Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1819-05-29


disappointment never comes, but for the
purpose of giving lustre to fortitude--
and sorrows and Affections are never ad-
mitted, unless they serve to display the
virtues Of patience and resignation
Suns are always to shine-brooks ever
running-yiolets, roses, and woodbines,
are for ever to bloom-sometimes, how
ever, they are to be little melancholy,
that they may return to the enchanted
scene with double energy-In fine, they
are never to suffer any inconvenience,
unless they choose it for the sake of va
riety, or as SO many shades to set off the
charming picture of human life.
Will such exaggerated views, such
sentimental frippery, and cream" fit
young persons to share, with content
ment and satisfaction, the mingled por-
ton of good and evil which is allotted to
this state below the sun, or prepare them
for that state which is above it?
Weeping over the distress of he
roine, tends to blunt the sympathies of
nature. They will have no tears nor
charities to spare for those whose sor-
rows are not dressed to the relish of their
sickly sensibility.
The following may serve as general
outline of the manner in which all novels
are conducted -
A young gentleman and lady, para
gons of beauty and excellence, acciden-
tally meet with each other-both are
| .,c +1xr he ,aIa
passion, over which reason possesses no
kind of control. The lover throws HIM
self at the feet of his mistress, or evil
dences his sentiments in some other err
rant manner :-she, however, though
equally enthusiastic, is withheld by mo-
desty, and by the authors necessity of
lengthening out the story, from acting
10 the same manner-the confession, at
lest, falls from her trembling lips. But
| ii the affair, as in ordinary cases, were to
end here, the reader might have cause to
| complain of the scantiness of the amuse-
ment afforded him. Obstacles must
| therefore be raised :-inhuman parents
| -dctcstable riyals-embarrassme nts on
account OF fortune, sc. sc. must unite,
in retarding the completion OF the lovers
felicity. On sudden, however, these
are removed-weaith flows in from some
unexpected quarter-friends are recon-
ciled--rivals are killed, and the parties
are marrled--upon which the scene
closes, there being nothing more to be
| done or said.
The characters of the men are chiefly
drawn from that class of society who
follow no profession for subsistence
know no concern in public affairs, and
have nothing to do but to saunter about
from one place to another in search of.
pleasures and amusements.
The female party has enough to do to
dress, paint, promenade, give and re-
ceive visits, play at cards, attend balls,
routs, plays, masquerades, &c. &c.
The narrative consists of jumbled
multitude Of improbable incidents, I'M
expected meetings, and extraordinary
delverances, with which the story is
crowded.-Upon these their popularity,
and their wide circulation among the
tasteless, lazy, and illiterate part of man.
kind, chiefly rest.
Such fabrications tend to give man.
kind false views of human life-raise
visionary expectations, and create dis
content with the real occurrences of their
lot.
Though the pleasure they afford is of
a very low order, yet no amusement is
more apt to engross the mind but they
take away all sensibility to higher beau
ties, as well as all disposition to valua-
bic studies and pursuits.