The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-02-24
POPULAR LITERATURE>-THE PERIODICAL
PRESS


that, being cphemcral, beng miscellaneous,
an and being popular, it must bc superficial.
They say it is every year becoming more
and more superficial, and they ask where
is all this TO cnd9 Is the national clarac.
ter to loose its sclidity? Is the staple of
our instruction to be derived from the
columns Of newspaper, from magazine
articles, and from slashng reviews: It
would be too much to say that the periodi-
cal press does not too often give occasion
for reproachcs such as these: Here we
find supcrfciality, there Ignorance, else
where absolute nonsense. But these arc
weaknesses which we find just a, frequently
in publications that arc not periodical, and
we cannot believe that periodical literature,
spite Of the rapdity Of writing which it
implies, necessarily entails surerfcialty.-
The periodical literature itself, as we shall
presently show, gives the most etlectual
answer to the charge of supcrficiality but
We may, in passing, advert to the f;,lIacy OF
the principle on which such all accusation
proceeds. 1t is the schoo-boy's falIacy
that learning is punishment; it is the
p'ougllman's fallacy that medicine is a
cheat If 1t does not make him very sick /;
1t is the old woman's fallacy that Il sermon
ought to set her to sleep; it is the classical
tallacy that the owl is the bird of wisdom.
On The contrary, it is capable of distinct
proof that popular writing ought really to
be of the most profound. If it costs the
reader little trouble, it costs tie writer much.
On the samc principle that dictated the
apology of South for long sern,on-"1
had not time to make it shorter" or the
antithesis Of Sheridan -" Easy writings
curst hard reading,"-it follows that the
simplicity and clcarncss which are the
essentials of periodical writing frequently
imply much more valuable digest, than
the tedious details, the incomprchensiLIc
digressions, and the technical phrascoloe
OF moro ambitious performances. We do
not indeed say that these more ambitions
performances are not also more able than
the ordinary run Of compositions which
emanate from tho periodical press, Lut only
that their tediousness and intricacy arc not
necessarily signs of superiority. Truth is
generally simple, and can be simply told.-
The popular writer is compelled to shun ir.
relevancies and to study brcvity. That nc
cessily is an unmixcd good-it is had only
for show. Those who see suprficiality in
popular writing arc much like the people
who, more than two centuries ago, were
accustomed to hear their favoritc preachers
'nterlard their discourses with copious quo.
tations from the Greek aud Latin authors
and who deemed it a sad falling off when
this practice WAS discontinued, and no one
could Judge from the sermon whether the
preacher were Latiner" or not. AS a
sermon may he effective without a display
OF learning, SO within the short limits Of
newspaper article the whole truth may be
conveyed in a nutshell, and tile simplicity
which vulgar minds mistake for weakness
may be the most certain test of profound
knowledge and clear vision. Or if, grant.
ing that the articles themselves are not
superficial because they happen to be rcada-
Die 1T may be said that, since they appear
in an ephcmcral form, the effect OH the
readers mind must be superficial, it must
be remembered that the very ilea of a Pc
riodical implies frequency of repctition.-
A subject is not treated once for all and
then dismissed forever. Hundreds of ne.
riodicas treat Of it, and recur to it again
and again, never letting it drop until it is
thoroughly exhausted, and the public are
quite sick Of EainJura Nogazine.
Preserving Shingles on Roots.-The
following article we copy from the Ru.
raj lntelligencer, as worthy of attention
by :hose who desire to preserve the
roofs of their habitations and build
ings; =
There. is one thing more that nearly
all people know, if they would only at
tend to it; that is, to sprinkle Stacked
lime on the roofs of their buildings in rainy
days. Put it on considerably thick, SO as
to make the roof look white, and you will
never be troubled with moss; and if the
shingles are covered over so thick with
moss, by putting the lime on twice, it will
take all the moss off and leave the roof
white and clean, and will look almost as
we'll as if it hsd been painted. It ought
to be done once year, and, in my opinion,
the shingles will last almost twice ss long
as they will to let the roof all grow over
to moss. tried it on the back side Of my
house., ten years ago, when the shingles
were alLcoyered over with moss; and they
appeared TO lie nearly rotten. u gave the
roof q heavy coat Of lime, apd have fol.