UNDER THE APPLE-TREES 
philosophy. The creative literary artist in him is 
always paramount. His method is essentially that 
of literature — the visualizing, image-forming, anal- 
ogy-seeking method. He thinks in symbols and 
pictures drawn from the world of concrete objects 
and forces. Probably no system of philosophy was 
ever before put forth in language so steeped and 
dyed in the colors with which the spirit paints this 
world. His style illustrates his theme; it is never 
static or merely intellectual; it is all movement and 
flexibility. 
Open his book anywhere and your mind is caught 
in a flowing stream of lucid, felicitous thoughts that 
seem of the very quality of life itself. He visualizes 
mental and emotional processes. He sees spirit and 
matter as two currents — two reverse currents — 
one up, one down. He sees life struggling with mat- 
ter, stemming its tide, seeking to overcome and use 
it; he sees it defeated and turned aside many times, 
its triumph complete. Life or spirit is freedom. 
Matter is the seat of necessity; it proceeds mechan- 
ically; it is obdurate, unwilling, automatic. Life 
humbles itself, makes itself very small and very in- 
sinuating in order to enter into and overcome the 
resistance of inert matter. It “bends to physical 
and chemical forces, consenting even to go part of 
the way with them, like the switch that adopts for a 
while the direction of the rail it is endeavoring to 
leave.” ‘Life had to enter thus into the habits of 
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