Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-05-08
Whole No. 29O1
LIrERATURE TO-DAY.

LITERATURE TO-DAY.
The intense activity Of this present
age is not alone confined to discover
les in NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. inventions,
aplieations of steam In place Of hu-
man power, and the like, but all de-
partments of thought, as well as action
possess their devoted followers, and
literature is by no means behind the
rest. Indeed the facilities Of eommu-
nieating with the public are 50 great,
that nine persons of culture out Of
ten are authors OF journalists, while
the luxury has become so common
that the public have grown fastidiOus,
and excellent judges, too, as to style
and real merit. The moralist must
clothe his arguments in fitting garb,
and represent his theories with GER
tain aff1uenee of thought, If he would
retain the attention Of reader or
hearer: the philosopher must not for
get TO add the grace OF metaphor TO
his profoundest efforts, and in the
sturdy steps Of the historian must be
strewn the fragrant wayside flowers
of narrative style to captivate the
general reader. In Olden times lltera-
nv men were so scarce as to form a
class by themselves, and indeed, not
far back, even kings could not write,
but like Charlemagne, made their
mark upon the parchment. The sol
diers of those days scorned to tamil-
iarize his hand with the pen, while to-
dav we have subalterns and priyates
writing their commentaries ike Cse-
sar, the consequence being tnaL We
have a vast number Of books OF
most Indifferent character; still there
is scarcely one written in pure and
contentious spirit, which does not
possess some value, and contribute Its
mite to swell the great aggregate OF
knowledge.
Condensation of thought is the one
great virtue of literature; the COM
Dressed idieas are those that are re-
membered, We have not time or
roam to carry about loose thOugts and
rambling faneies; the philosophic
writer who understands the spirit Of
our times will use a sort of hydrostG-
tic press to get his reflections into
portabIe shape before he spreads them
upon paper. 1t Is easy enough for
anv one to be complicated and obscure;
simplicity and diTectness are far more
difficult and much more rarely attain
ed while the use of words bigger than
the thing expressed deceives no one
in these intelligent times, when every
other man or woman is writer and
ali are critics Yet the elder Disreli
contended that there was as much
fashion to our literature as to our
coats. and that both were amendable to
certain arbitrary rules Of the day
We can illustrate our own idea Of
stvIe bv no simile so well as that of
the writer who declared the
Gothic school to be the thing, the
pointed stvIe. both as applied to lit
erature and to churches. And yet,
because q painting IS not oy haphaei
or Guido, we do not turn away IIoh
it, neither should we desplse OF iall 10
learn from even the humble literary
adventurer. Doubtless trom some
point of view, by means OF the rlgnt
light, we should see hidden merit
and beauty there possibly, when
the sun shall fail upon 1t, as on the
Greek statue music will greet u.s.
Sometimes. perhaps it is because we
have not the rosy fingers of Aurora,
that Memnon yields no sweetness TO
The literature Of to-day, we humbly
conceive, has kept pace with the
marked progress in all departments
ofintelipence. Authors, from address
sing a more cultivated audieuee than
heretofore. have themselves set up a
higher standard Of excellence, endoW-
ing their product with Promethean
fire and we by no means agree on
this point with q modern essaylst,
who advises the young to, read moth
ing which is not old. Read, rather,
ali that comes in unquesuonaDle
shane. and the invigorated under
standing will readily learn to seper-
ate the wheat from the chat. Orna-
n1eut, curiosity and usefulness may
all be considered, only the SANDS OF
gold. however, should be retained.
Fastidiousness is sure to come soon
enough. as the youth becomes an eX-
pert good readers are as rare as gooo
authors. and all are but too ready to
OecJme critics only, with Doth eyes,
ike certain kind OF hsh, on one sioe
OF their heads.
The progressive modern WrlIef en-
pIoys none of the siekly sentimental
Ity so rife half century sinee'-l
would be out of place. he addresses
himself to higher intelligence, and
represents men and women as they
really are, not "a mpossibiliGles- he
writes with q purpose, some great So
eial Idea inspires him, and IN MS IL
lustration be uses just such characters
as we meet with every day. IL ls MS
or her genins and artistic dellneatlon
which Clothes the people with extra
ordinary interest, not the theatrical
employment Of winding sheets and
blue lights, nor are the dark under
ground passages of a ruined castle m |
dispensable to the scenes DESCRIBED.
The literature of to-day, therefore,
unlike that of half century past,
imnarts Knowledge of the real
world. of men and manners, just as
much, and perhspes more clearly,
than wears Of social intercourse ana
years Of travel.-BOstOR Gto6e.