Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1851-06-26
NOVEL READING.

NOVEL READING.
Why do you read novels! ITO gain
a knowiedge of history, because many
novels are founded on II" replies one.
Suppose a naturalist should form of
clay the figure of a new and unheard
Of animal, and then deck a part of it
with the wool Of the sheep, another
with the fur Of the beaver, another
with the feathers Of an ostrich, and
another with quilts of a porcupine, and
thus by culling parts from certain real
animals, should al length finish his ideal
animal, would you make this uncouth
combination of parts subject of study |
in order to gain knowledge Of natu
raj historvl How does this new ami |
NAL differ from a novel;. The former
is but an impersonation ofthe latter
The writer Of fiction produces a new
and uuheard of book. He culls, scraps
of veriiabe history here and there,
aud skllIfulIy entwines them to suit hs
fancy. Examine carefully the his.
torlcal novels of that prince of writers,
Scott, and you will find, in comparing
| them with veritable history, that he
! has used facts onI y 10 give an air OF
truth 10 his works; in many cases, he
has wofuIly distorted even these, in
order TO adopt than. Ii is the province
of the historian 10 tell the truth; of the
novel writer, 10 tell what he pleases.
The one gives YOU a transcript of real
events, the other daguerreolypes the
floating images of his excited fancy;
and yet you 60 10 The novehwTiter 10
gain a knowledge of history!
Why do you read norels! ITO gain a
knowledge of human nature" replies
another. Alas! for poor, errlnng humanity,
If novel writers are its exposItors. Our
fallen nature is yet grooming under the curse
OF Eden. There is enough in the actual
affairs Of life to make good man exCIam-
My whole head is sick, and my whole
heart is raint;" but the real condition has
far more symmetry, harmony and order, than
these ideal csriCatures Of novel>writers.-
n The very nature of their vocation impel:
them TO 20 beyond The boundaries Of truth
aud TO present 10 their readers not what Is
true, but what IS netO. Examine cautious
, any OF the works, and you will find that
? with comparatively few exceptions, thc
= characters with whch you are so much de
lighted have not their likeness in heaven or
the earth, or under the earth. They arr
y chhneras in the brain OF your author anc
= yet you study these in order 10 gain knowl
edge Of human nature.
Why do you read norels7 ITO maxi
II myself conversant with the best style 0
II ,cri,ing," replies another This is spe
II oious plea. and is often urged. But it
?, false. The Individual who makes this
=. motive for reading several thousand pages O
$. 6clont is sell>deceived. There is nothn
e but the artificial interest that they create
IF which gives them the preference, and ther
y is hardly single novel written in q styl
. worthy Of beng employed in writing
! veritable book One Of the sillest obiec
in the world is an individual melted 10 tes
- while reading a novel: weeping over II
II Thantnsms which an author has made I
IS fit before the mind. Wherein consists Il
10 utility Of subjecdng our finer feelings
re such airy trhes7 God never intended the
10 be exercised thus. But suppose that yc
ur could acquire the best style BY reading no
es els, are you ignorant oil that well esablis
er ed fact in mental science, that the mind b.
at comes assimilaed TO that which it habual
ry con,empaies? Now although you may
nm able 10 speak with The tongue OF kings al
is princes, and lords and knights and be
~ niliaG with tournaments and sceptres a.
90 crowns, and understand fully hs sick
90 nomenclature OF royal gaIlantry, what ber
fl does all this confer on you!
viii - ar,yo. ~ WIZ" 49,;
'e' for you now, because your natural r
- ish has been perverted.
;1 "o You do wrong in reading novels, |
'o1 ,os cause you subject your purity of mi
'es to a fearful trlal. 1t is hard to d
:? criminale between The good and
~, evil 10 novels. The novel appetite
10 ing once formed, il Graves all. A !
'"o lish seduction character!zes this kind
reading. The unhappy being "
'es> lakes The first becomes enamored of
pleasure it affords. All other read
hat becomes lifeless. Now observe
The fact. Only one successful atlemp,
,ier been made 10 wTiie novel in wh
led woman is not prominent charac
ress and lus, one of the main ingredients
her the composition Of its plot. Auth
I be are well acquainted with human mai,
lille They know that il loves to coas. al
r be the borders ofinfamy and crime. O
vugarity and obsceni,y are forbid
ma. by reigning custom; but novel wri
,ern by means of honied words and a
,,ak. plans, lead the mind jus, far enoug