THE LAST YEARS 377 
January 12.— Martineau says striking things, as 
this — ‘“‘For character to lose its hold on the affairs 
of men and serve the anarchies of impulse is no more 
possible than for the sheep to drive the shepherds.” 
However his justification of the Providence of God in 
the permission of crime and cruelty in the world fails 
like all such arguments to satisfy one. Of slavery, for 
instance: — if slavery is intended to work out a good 
result in the end, it is none the less impossible to 
think of it as an instrument in the dealing of an all- 
wise, all-beneficent creator with his creatures. Better 
to leave the mystery unsolved than to admit such 
an explanation. 
January 26.— We passed the morning at Mrs. 
[John L.] Gardner’s. There is but one thing to be said, 
— what the newspapers call her “‘palace” is simply a 
beautiful creation. It must always be a delight for 
every lover of art and architecture, and its very pres- 
ence in the city is a benefaction to the community, 
for it sets a standard of ideal beauty, largeness of 
conception, combined with such exquisite charm and 
grace of expression as can never be overlooked. No 
building erected for artistic purposes can be hereafter 
built in Boston without reference to this work of 
Mrs. Gardner’s as a standard, a measure of com- 
parison. 
TO MRS. JAMES T. FIELDS 
Hamilton, March 25, 1902 
My pear Frienp: I cannot resist the temptation 
to answer your card by a note. Your tempting in- 
