the sky, and feel that I, too, from birth,
had longed to rise, and, though for the moment crushed, was
not subdued.

'But if those beautiful hills, and wide, rich fields, saw this
sad lore well learned, they also saw some precious lessons
given in faith, fortitude, self-command, and unselfish love.
There too, in solitude, the mind acquired more power of
concentration, and discerned the beauty of strict method;
there too, more than all, the heart was awakened to sympathize
with the ignorant, to pity the vulgar, to hope for the
seemingly worthless, and to commune with the Divine Spirit of
Creation, which cannot err, which never sleeps, which will
not permit evil to be permanent, nor its aim of beauty in the
smallest particular eventually to fail.'

WINTER IN BOSTON.

In the autumn of 1836 Margaret went to Boston, with the two-fold
design of teaching Latin and French in Mr. Alcott's school, which
was then highly prosperous, and of forming classes of young ladies in
French, German, and Italian.

Her view of Mr. Alcott's plan of education was thus hinted in a
journal, one day, after she had been talking with him, and trying to
place herself in his mental position:--

_Mr. A._ 'O for the safe and natural way of Intuition! I
cannot grope like a mole in the gloomy passages of experience.
To the attentive spirit, the revelation contained in books
is only so far valuable as it comments upon, and corresponds
with, the universal revelation. Yet to me, a being social
and sympathetic by natural impulse, though recluse and
contemplative by training and philosophy, the character and
life of Jesus have spoken more forcibly than any fact recorded
in human history. This story of incarnate Love has given me
the key to all mysteries, and showed me what path should be
taken in returning to the Fountain of Spirit. Seeing that
other redeemers have imperfectly fulfilled their tasks, I
have sought a new way. They all, it seemed to me, had tried
to influence the human being at too late a day, and had laid
their plans too wide. They began with men; I will begin
with babes. They began with the world; I will begin with the
family. So I preach the Gospel of the Nineteenth Century.'

_M_. 'But, preacher, you make _three_ mistakes.

'You do not understand the nature of Genius or creative power.

'You do