Part 8 (1/2)
Occasionally the school was advertised in a corner, but for the rest it might as well have been published elsewhere as at Brook Farm. The leaders, feeling that the life there was an experiment, and perhaps a doubtful one, were not disposed to gratify a curiosity which they probably considered morbid, by yielding to it. This was a mistake. It was a mistake, as much as it would be for us to leave out of our letters to our friends the petty incidents of daily life, and describe only grand principles and outside events. It is only to those loved most by us that we recite the trivial things, for we know that those trivialities link us closer than anything else, filling all the c.h.i.n.ks in our friends.h.i.+p or love. It was a disappointment to those who desired to know often of the spirit of the workers, and of the little events that happened there, not to find more notices of them.
In many other respects the _Harbinger_ was a grand success. In all that pertained to music, criticism, poetry and progress no journal stood higher. I cannot tell of its pecuniary success for I do not find any memorandum of its finances. The first number commenced with a story translated from the French of George Sand (Madame Dudevant) ent.i.tled ”Consuelo”--in some respects the sweetest story she ever wrote. It was translated by our neighbor, Mr. Francis G. Shaw, who would oftentimes mount his horse, and, with his little boy, a tiny fellow, on a pony by his side, gallop over to see us. How hard it is for me to realize that afterward the same little fellow, as Col. Robert G. Shaw, led his colored regiment through fire and smoke and the whizzing bullets up to the cannon's mouth of b.l.o.o.d.y Fort Wagner, and there laid down his life for his country.
Francis George Shaw was of a Boston family and a gentleman of means. He took great interest in our experiment and its hoped-for results. I have not words to praise his kindness, and his gentlemanly manner and bearing towards us all. He looked on life from a high standpoint.
Wealth did not corrupt him. He was a Christian in large heartedness and philanthropy. He recognized his Maker's image in all men; the garment he saw through; the color he saw through; and he desired above all things the education, progress and culture of all the human family.
Appended is an additional list of all the advertised contributors of the _Harbinger_, during its publication at Brook Farm, not including those already mentioned:--
John Allen, Brook Farm. Jean M. Pallisse, Brook Farm. S. P. Andrews, New York, N. Y. William Ellery Channing, Concord, Ma.s.s. Joseph J.
Cooke, Providence, R. I. Fred. Henry Hedge, Bangor, Me. Mark E.
Lazarus, Wilmington, N. C. E. W. Parkman, Boston, Ma.s.s. J. H. Pulte, Cincinnati, Ohio. Samuel D. Robbins, Chelsea, Ma.s.s. Miss E. H. Starr, Deerfield, Ma.s.s. C. Neidhart, Philadelphia, Pa.
The presence of a weekly journal on the farm, with its varieties of current literature, poetry and music, could not but awaken in many of the colaborers most pleasurable emotions. Prose articles and poetry from it were discussed by daylight and by the fireside, by the roadside, in the shops, on the farm--in fact, everywhere. The ”Admiral”
was wild over Hood's ”Bridge of Sighs.” It was so quaint; the rhythm was so unique; it was so full of sentiment; it was so tender; it displayed so touchingly the sorrows of a young heart, and was so in harmony with the humanitarian sentiment of our lives, that he and others could but repeat it over and over, and the poet's rhymes kept ringing both in our physical and mental ears. The lines--
”One more unfortunate, Rashly importunate Gone to her death.
Take her up tenderly, Fas.h.i.+oned so slenderly Young and so fair.”
were repeated times without number. Cranch's, Story's and Duganne's poems were favorably criticised, the authors being friendly to the a.s.sociation, and the verses of our own members touched tender spots.
When Mr. Emerson's poems were published, there was quite a desire to know what his sonnet to our friend William H. Channing was like. The disappointment was great when, instead of a grand, glowing sonnet to a great-souled man, it took up only an exceptional point of feeling in his mind on the Abolition question, on which they were not quite agreed. Quite a little discussion took place between two young persons as to the propriety of the lines,
”What boots thy zeal, O glowing friend, That would indignant rend The Northland from the South?”
The one party contended that ”boots” was entirely inadmissible in poetic phrase. ”What boots? Cowhides or patent leathers?” said he, whilst the other contended that the whole scope of the meaning made the poetry. But still the first stuck to his point, that a grand sentiment needed grand words as well as grand ideas, and ”boots” was a homely and inadmissible word with which to express a high sentiment.
Among the many volumes noticed, ”Festus,” by Philip James Bailey, was a constant source of admiration and criticism in some of our circles, and we had many varied ones. Listen to what Mr. Dwight said of it at the time in the _Harbinger_: ”There are more original and magnificent images on a single page of Festus than would endow a dozen of the handsome volumes most in vogue. The conclusion you come to as you read on, is that his wealth of imagination is illimitable, and that you might as well cut a cloud out of the purple sunset atmosphere, as a figure from the boundless atmospheric beauty of this poem.”
”Festus” still retains its charm for me.
The _Harbinger_, as may be seen, was to be published by the Brook Farm _Phalanx_, not _a.s.sociation_. The reason why the name was changed was because ”a.s.sociation” was not a definite one, conveying distinct impressions to the public mind, like ”Community”; and the name ”Phalanx,” although to American ears, new in its connection, was expressive, and was also adopted by a number of social experiments just starting, and it was desirable to have them all a.s.sociated in name as well as in general doctrine. The name ”Community” was rejected because all the societies organized under that name held their property in common, which the ”a.s.sociation” distinctly did not.
There were other changes made at this time, more important in idea than in practice. The name ”Areopagus” was applied to an enlarged general council, and our leader got in this connection, without warrant, the name of ”the Archon.”
”Come!” said jocose Drew to him one day, as he sat on the wagon-seat ready to start for the city, ”we are waiting for you!”
”Ah!” was Mr. Ripley's reply, ”I see you have the _wag_-on, and are now waiting for the Archon!”
The government was vested in a General Council consisting of four branches: First, a Council of Industry, composed of five members; second, a Council of Finance, of four members; third, a Council of Science, of three members, and fourth a President, who, with the chairmen of the other three councils, const.i.tuted a ”Central Council.”
The Council of Industry was appointed by the chiefs of the several series devoted to manual industry; the Council of Finance, by the stockholders; the Council of Science, by chiefs of the series devoted to educational, literary and scientific matters, and the President by the concurrent vote of the three series.
The Areopagus, whose duty was advisory, consisted of the General Council; the chiefs of the several groups and series; stockholders holding stock to the amount of one thousand dollars or more; all members of the Phalanx over the age of forty-five who had resided on the place for two years or longer; and of such other persons as might be elected by this Council on account of their superior wisdom, merit or devotion to the interests of the a.s.sociation; no person voting who was not a member of the Phalanx.
There was a curious and interesting addition to the const.i.tution in the ”Council of Arbiters,” which was to consist of seven persons, ”the majority of whom shall be women.” To this council individuals and departments were to bring all complaints, charges and grievances not provided for in other ways. They were to take cognizance of all matters relating to morals and manners, and to report to the General Council all cases wherein their decision was not complied with. The reader can judge by this that there were men and women who understood ”woman's sphere,” and were ready to a.s.sist her to it quietly and naturally, long years ago in this little band.