1 with wonderful accuracy4 ,particulars of every vessel1 with name1 armament1 tonnage1 c41 and details of the internal revenue system1 are placed before us4 ,we cannot offer even an outline of the contents of this volume1 because the details are so multifarious that we could compress their index into no reasonable space4 ,a copy of this book should be in the hands of every reader1 thinker1 and business man in the country4 ,it is indeed a 'little library1' a 'photograph of the world' for the last two years of its rapid course4 ,,my ,,cave ,,life ,,in ,,vicksburg1 ,,with ,,letters ,,of ,,trial ,,and ,,travel4 ,by a ,lady4 ,new ,york3 ,d4 ,appleton ,co41 #ddc and #dde ,broadway4 ,we are a magnanimous people1 and we doubt not this simple record of a woman's sufferings and terror will be read with interest1 although she is the wife of a ,confederate officer4 ,it gives us1 indeed1 the only picture we have as yet seen of the interior of ,vicksburg during its ever-memorable siege2 the only sketch of the hopes and fears of its inhabitants4 ,its dedication is as follows3 ',to one who1 though absent1 is ever present1 this little waif is tenderly and affectionately dedicated4' ,,neighbor ,,jackwood4 ,by ,j4 ,t4 ,trowbridge4 ,boston3 ,j4 ,e4 ,tilton ,company4 ,for sale by ,d4 ,appleton ,co41 ,new ,york4 ,a novel from ,mr4 ,trowbridge1 the author of ',cudjo's ,cave1' will always command attention4 ,he gives us no wayside episodes1 rambling details1 or useless explanations4 ,he seizes his story at the outset1 and sustains its interest to the close4 ,his action is rapid1 and every step is a direct one to the final denouement4 ,he holds his reins with a firm hand1 and big incidents never swerve from an air-line track4 ,his books are characteristically ,american1 and he uses the events and characters of the hour with ability4 ,poor ,charlotte1 the heroine1 is well drawn1 and her tale is one appealing to all human sympathies1 yet1 perhaps in consequence of old and persistent prejudices1 we cannot say we like this work as well as ',cudjo's ,cave4' ,many of our readers may like it better4 ,grandmother ,rigglesty is inimitable1 and should be studied by all the peevish1 selfish1 and exacting old women in the land4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in consequence of the space occupied by our ,index1 the remaining notices of new books are unavoidably postponed until the issue of the ensuing number4--,,ed4 ,,con4 ,,editor',s ,,table4 ,,the ,,metropolitan ,,fair4 ,this noble and humane enterprise has nearly reached its conclusion1 and the results1 we believe1 are quite commensurate with the expectations of the ,executive ,committee4 ,it is not possible as yet to arrive at the net proceeds1 but the entire receipts will exceed one million dollars4 ,the names and reputation of the chiefs of the ,sanitary ,commission are sufficient guarantee that the funds thus raised will be applied to the purpose for which they were given1 and many a poor soldier will have reason to bless the zeal of the energetic men and women who have so efficiently labored to soothe suffering and furnish to the sick and wounded the very best aid their country can offer4 ,we have more than once been pained by hearing the words 'humbug1' 'great advertizing establishment1' etc41 applied to the ,new ,york ,fair1 as well as to fairs in general4 ,now1 nothing could be more unjust than the first term2 and as to the latter1 we have only to say that1 if human nature were perfect1 fairs would be unnecessary1 and a subscription all that any just enterprise would require for success4 ,beneficence on a large scale1 however1 requires the money of the selfishly munificent as well as of the purely generous1 and fairs not only procure purchasers for such articles as givers can spare with the least detriment to themselves1 but also make known the names and quality of wares of various dealers4 ,the man who might have subscribed ten dollars1 is content to pay one hundred for an object contributed from the time and labor of some individual devoid of other commodities4 ,if the wares in question become more widely known1 and benefit hence accrue to the giver1 the consequence is surely a legitimate one1 and even a fortunate condition of the facts1 as increasing the size of the fund received4 ,they who give simply with the idea of doing good1 will doubtless receive their appropriate reward2 and they who give with mixed motives know well that the alleviation purchased by their contribution will be as welcome to the sick soldier as that procured by the more unselfish donation4 ,our admiration for the individual may vary with our knowledge of his springs of action1 but if love of self can be made to minister to the wants of the suffering1 all the better1 especially as no man can 7without certain knowledge7 dare to sit in judgment upon the motives of his fellow men4 ,each department has done well1 and none better than that devoted to painting1 statuary1 engraving1 and photography4 ,large sums have been realized upon the pictures presented by the artists--generous gifts indeed from men 7and women7 not usually overburdened with this world's gear4 ,m4 ,knoedler1 of the ,art ,committee1 merits the especial gratitude of the community1 not only for the generous but unobtrusive zeal displayed by him1 but also for large contributions in engravings and photographs4 ,the gift department of the picture gallery comprised works from all our best-known names1 as well as from some hitherto unknown4 ,the artists' albums were also a special feature in this domain4 ,judging merely as outsiders 7having owned no certificate of subscription71 we thought the anti-raffling rule might either have been suspended in their favor1 or should certainly have been enforced upon the first day1 before the burden of so many subscriptions had fallen upon the shoulders of the energetic artists having them in charge4 ,the general exhibition1 although by no means a complete representation of all that has been accomplished by painting in ,america 7several of our best artists having been represented only by their gift pictures71 was nevertheless very interesting4 ,opportunity was offered for close and immediate comparison between some of the renowned works that have adorned our annals1 namely1 ,bierstadt's ',rocky ,mountains1' and ,church's ',andes of ,ecuador' and ',heart of the ,andes1' also1 ,gignoux's and ,church's ',niagaras4' ,the 'arms and trophies' made a very splendid and inspiring array4 ,the book store1 the nautical room1 the machine shop1 the ,new ,york fire1 police1 and ,new ,jersey departments1 and the grouping and general arrangement of the ,seventeenth-street building1 were but a few of the tasteful and admirable results of the labors of the executive and minor committees4 ,last1 but not least1 come the ,indians1 who contributed to the ,fair one of its most attractive features4 ,good pictures may often be seen1 fancy articles every day1 but the advent of these children of the forest has left a vivid memory of their appearance and of some of their customs1 their musical instruments1 songs1 and dances1 with many who have never heretofore come in contact with them1 and whose grandchildren may perhaps cross the continent from ,new ,york to ,san ,francisco without meeting a single one of the original denizens of mountain1 vale1 prairie1 or table land4 ,great thanks are due to ,m4 ,bierstadt for the almost herculean labors he must have undergone in presenting to us these living fossils4 ,keeping them in a good humor must have been one of his most serious tasks1 as they doubtless encountered many contrarieties calculated to chafe hot blood and annoy men unaccustomed to the confinement of city life4 ,again1 thanks to him1 and also to them2 thanks1 indeed1 to all the patriotic men and women who have done so much in ,new ,york1 ,brooklyn1 ,boston1 ,chicago1 ,cincinnati1 and other smaller places1 and also to those who are making similar noble efforts in ,baltimore1 ,philadelphia1 ,st4 ,louis1 ,pittsburg1 etc41 etc4 ,war is a sad phase in the history of humanity1 and yet it has ever had the glory of developing some of the highest of human virtues4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,knout1 ,,plete1 ,,and ,,gantlet4 ,the peasants of ,poland do not seem very amiably disposed toward the great ,russian czar4 ,having been already emancipated by their own leaders1 they do not appear to be aware of his superhuman benevolence in their behalf4 ,they have issued a manifesto against him4 ,they propose to raise a peasant army of a million of men1 from the ages of sixteen to sixty1 to assault ,warsaw and other ,polish cities held by the ,russians4 ,they treat with scorn the offered emancipation1 and determine to resist 'the odious1 fierce1 greedy1 and astute ,muscovite1 and to organize en masse under their own captains1 while their own ,national ,government will designate the day upon which the general movement will take place4' ,having accomplished their object--the deliverance of ,poland--the peasants will elect chiefs to arrange the repartition of taxes1 and a national diet will undertake the management of the affairs of the country4 ,prussia and ,austria will then be called in again to aid in the subjugation of ,poland4 ,this will throw the firebrand of war and revolution over ,western ,europe1 the oppressed peoples will rise in their might1 and ,liberty be inscribed on the banner of the world4 ,in the indignant refusal of the ,polish peasants to receive as a boon from the foreigner what they already possess as a right from their own leaders2 in the devoted patriotism they are now evincing1 they rob ,russia of the vast advantage she hoped to gain in depriving ,poland of what has made part of her marvellous force1 the moral sympathies of the civilized world4 ,for can any one be weak enough to believe that the ukase of emancipation originated in the magnanimity of ,russia8 ,the design was evidently to divide the