The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-11-04

picas "IiUis arc uot nctsStfUy Sfstl
takers. You hear that q man has written
a popular book, and that you are to meet
him at dinner. You anxiously wait the in
PRODUCTION. You hope that your own in.
feriority in conversation will not be very ap-
parent, and to be on the sure side, resolve TO
play the part OF listener. You meet the
great man, and vainly expect wit or wisdom
from his lips. He turns out to be very or
binary mortal. He may. be shy and silent, or
garrulous and bold, but he does not realize
the expectation which you had formed OF
him from biz writings. A subject is discus
sed before him, and he either says nothing
about it, or if be enters into the controversy
makes little Of the subject, throws no light
upon it, and leaves it where be found it. You
go away, dreadfully disappointed, and can
not understand how man can talk 30 tame
ly and write 80 spiritedly-hOw be can be
weak a. well as strOng-hOw he can embody
the poets averment that we are "half dust,
half deity" A few months pass, and our
author produces another book. You have
the curiosity TO read it, and are wonder
smitten at finding the difficult subject on
which the author, in your presence, had eli,
ther not spoken, or spoken badly, fully and
LUMINOSITY discussed--research and analy-
sis, reflection and sagacity, wit and pathos,
wisdom and sentiment, poetry and philoso-
ply, grace and earnestness, eloquence and
refinement, all combining to illustrate it ad.
mlrably, all making ot,ef dquure, which
delights the Present and will fill the Future
with admiration.
What, you may ask, in utter wOnderment
what an extraordinary difference between
this mans writing and his conversation !;
what curious quality of mind, Us it were,
IN one and the same individual Well,
there IS difference. lie who was shy, and
silent, awkward, and perhaps commonplace
IN the crowd, was simply out OF his element
there and then. What changed man you
would see, were you to behold him in soil.
tude A casual passage in a book, pass
ing paragraph in newspaper. may suggest
Oh idea which, working into bis mind, ere
ates train OF thought, TO carry out which
he Is impelled To take pen in hand and write.
One page leads to another, until he has dis
cussed the subject 10 every point, and, in
due season, the completed production, be it
article or book, is before the world, chal.
longing its need OF appreciation and en-
tightening its heart.
AT period not very remote, when au.
thorsbip was more rare than it is now, when
every twentieth person whom you meet in
society has published book or written in a
periodical, there was sort Of mysterious
halo about man or woman who had ap-
nnaraI in uithi, hAunl :, Il. -
and had actually been praised by the critics.
That mystery and reverence have gradually
disappeared, in consequence of the increase
OF authors. The old adage that " iamiari
ty breeds contempt" may be quoted to ex
plain the decadence The author il no
longer that authoritative Sir Oracle"
whose word is doom who exercised sort of
dictatorship in his easy chair whose opin-
ion was law. Viewing society as il is. and
looking back, through Boswelan specta
cles, at what it was in the latter half of the
last century--what it actually was, in Eng.
land. while the battles of our Independence
were being fought hcre--we must wonder
at the unquestioned submission which. not
ordinary gentlemen and ladies'. but the
ablest and most eminent in the land, hum
bly, conceded to DR.. johnson. Orators and
wits, statesmen and judges. politicians and
clergymen. artists and authors, rank and
beauty, all placed themselves before hm,
and the benevolent ogre OF letters, though
he sometimes growled. TO show the depth OF
his voice, ottener patted bis subjects or the
head and while he oracularly delivered his
opinion. not aversc TO that moderated oppo-
sition which scarcely reached the extent Of
contradiction, was happy ruler. in the
world OF thought.
Repeatedly have We considered the ques-
tion-how far. in that high society where
literary tastes largely prevail. though many
OF its members never have written book
sich dictatorship a. johnson held would
be conceded We believe that such an
sutocracy never again would be permitted.
Modern takers abound, and. for the most
part. the less they know the more they say
johnson was elaborate and sententious--a
ninety-gun lineof battle ship. which would
have disdained a whole tlotiila OF such small
craft "A the prattling popiDjays OF couversa
ton who literally swarm in each grade Of
modern society.
Since Johnson's time half dozen persons
have been placed in society with his chances,
and oil OF them have tailed. OF these, we
personally have met five, and therefore speak
" from the card"
There was Park, who died while We were
in the middle OF our .eeus lie was be
wigged pedan,c, lisplng mass OF garrulity,
who strove TO he Johnsonian, and ludl.
crously failed. To apply a sentence OF
Barkes, he exhibited the coutortions OF
the Sy bil without Der inspiration, the no
dosity OF the oak without her streogth."
Dr. Samuel Parr, who never torgave Prov-
dence because Mr. Fox did not make him a
bishop. was great rather than good Con-
versationalist, and q certain degree of coarse
ness made him repulsive and dIsliked.
There Was Coleridge. whose latter years
literally passed away IN talk. lie had i'm
mense and varied attainments. genuine 20
etc feeling. strong logical powers, great rhe-
torieal skill, prvadinr sense OF the Bean.