Page:The Homes of the New World- Vol. I.djvu/147

 and well too. He was quite charmed with the young girls and their teacher, a lady in the highest degree gentlewoman-like, as he described her. Bergfalk had made a little speech to express his pleasure, and the estimable and agreeable clergyman who had accompanied Bergfalk was no less warm in his praise, declaring that every girls' school would be delighted in the highest degree with “the Professor,” as he was called here, and everywhere during our journey, for people scarcely attempted to pronounce his name, as if they considered it quite impossible.

I visited also several of those small homes, which are very comfortable, although the family waits upon itself, and does all the business of the house without a servant. This is a thing to be esteemed, but not to be loved, and I am not comfortable with it.

We left Concord in the afternoon without having again seen Emerson.

As to the Socialist meeting this evening, I must tell you that I saw there a great number of respectable-looking people, and heard theories for the future, as to how human beings—instead of going to heaven, as now, by the thorny path,—will wander thither on roses, and more of the same kind. I heard also various beautiful plans for the accomplishing of this, but they all were remarkable for their want of basis in possibility and in human nature, such as it really is. In general it seems to me that the Socialists fail by not taking into consideration the dualism of human nature. They do not see the evil, and they believe that everything can become right in this world by outward institutions. I have during their discussions a feeling of wandering among the clouds, or of being lost in a great wood. The humane side of their theories, of their endeavours for the best interests of humanity, cannot be doubted.

The Swedish consul in Boston, Mr. Benzon, who was