Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-05-21
Writers of Fiction.


An over fastidious taste-a tight-laced
rlgldity-is disposed to decry all worksyof q
nctlon-an thoughts and narratives drawn L
from imagination-all the bright gems of :;
fancy-and rule them out as demoralizing, !.
or at least injurious to the mind. It would :
nail every thing to the counter as spurious +
corrupting literature, if the writer has
ventured to draw upon his inauguration I
Tor a theme although he has woven around {
1t the purest sentiments, true moral princi-
pie, and even inculcated holy, religious
precepts. Every thing must be based up
ON stern reality, or it receives the anathe-
ma of this school of ultra utilitarians.
Now, we are not much given to soaring
in the clouds of fancy, or indulging in the
unreal world of romance on the contrary
We are rather ''old ~plodders," than other
wise /; yet we cannot unite in the whole
sale denunciation against fiction writer's,
which some indulge in. We are free to
acknowledge that much of the popular
literature ofsthe day-the novels and ro-
mances which come teeming from the
thousand presses of the nation-are vapid,
unsubstantial, proftless-many of them
highly injurious to the minds of their rea-
ders-yet because there are Paul DeKock's
Eugene Sues, Ned Buntlines, Harriet Bee
cher Stoves, &C., who figure in this kind
Of literature, and whose writings are gross
" sensual, debasing and libellous, we are
not disposed to place the writings of all
others, in the same category, and deal out
a common denunciation against all. The
truth is there is as much to admire, advo.
cate and defend and as much to deprecate,
abjure and abhor, in the literary of fiction
teachings of the day, as there is in the
theological disquisitions of the times. L
is the matter and not the manner tina
makes them corrupting and dangerous.
A writer who enters upon the exposi
tion of vice and the exaltation of virtue
;. and who throws his soul into his work
!; must draw largely uponh his imagination 70
!, Illustration and to give force and pungenc,
: to his thoughts. Even the blessed Saviou
gave power and demonstration to hi
teachings by the introduction of the mos
!, beautiful parallels, metaphors and illustra
: tions. So of Bunyan, Baxter, and thou
sands of others of the best orthodox wr
| tiers on the Bible. Our Pulpits glow an,
: burn with pure and holy ~eloquence ever
: Sabbath, drawn from the ennobling. sor
g inspiring themes of the glorious Gospel
8 The sacred orator visits the garden of Geth
semane, or stands around the Cross of tn
; cruci6ed Son of God, or peers into tn
v vacated %sepulchre, or gazes up into tn
e heavens to witness the triumphant ascer
) sion of Him who has conquered deatt
Z, hell and the grave" and with fancy mour
IT ted on Angels wings, he tells enrapture
thousands Of the "glories of the world t
- come" And who will dare say to him
: "you do err in judgment, or falsify i
speech"
,e But, it may be said, every theme thu
discussed has its solid foundation in tt
lie Sacred Scriptures. Grant it SO have tI
as wholesome, moral stories of fiction and r.
at nance their counterpart in real life, to |
~ met with every day /; to p~articularize an
=" identify which would be branded as a
= outrage upon the sacred privacies of soci
nf life. But it is important that the deli
" quences, ~improprieties and enormities
IS society should be rebuked and discounte
anced !: to do this, a fctious work is sci
ne into the world, which corrects the err
Id and lnculcates true, correct sentiments.
az this to be placed under the ban, becaus
- forsooth, the sacred privacy of the hon
circle is not invaded, and the real nam
Of and characters dragged out before the ga
is ing multitude Surely not to ms
IL upon this, would be to encourage and f
lis ter an inquisitorial interference in the de.
n est rights of social life.
rs Again to illustrate ~virtuous sentime
y and encourage enrolling action, it is il
:: portant to disguise names and %localiti,
20 else they become like the aims of the Pu
~ hcan, "that they may be seen of men,.
Mt But the world will be made wiser and b
all ter, by intoxicating these generous, pr
= principles ; hence sublime, real truth
en- brought out under the guise of fiction, a
ice the cause of truth and virtue advanced.
m But, to conclude, fiction, when employ
IN a good cause, we are unable to und
stand why it should not accomplish a hi
= and holy mission. Let the sentiments a
! principles advocated be of the right stan
=. and a noble harvest will be reaped fri
the seed sown.
hs, Raleigh Female Seminary.