The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-09-26
For the Richmond Dispatch.
NewsDaperR.

newspapers.
Those who would become sculptors or
painters know the necessity of sojourn in
Rome, where they can study. the finest
works of art, and avail themselves of the
best facilities for improvement. This is
sometimes rendered impossible, and is fire.
quently delayed by very slender resources !;
for richly-gifted with creative beauty IS
they are, youth is often to them struggle
with poverty. This quiet, persistent effort,
this absolute faith in ultimate success, are
beautiful features in the lives of these chill
dren of art.
Thus little Benjamin West made hair
pencil from the fur Of q cat, obtained indigo
from his mother, red and yellow from a
party of wandering Cherokee Indians, who
also gave him instruction in colorine. Thus
he persevered until, as portrait painter.
he attracted the attention OF two mer-
chants-kelly of New York and Allen Of
phia-who, by generous aid, ena-
bled him to visit Rome.
So Claude Lorraine, whether successfully
an apprentice to pastry-cock, valet, q
cook, and mixer Of cOlors, and q slow, labo-
rious student of the art of painting, as some
authorities assert or, according to others,
an orphan, alone and on foot, seeking the
protection Of his brother, remaining a few
months with him, where he learned some.
thing of carving or engraving in wood and
then, through fortuitous circumstances, in
Rome with no friend and little money, re.
vealed resolution and perseverance worthy
of his great achievements.
While few writer's find the road to fame,
or even competence, a smooth, level one,
poverty is not so great an obstacle to them.
Indeed now, when newspapers are in al
of
schools all children can acquire some de-
gree of education, those who are born with
a talent for writing are unconscously
trained for their work. How strange the
childhood and early youth of these must be
to them Each one must feel that he is
somewhat different from other children,
that he does not think in the same way or
about the same things that they do, that
their en]oyments are not his, that he does
not wish to do when he will have become q
man what he hears them plan. As he
ponders on this dissimilarity it trou-
bles him. Is it q detect? He gradually
abandons the effort to be like them, and
turns to reading. Possibly he has neither
book nor newspaper, but u neighbor takes
a paper, and he can borrow that. Though
at first he understands little that he reads, his
comprehension gradually enlarges. Month
after month, year after year, his fund OF
general information is increasing; and
without knowing definitely what rhetoric
is, he is gaining a practical knowledge oil
the differences between concise and difuse
writing, nervous and feeble style; is form
ing his own standard, which in future time
he can never rest until he reaches.
l think nothing presents in so small a
compass, so varied information, so many
subjects for reflection, and so many phases
of thought, asa newspaper does. The early
life"of such person may be confined to a
village, or town, or to one populous city
4 little world much too narrow tor the ac-
tive mind. This one sheet of printed paper
tells him daily Of places he has only hope
of seeing, gives him the language OF men
he never even hopes to hear, affords him
knowledge of restless progressive move
ment everywhere, brings the civilized
world within his cognizance. 1t manifests
to him the truest development OF human
nature to be seen except in the Bible, ano
it gives him pleasure which, while very
young, he can neither analyze nor describe,
in sometimes placing before him beautliu
word-paintings, which enrich and beautlty
his mind. and aid in giving that exquisite
sense of fitness, without which no one can
Ee an effective writer.
A short time ago one came to us from
what is now historic ground The battle o
Grayelotte was witnessed from King VIII
liam's headquarters on the 18th Of August.
The word-painting appeared first III the
New York Tribune, and on the 18th in the
Richmond Dispatch. In its bold delinea-
ton, its delicate tinting, its light and shade,
its foreground and perspective, 1t must be
| a real, valued possession to some mind, and
may serve as 4 study to some young student
who perhaps cannot purchase, OR even bor'
oil
When this love for reading begins to eX
plain itself, and the power to write reveal:
itself, the first efforts of a writer are inIa
riablv sent to the editor of newspaper. A
poor return, one would think, for the be-
neft conferred; but he turns to those who.
from a literary standpoint, have been bis
best friends. This effort is probably poor,
certainly crude, for writers are some
What like Rome" not built in 4 day.
This part of the training is quite al
severe to the embryo author as it /:
to the editor, for working, hoping. watch
ing, and waiting are his portion: The pub
LEGATION of an occasional well-wrltten, appo
site contribution sustains hope, and the
non-appearance of Indifferent ones stimu'
lates thought. So that the work of train
ing progresses. for he who has this self
asserting, irrepressble gift, must write
and to please the discriminating taste. of hi!
censors, the editors, he learns TO think com
prehensively, to discard feebleness and af
fectation, and to polish strength. In win
ming the approval Of these censors he learns
to please the public.
When we read an interesting book, wher
we hear fine speaker, few of us think no"
much of the instruction has been derived
from the daily papers. how largely their edl
tors have contributed to the formation o
style by patient perusal Of manuscript ant
high standard of publication. 1t may bt
that none of us realize how much the mora
tone of people is Influenced in the same
way. eHlhL'