Page:The Homes of the New World- Vol. I.djvu/175

 part in the conversation. There were present from forty to fifty people, all seated on benches. Alcott sits in a pulpit with his face towards the people, and begins the conversation by reading something aloud. On this occasion it was from the writings of Pythagoras. He is a handsome man of gentle manners, but a dreamer whose Pythagorean wisdom will hardly make people wiser now a days. He himself has lived for many years only on bread, fruits, vegetables, and water, and this is what he wishes all other people to do; and thus fed, they would become, according to his theory, beautiful, good and happy beings. Sin is to be driven out by diet. And the sacred flood of enthusiasm would constantly flow in the human being purified and beautified by diet. Both the proposition and the conversation were in the clouds, although I made a few attempts to draw them forth. Alcott drank water and we drank—fog. He has paid me a few visits, and has interested me as a study. He passed last evening with me and Benzon, and entertained us with various portions of his doctrine. Every bl a o nd and blue-eyed person, according to him, belongs to the nations of light, to the realm of light and goodness. I should think Lowell would be Alcott's ideal of a son of light; all persons however with dark eyes and hair, are of the night and evil. I mentioned Wilberforce and other champions of the light, with dark hair. But the good Alcott hears an objection as if he heard it not, and his conversations consist in his talking and teaching himself. We drank tea, and I endeavoured to persuade Alcott to drink at least a glass of milk. But that was too much akin to animal food. He would not take anything but a glass of water and a piece of bread. He is at all events a Transcendentalist who lives as he teaches.

I have accepted some invitations for this week. I am to dine on Sunday with Laura Bridgeman at the house of her second creator, the director of the Deaf and