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Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Atlantic Essays, A plea for culture. (search)
e high-water mark of its educated mind. Before the permanent tribunal, copyists and popularizers count for nothing, and even the statistics of common schools are of secondary value. So long as the sources of art and science are mainly Transatlantic, we are still a province, not a nation. For these are the highest pursuits of man, -higher than trades or professions, higher than statesmanship, far higher than war. Jean Paul said: Schiller and Herder were both destined for physicians, but Providence said, No, there are deeper wounds than those of the body,--and so they both became authors. It is observable that in English books and magazines everything seems written for some limited circle,--tales for those who can use French phrases, essays for those who can understand a Latin quotation. But every American writer must address himself to a vast audience, possessing the greatest quickness and common-sense, with but little culture; and he must command their attention as he can. This
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Atlantic Essays, The Puritan minister. (search)
hes, Thursday to other societies, Friday to persons afflicted, and Saturday to his own soul. He must have private fasts, spending whole days locked in his study and whole nights prostrate on the floor. Cotton Mather thought himself starved, unless he fasted once a month at farthest, while he often did it twice in a week. Then there were public fasts quite frequently, because of sins, blasting, mildews, drought, grasshoppers, caterpillars, small-pox, loss of cattle by cold and frowns of Providence. Perhaps a mouse and a snake had a battle in the neighborhood, and the minister must expound it as symbolizing the conflict betwixt Satan and God's poor people, the latter being the mouse triumphant. Then if there were a military expedition, the minister might think it needful to accompany it. If there were even a muster, he must open and close it with prayer, or, in his absence, the captain must officiate instead. One would naturally add to this record of labors the attendance on wed