BEFORE GENIUS 145 



beyond, the merely conventional and scholastic, — 

 little, I mean, in which one gets a whiff of the 

 strong, unbreathed air of mountain or prairie, or a 

 taste of rude, new power that is like the tonic of 

 the sea. Thoreau occupies a niche by himself. 

 Thoreau was not a great personality, yet his writ- 

 ings have a strong characteristic flavor. He is anti- 

 scorbutic, like leeks and onions. He has reference, 

 also, to the highest truths. 



It is very likely true that our most native and 

 original characters do not yet take to literature. It 

 is, perhaps, too early in the day. Iron and lime 

 have to pass through the vegetable before they can 

 reach the higher organization of the animal, and 

 maybe this Western nerve and heartiness will yet 

 emerge on the intellectual plane. Let us hope that 

 it will indeed be Western nerve and heartiness when 

 it gets there, and not Eastern wit and epigram ! 



In Abraham Lincoln we had a character of very 

 marked and lofty type, the most suggestive study 

 or sketch of the future American man that has yet 

 appeared in our history. How broad, unconven- 

 tional, and humane! How democratic! how adhe- 

 sive! INo fine arabesque carvings, but strong, un- 

 hewn, native traits, and deep lines of care, toil, and 

 human sympathy. Lincoln's Gettysburg speech is 

 one of the most genuine and characteristic utterances 

 in our annals. It has the true antique simplicity 

 and impressiveness. It came straight from the man, 

 and is as sure an index of character as the living 

 voice, or the physiognomy, or the personal presence 