peasants from the nobles1 to light the flames of civil war1 to murder by the hands of her own sons that unhappy country1 which1 deserted by all the nations of the earth1 has again and again risen from her bloody grave to startle her oppressors with the old hymns of faith and triumph4 ,but1 if uncultured1 because the iron heel of the tyrant has been on the heart of the murdered mother1 the ,polish peasant is faithful and devoted4 ,he knows the nature of ,russian rule4 ,he has seen women knouted1 childred murdered1 boys imprisoned1 and men exposed to the tortures of ,siberia4 ,have our readers any true conception of what it is to be knouted8 ,we will place before them a translation from ,piotrowski of three modes of punishment used by ,russia4 ',the ,knout is a long narrow thong of leather1 which is steeped and boiled in a chemical solution until it becomes thickly coated with metallic filings and deposit4 ,prepared in this way1 the thong acquires considerable weight and hardness4 ,before it cools and hardens1 however1 they take care to turn the edges1 made thin for this purpose1 up toward each other1 thus forming a groove extending through the whole length of the metal-coated thong1 with the exception of the extremity1 which is left limber that it may be wound round the hand of the executioner1 while a strong iron hook is appended to the other extremity4 ,the scaffold on which the victim suffers is called in ,russian ',kobyla1' literally a mare4 ,it is an inclined plane1 on which the sufferer is tied1 his back is stripped naked1 his arms embrace the higher end of the plank1 his hands are tied under it1 his feet are fastened on the lower end1 all movement being thus rendered impossible4 ,hacking down upon the naked back of the victim1 the knout falls with its concave side upon the skin1 which the metalized edge of the instrument cuts like a knife1 the blades of the groove burying themselves in the flesh2 the instrument is not lifted up by the operator1 but is drawn horizontally toward himself1 tearing away1 by means of the hook1 the severed flesh in long strings4 ,if the operator performs his part conscientiously1 the sufferer loses consciousness after the third blow1 and frequently expires with the fifth4 ,peter the ,great fixed the maximum of the number to be given at one hundred and one--of course1 this was a sentence of death4 ,it is a singularity of the ,russian laws that the number of blows decreed for the knout is always uneven4 ,as soon as the wretched victim has received the prescribed number1 he is untied1 forced to kneel1 and submit to the punishment of the brand4 ,this brand consists of the three letters ,,vor 7robber1 criminal71 cut in iron points upon a stamp1 and is struck by the executioner into the forehead and cheeks of the sufferer4 ,while the blood is still flowing1 a black fluid1 partly composed of gunpowder1 is injected into the wounds4 ,when the wounds heal1 the letters assume a dark blue tint1 and are forever after indelible4 ,after the infliction of the brand1 it was formerly the custom to tear out the nostrils1 but this horrible barbarity was definitely abolished toward the close of the reign of ,alexander ,i4 ,i have1 however1 met more than one ,siberian exile thus hideously disfigured1 no doubt belonging to the time anterior to the publication of the ukase4 ,i have met an incalculable number of men bearing upon cheeks and forehead the triple inscription ,,vor4 ,i do not think the brand is applied to woman2 at least ,i have never seen one thus desecrated4 ',the ,plete1 which is often and wrongfully confounded with the knout1 is a far less formidable instrument4 ,it is composed of three strong leathern thongs1 terminated at the one end by balls of lead2 the other is wrapped round the hand of the executioner4 ,in accordance with the ,russian law1 this instrument should weigh from five to six pounds4 ,it strikes like a triple lash upon the naked back of the sufferer4 ,it does not plough or tear up the flesh like the knout1 but the skin of course breaks under the heavy blows inflicted upon the spinal column and the sides4 ,phthisis is a common complaint with those who have been subjected to the punishment of the plete1 the strokes frequently detaching the viscera from their living walls4 ,in order to give more force to the blow1 the executioner takes a leap and run1 only striking as he reaches his victim4 ,if possible to gain him by a bribe1 he may diminish the punishment without detection4 ,he may manage not to use his little finger on the instrument1 which softens the force of the blow1 without attracting the attention of the superintending officer4 ,if the number of lashes is to be great1 the operator is often bribed to give all his available force to the first blows1 directing them principally toward the sides1 in order to put as short a term as possible to the torture and life of the miserable sufferer4 ',a third kind of punishment is that of the ,skvoz-stroi1 literally1 through the