The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-08-25

In passing to the considerable of the shod-
dy element in literature, the first thing which
arrests the attention is the romance of ras-
thors of these seem to plunge into the records
of the criminal courts in search of their plots
and characters, and such "swells' as Pelham
and Pendenns give place to ruffians of the
swell mob. The two chief elements of inter-
est are bigamy and murder. In the old sent.
mental novel the heroine went through three
volumes OF difficulties to get one husband !;
now, as in Miss Braddon's aurora Floyd"
she begins with two, and devotes her ener-
gies through the three volumes to the getting
rid of the superhuous one. And then the in
difference to human life displayed by these ro
mancers really demands the attention of the
literary police. Thus if character is in their
way, or il they get tired of him, they coolly
run him through the body with goose-quiil,
and literally blot him out OF existence, thus
furnishing new proof that "the pen is
mighter than the sword" All their power is
of the blood-lettering, brain-shattering, teeth
gnashing and interjectional sort. Strange
that ia a war so prolific in herolsm as that
we have gone through, with the newspapers
Crammed with incidents that exceed in inter-
est the marvels of fiction, there should be
found any class of our society that should go
W SuCu HOiIiUiC tldol dS lLc ulcTobuT6 vi yer
low covers for mental excitement! Nothing
lives in literature but that which has in it the
vitality of creative art; and it would be safe
advice to the young to read nothing but what
is old. In this way they would at least avoid
being swindled by the perishable shoddy OF
the mind, which now wOoS their attention in
the slop-shops of letters. The stuff will not
wear: and if a person could only see his own
mind, with the rags of these suits hanging
I, ,s.t ,rt,t l.
start back amazed at the intellectual scarce
crow he was made to appear.
But we fear the term "shoddy" cannot be
confined to this kind OF literature, but must
be extended to many weak though welL-inten-
toned volumes which propose moral and re-
ligious aim. These books have a painfully
childish and "do me good" air, and, while
| they evince a parrOt-.ike memory of mora
| truisms and religious phrases, are without al
atom of moral vitality and spiritual might
| They superfcialize the most important prin.
| ciples, are the mere shoddy covering of com.
monplace morality and lip religion, the text
| books whence are drawn the ethics OF weak
lings and the theology of hypocrites. Good
| books are never written by goodies" ard
j great ideas which represent the deepest facts
| of life, and which when welded by strong
souls, communicate inspiration 10 the heart
| and power to the will, are soon shorn of their
! vitality, and dwindle into mere mockeries oil
spiritual experience, when manufactured me-
chanically for the religious market.
The literature of religion, so rich in work.
l of religious genius, is strangely neglected il
l our day for the latest lifeess production o
religious mediocrity. In this department o
literature, as 10 all other departments, til,
test to be applied is vitality-the positive
communication TO the recipient mind of new
life. and energy-so that the increase OF pow
er keeps pace with the increase of knowledge
and the intelligence is not only broadenee
and Frightened, but the whole nature kindled
invigor.ated and cheered. All moral poos' s
| that do rot do this are but the fimsy fabrica'
| tions of s.hoddy, and in DR.. Bushnelps phrase
may produce Christian mushrooms, put ,heSc heSo
Christian men, In SEEING nstS 0ne and ms5t rtit
,'ar,,oldosnoss. one is inclined to exclaim with
| the satirist. sThere is point, sir, where relig
ion ion ceases to be virtue, and that is just thu
point % where you take it up."-E. p. Whipple