THE DRAMA IN RELATION TO TRUTH 1 



THE patriotic spirit, or love of country, as an incidental senti- 

 ment leading upward to a wider love embracing all countries 

 and races, has its place in the individual's and nation's de- 

 velopment. 



The fond striving of the patriot should be a means, not the 

 end of endeavor. Lotze, in his last work, which is a summary 

 of his comprehensive system, opposes strenuously "the dei- 

 fication of the state, a manifestation of which he sees in the 

 fact that the state is conceived of as an end in itself." 



A patriotism limited exclusively to any particular land is 

 not desirable in itself, since this kind of patriotism is a species 

 of selfish love, and must tend to contract certain sides of the 

 human character which are very important sides to expand. 

 But the love of country, or a localized patriotism so strongly 

 innate in the hearts of many, is a divine germ which will grow, 

 if nurtured, into a perfected bloom of universal love. 



The advance of peoples is correlated with rightly directed 

 individual effort. The progressive unfolding of the state and 

 nation depends upon the earnestness of the effort and the 

 highest possible development of the individual. To find out 

 the paths leading to truth, love, and charity, and to reverence 

 the high endeavor of others, whether at home or abroad, is 

 a goal for individual effort. This effort of the individual is 

 the first step toward a free and noble life. Once to have 

 attained these vistas, is to realize the inseparableness of the 

 development of the multitude from that of the individual. 



In the cause of truth, the drama and stage may be used as 

 strong levers in overturning false idols. 



1 Paper read before the New England Women's Club, December 10, 1894. 

 The subject given to be treated was, "The Relation the Drama has to Patriot- 

 ism." Printed in Poet-Lore, pp. 149-154, March, 1895. 