ranks4 ,this is generally used for soldiers only1 though many ,polish patriots have been subjected to it after condemnation for political offences4 ,it is thus inflicted3 ,long rods are taken1 freshly cut and well soaked in water to render them perfectly flexible1 and given to the men who are to operate4 ,a company of soldiers range themselves1 facing each other1 in a double file1 placing themselves at such a distance from one another that they may be able to strike with their whole force without being in the way of each other4 ,the sufferer is stripped to the waist1 his hands are tied before him to a gun1 the bayonet of which rests on his breast1 while the butt end of it is carried by the soldier appointed to lead him through the ranks charged with the duty of inflicting his punishment4 ,he is led slowly forward through the files1 receiving the lashes on his back and shoulders4 ,when he faints or falls on the ground1 he is raised up and urged to move on4 ,peter the ,great fixed the maximum of blows at twelve thousand1 but unless they intend to make an example of some offender1 more than two thousand are rarely administered4 ,if more are decreed1 the patient is usually carried to the hospital and cured of his wounds ere he is forced to undergo the rest of the sentence4 ',a conspiracy broke out in ,siberia1 which was betrayed on the very eve of its commencement at ,omsk4 ,the ,abbe ,sierocinski was concerned in it1 and he and five of his accomplices1 among whom was found an officer of the empire between sixty and seventy years of age1 were condemned to seven thousand lashes1 each without remission4 ,the other conspirators1 numbering nearly a thousand in all1 were sentenced to receive from one thousand to fifteen hundred lashes1 and to hard labor for life4 ,the day of execution arrived4 ,it occurred in #ahcg1 early in the month of ,march4 ,it took place at ,omsk4 ,general ,golofeiev1 in consequence of being celebrated for his cruelty1 was sent from the capital to superintend the punishment and command this mournful cortege4 ,two entire battalions were ranged in a great plain near the city1 the one destined for the six principal conspirators1 the other for those whose punishment was not to be so severe4 ,it is not our intention to describe the detailed butchery of this day of horror3 we will confine ourselves to the ,abbe ,sierocinski and his five companions in misfortune4 ,they were escorted on the plain1 their sentence was read aloud to them with great solemnity1 and then the running of the gauntlet commenced4 ,the lashes were administered1 according to the letter of the decree1 'without mercy1' and the cries of the wretched sufferers rose to the skies4 ,none of them lived to receive the full number of lashes3 executed one after another1 after having passed two or three times through the dreadful file1 they fell upon the earth1 dyeing the pure snow red with the blood of their agonies as they expired4 ,in order that the ,abbe ,sierocinski might drink to the dregs the bitter cup of his punishment1 that he might suffer doubly through the torture of his friends1 he had been reserved to the last4 ,his turn now arrived1 they stripped his back and tied his hands to the bayonet1 and the physician advanced to give him1 as he had given the others1 some drops to strengthen him for the torment1 but he refused them1 saying3 ',i do not want your drops--,i will not taste them1 ,i am ready--drink1 then1 the blood for which you thirst4' ,the signal of his fearful march was given1 and the strong voice of the old superior of the monastery was heard entoning with high1 clear chant3 ',miserere mei1 ,deus1 secundum magnam misericordiam tuam6' ',the chant of the priest was broken in upon by the harsh cry of ,general ,golofeiev to the soldiers3 ,pokreptche6 ,pokreptche6 ',harder6 ,harder6' ,thus was heard for some time the chant of the ,basilien broken by the hissing of the lashes and the angry cry of the general4 ,sierocinski had only passed once through the ranks of the battalion1 that is to say1 he had received but a thousand lashes1 when he rolled without consciousness over the snow1 staining it with his dauntless blood4 ,in vain they tried to place him again on his feet--he was too weak to stand2 and he was then stretched upon a sled which had been prepared in advance4 ,he was fastened upon this species of support so as to present his back to the blows1 and again the defile through the ranks began4 ,cries and groans were still heard3 though they were constantly growing weaker1 they ceased not until the commencement of the fourth course--the three thousand last blows fell on the body of the hapless corpse4 ',a common ditch received those who died on this dreadful day1 ,poles and ,russians being thrown in together4 ,the holy sign of our faith was placed by the friends of the dead upon this crowded grave1 and even in #ahdf the great wooden cross still stretched its black arms over the steppe shrouded in its snow of dazzling whiteness4'