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

addressed myself to the portrait over tn
old fireplace 7 orick, your healthw
/ took the volume out, and, turnin,
the leaves idly, came to the chapters tina
n treat of the deso6lsgeante. | was dec
dedly in soliloquising mood. m
| "Now, if were beginning, instead !
ending my Journey" said I, s'there's moth
ing should have preferred to the deso6li
geaate. No doubt there is one to be hat
somewhere. What If the identical vehicl
be still in the stables! That's nonsense
of course; and yet, should just like t,
make the inquiry. Yorick, your healtl
again, and let me tell you, sir, that's no
every man who, fifty years after his de
cease, gets toasted in wine at seventeen
frances the bother 9 ...s
There was tap at the door.
ga thousand pardons," opserved th,
waiter looking in. Monsieur is alone 2"
'sGo to the mischief p said |, savaeeiy
Fortunately it was in English, so he die
not understand me. .Bgos saa 91at
'There are two gentlemen here, mon
sieur = two milords, your countrymen
who desire particularly to be permitted te
see this apartment for moment"
? san Englishman does not travel tc
see Englishman,'" | muttered to myself
quoting page nineteen of the Sentimental
Journey. - 4seaaSs 1-s 2s9 eJ q
IAN | honored with monseiur's per-
mission to show them up?" ~
/ was forced to say yes-not very gra-
ciously, 1 fear; and he ushered them in
accordingly 4dgmn5g 6
| he The first was spare, seager-looking
man. with keen quivering nostrils, and a
brow furrowed with thought and express
sive of immense determination of charac-
ter. The appearance of the second was
still more remarkable. l could not re-
move my eyes from his face and yet I
could not scarcely have told you what it
was that so attracted me-. His forehead
was broad and high; his mouth open and
eloquent; his hair black, glossy, and fall
ing in smooth, pendulous masses almost
to his shoulders. His eyebrows were
prominent and bushy, and the eyes be-
meath them animated by living radi-
anee, alternately dreamy and tender, wild
and energetic. I have since heard them
compared to ''the rolling of sen with dark
ened lustre," and | can think of no words
which better express their changefulness
and their depth. a
He entered last, but stepped before his
friend, and stood looking up at tho par
trait. The other bowed and apologized
to me, in q few BRIEF hesitating words,
for their intrusion. sl
Presently the second conner turned
rodnd, and, without any previous recog-
milton Of my presence, said:
Il see that you two have been dining
together. Has the worthy prebend been
an agreeable companion!"
The oddly Of the address pleased me.
81 cannot say that | have wanted for
amusement" l replied, smiling, sssince
the Sentimental Journey has been lying
beside my plate all the time. viii you
be seated?" 7a sfa.a41 III "a uo.,ss
He needed no second invitation, but
dropped indolently into an easy-chair, and
lay back with his eyes still fixed on the
picture i; while his companion walked
over towards the, window, and stood
there, looking out, with a fidgety, uneasy
countenance, as if he had seen quite
enough of the room, and was more anxi-
Gus to 90, than stay .ar IA As 81
81 do not admire the Sentimental
Journey" said he in the easy-chair. at
is poor sickly stuff; and the oftener you
read Sterne, the moro clearly you will
perceive its inferiority to Tristram Shan
dy. There is truth and reality in the
one, and little beyond a clever afiectation
in the other. But Sterne's morals were
bad. His heart was bad his life was bad.
he dallied with vice, and called it senti-
ment, or combined it with wit, drollery
and fancy, and served it'ap for the amuse-
ment of the fashionable world, whose idol
he was. His mind oscillated ever on the
confines of evil, and from this dangerous
element he drew 'seffects," his clap-trap,
and his false whimpering sensibilitys-
There is not a page Of Sterne's writings
undefiled by some hint of impurity and
yet he approaches the subject with mix
ture of courage and cowaadice, as man
snuffs a candle with his fingers for the
first time; or, better still, like that tremb-
ling daring with which child touches q
hot tea-urn-o only because it has been for
hidden, He is hypocrite, because he
affects to be the ally of virtue and enter
tains all the while a secret sympathy with
the enemy. At the same time, i don't
think his hypocricy can do much harm,
or his morals either, unless to those who
are already vicious"
The gentleman at the window faced
round, and shook his head. {.
a"You are seldom just to authors for
whom YOU have no liking" he said, in
harsh, quick tones; ''aud it seems to me
that in this instance you jump too hastily
at conclusions. 1t does not follow that q
man is hypocrite because his actions
give the lie to, his words. If be at one
time seems to be saint, and at another
a sinner, he possibly is both in reality, as
well as in appearance. A person may be
fond of vice and ofvirtue, too, and practise
one or the other according to the tempta
ton of the moment; a Romish priest may
be pious. and at the same time sot o.
bigot; woman may be modest, and
rake at heart: poet may admire thu
beauties of nature, and be enyious Of those
Of other writers; moralist may act con
trary to his own precepts, and yet be sin
cere in recommending them to others
These are indeed contradictions, but they