ned, but at the
home of Mr. Courtlandt Palmer and of other participants. All the
parties named, and many others, took part in the discussions of this
unorganized circle, until its name and influence reached and
interested generally the thinkers of the city. This interest, as the
years rolled on, resulted in or influenced the forming of many
societies, among which were a Positivist Society, the Society of
Humanity, the New York and Manhattan Liberal Clubs, the Philosophic
Society of Brooklyn, the Nineteenth Century Club, the Goethe Society,
and indirectly a Dante Society and several others. All of the clubs
and societies of women with which Mrs. Croly and her work have been
associated may be thus included. Certain it is that this "positive
factor" in her life was the source from which the new, altruistic
inspiration originally came which made her finally recognized as the
"Mother of Women's Clubs" and of their beneficent influences--the new
life, light, and hope of women, of which they are the beginning.

Nor less should be said for the literature that has sprung from the
same source. It began with the "Positivist's Calendar," by Mr. Edgar,
and Professor Youmans's admirable collection of articles, and the
introduction, on "Correlation" of the physical and other forces,
published by Appleton, and never to be outgrown. Then Professor Fiske
published in the New York _World_ his able series of lectures on the
"Positive Philosophy," which some think he weakened by turning into the
"Cosmic Philosophy." Then (for further details are not in place here)
Mr. and Mrs. Croly and Mr. Bell and most of us went into literature in
some way, to an extent that made quite a library, now mostly lost or
forgotten. Would that I could "lend continuance to the time" of those
disputants, and show why and how they drifted apart instead of
together! For the shadow of oblivion seems to be creeping over all;
and against that I, as the last survivor, seem to be their only and
yet their helpless protector. Yet we can now see, as they mostly did
not, that their divergence was really a "differentiation process,"
leading each to a higher integration of truth.

Thus, what I cannot do for each, the volunteer seeding of time is
doing silently for all, though they noticed not the good seed they
scattered. For instance, Mr. Croly wished these words to be placed
over his grave: "I meant well, tried a little, failed much." He saw
not that the sound seed of whi