The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-08-12

arise out OF the contradictory qualities d
our nature. A man is hypocrite onl,
!, when be affects to take delight in whal
he does not feel, and not because he take
a preverse delight in the opposite things.
IAN admirable piece of metaphisica
defence said the other, whom, for til.
sake of distinction, | shall call the philos
opher; "but one that, after all. does no
go to far to prove your case. Remembo
Sterne's neglect Of his loving wife, ant
the heartlessness of his hirtations, and ther
judge how sincere may lave been those
tears which he sniyelled 50 plenteousls
over dead donkey at Nempont. Pshas
it is the very mockery Of virtuep' n
| Sand a compliant to it at the same
. time" retorted the metaphysican. "Come
you are severe to-day, and misjudge him
from an excess of manner here. and there
| The profoundcst wisdom is sometimes
combined in his pages with an outward
| appearance levity; and many passages
which have to bear the charge Of coarse
ness, contain, a sterling view of love and
charity. Think of Uucle Tobyr' "a
"Who pitied even the devilp' said the
philosopher, extending his hand INDECENT
| ly for the bottle Of Johannisberger which
1 had just pushed towards him.
"Who is one Of the finest tributes ever
paid to human naturer' exclaimed !. his
friend. "Why, this ! will say, that
Shakspear himself never conceived char
acter so genial, so delicious, so unofend-
ing T. Them again, turn to the story of
LIE Feyre; it is perhaps the finest in the
English language. | cannot conceive
how Goldsmith could call Sterne 50 duh
fellow" The author Of the Vicar of
Wakefield should have known better"
e tsPerhaps," said I, vent,,ring for the
first time to mingle with their converse
ton, s'the tone Of Goldsmith's mind was
too thoroughly English to appreciate
the glancing transitions, tho poignant
though artificial wit, and the extraordina-
| ry variableness of Sterne. 1t has always
appeared to me that, although bis style
was SO racy, so rapid, so automatically
English..his genius and disposition inclined
more towards the characteristic of the
French writer's <a svs9
.You mean Rabelais,n said the philos-
opher; and Rabelais JIG was, oply born in
happier age, and was gifted With senti-
ment." et q aae 3h9aPt
4 wasn't alluding particularly to Rasel-
ais" | rejoined. IL believe / was think
ing more Of the modern French school
of the Balzacs, Karrs, and Paul de Rocks,
who can scarcely supposed to have imita
ted a half-forgotten English writer of the
last century" Both Of my visitors look
ed interested, and went on. at is in
abrupt variations Of feeling that this re-
semblance forces itself upon me. l find
in the writer's I have named, and in fifty
others who are their pupils and contenl-
poraries, the same antithetical propensity
which delights in giving comic tnrn to.
a serious passage-the same implied sat
ire and half-expressed double-entendres
the same unfinished sentences, and the
same historical mingling of smiles and
tears. Compare, for instance, Tristram,
Shandy and e A0aoureue Fro,aci. A
Hindoo would swear that the soul of,
Laurence Sterne had taken up its present
abode9in the body Of Paul de Kock.--
Again, let us consider his power of turn
ing triflcs to account, and envolving from
the least promising incidents the most ex-
quisite combinations of feeling and fancy.
Apropos Of a pin, he fills a page with
wisdom on humanities; and from his bar
ber's recommendation of a wig buckle, de
duces an admirable analysis Of the French
national character. Is not this one of the
leading traits Of modern French author
ships Place in the way of one these wit
ty and imaginative .feuilletionists the most
barren and uninteresting of objects, and
he will enrich it with all the embroideries
of art, clotheit in the rainbow hues Of his
own fancy, and, though it were but an
old pair of ruffles or market-barrow,
end by making you laugh or cry accord
ing to his pleasure. In this manner, an
ingenious French writer has elaborated
charming volume on no more extensive
a subject than journey round his room:
and from so simple an incident as flow
er springing up accidentally within the
confines Of a prison, another has contrib
uted to our modern European literature
the most touching, the most humanizing,
the most philosophical of moral stories.-.
Thus, in bis gayety and his gravity alike,
I always find myself irresistibly re-
minded of the French style whenever /
open a volume of Sterne. Do yon follow
me?" xa9slfuA .s@ Dr. ea3 s
| '.Perfectly.p replied the philosopher !:
'sand l admit the justice Of your remarks
He has all the volatility, as well as all the
seriousness of the French character-that
seriousness which he was the first as well
as the Inst traveller to discern. "If the
French have a fault, Monsieur lie. Conite, !"
he says in the chapters on the passport,
''it is that they are too serious"
The metaphysical smiled. Not the
last traveller" he said ;.'for in those notes
tina. made on my late journey through
France and Italy, / particularly observed
this exception to their generally fluttering
and thoughtless disposition. These last
are the qualities that strike us most by
contrast to ourselves, and that come most
into play in the intercourse of common
life; and, therefore, we are generally dis
posed to set them down as an altogether
| frivolous and superficial people. 1t is a
mistake which we shall do Nell to correci
on further acquaintance with them; or, i
we persist in it, we must call to- opT aid
an extraordinary dagree Of our shanve
blindness and obstinacy. Why, the ez