Beck Center English Dept. University Libraries Emory University
Emory Women Writers Resource Project Collections:
Women's Genre Fiction Project

Panola, an electronic edition

by Sarah A. Dorsey [Dorsey, Sarah A. (Sarah Anne), 1829-1879.]

date: 1877
source publisher: T. B. Peterson & Brothers
collection: Genre Fiction

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CHAPTER XIII.
A SAGE'S PHILOSOPHY.

"GRANDPAPA," exclaimed Natika, one day when they were all gathered, as usual, about Mark in the study; "grandpapa, do you call yourself a Comtist?" she glanced at the book which her grandfather was reading--it was "Comte's Philosophy."

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"No," replied the docteur, looking up from his page, meditatively. "I do not call myself anyzing as yet, Natika. I zink I should razer be classed in a ver' general and wide classification among zie order of zie Christians; of course, perhaps of a peculiar species."

Victor laughed aloud. "A very peculiar species, I think, grandpapa," he said.

The old man looked at him gravely, then after a moment's silence he said:

"My chief object in life is to search after the truth, wherever it may be found. I cannot zay I haf found more zan I really haf done. My powers and senses are very limited. I have studied not wiz pride, neider arrogance, but wiz deep humilitee, and great willingness to learn, in any way, some little truth from anybody at all. I have immense sympathie wiz aspiration after perfection, anywhere and anyhow. Wherever life is, I find zat life wonderful miraculous, mysterious--an atom in zie Divine, a part in zie Infinite! I have immense respeck for all life, for zie ordered Kosmos, for zie creative power; zat I admire, I reverence, I adore, I love!"

The old man put his hands gently together, as if in prayer, as he spoke, and his eyes glowed, his thin face became radiant, and a slight flush crept over his sallow cheeks. He bowed his head reverently as he uttered the last words. His grand- | | 156 children looked at him with tender, respectful eyes. The intense earnestness with which he spoke was most impressive. The old man paused and then continued:

"I know not much. I have been able to formulate but little of a system of religion for myself. I find zie essential truths whose highest utterance has come from zie lips of Jesus Christ. I find someting of zose truths in all periods, and in all zie high teachings of zie world from pre-historic times. I like not names; I like not partisanship; I like not zie narrow teachings of theology anywhere; I like not too much definition. I love zie good everywhere; I love zie truth everywhere; I love what you call God, zie all Fader; I love man. I reverence life and organization, mental, physical and moral. I zink zere has not been any teacher like Jesus; I zink he had more of zie divine life in his manhood dan any ozer. So far, he has taught zie best I know. I like zie Christ spirit; it is zie right spirit, zie divine spirit. I zink I am pretty much of a Christian, Natika."

"Grandpapa, are you a Pantheist, then?" asked Victor.

"No," said Mark, "he is rather what Krause calls a 'pan-en-theist'-not 'eu-kai-pan,' but 'pan-en-theo.'"

"Your distinctions are too subtle for me," said Victor, yawning.

| | 157 page image : 157 ASTRONOMICAL CALCULATION.

Natika looked at Victor half contemptuously, and pityingly.

"Your brain is too light for metaphysics," she said.

"Natika has the brain of the Greek; it is subtle and mobile," said Docteur Canonge, smilingly.

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