New-York tribune., 1873-02-17
PLATFORM WISDOM.
AnSS rArruEInIIS LECTURE.
ELEMENTS OF THE BEST SOCIETY WITH THOUGHTS
on ROCKS AND EDUCATION.

ELEMENTS OF THE BEST SOCIETY WITH IhoOuhio
on BOOKS AND EDUCATION.
Miss Faithful leotured at Association Hall
IN saturday afternoon The Best Society most
,io and glorious company OF men and women in
hooks There was large and appreciative audience
rouposed IN good part OF women OF culture The inter
%, was maintained until the close OF the lecture Miss
Faithful began with some thoughtful comparisons be-
tween the society of people and the society OF books
then drifting protest against light literature as
ionabe novels sentimental rhymes and those tales OF
adventure which, Mr. Carlyle says, occurred only h
the waste chambers TO let unfurnshed OF certain human
heads aud which lodge extensively in still more uniu
nshed chambers" left TO themselves she sald hAlr
educated people always too apt TO accept garhg
exaggerated literature which ruins their capacity Tor
topinr in that bestsOcety which requires TO he known
before A. can be admired, which must be loved
before it will seem worthy OF your love. In all
vital things we distinguish between an artih-
ciel and a natural and just as we find an
artificial morality and an artificial society, we ma an
artificial lterature-part of which those thrilling
nonsensical stories which neither art nor nature
but the diseased growth OF lawless imagnngs hayngno
rights whatever TO the title OF imagination. And while
regreng that unwholesOme literature forms the prn
cple part Of the reading OF the young, am obliged 10
confess that TO be found both among the pro
ducers and consumers Of pernicious books"
And here the lecturer expressed her sorrow that there
are 80 many brilliant feminine writers OF whom 1t can
never be said rs Of Dickens that they never wrote line
child would be harmed by reading. An instance OF
ns present popularity Of poor novels was that
ten copies OF Mr.. Froude's History more than
met the demand at OF the largest London libraries.
while 800 copies OF the latest sensational novel could not
keen the public satisfied Miss Faithful wished, that
like Hugh bIler's old mason "whO put his conscience
into every stone he laid" the boOkmakers would put
conscience into their books and this she admitted that
some novel-wrters did George Eliot's books touch
on the deepest region Of thought. Who can read
"Romola" without realizing that lives make
moral tradition for individual selves, as the life OF
mankind at large makes q moral tradition for the
race, and that to have acted once nobly seems a
reason why we should always be noble. 1t has
been said that the end and aim OF all hte~a-
ture is a criticism Of life, and this is the dis
tIngushing feature OF every work we have had from
Mrs. Lewi,'s pen. She has shown genius able to
grapp5e with all kinds of moral problems from Hetty
sOrels miserable vanity TO the msers greed Tor gold
she did not write Felix Holt" TO support the petition
OF wemen 10 political power but she has clearly shown
I'm It that some women have q complete mastery OF
political know ledge, and she throws the mature and
steady light Of style every shade of politics she
comes across She possesses the highest philosophy,
which 4 latent philosOphy-a sort of teaching which
sets doctrine eaDOrates no creed, ana eOnpeIs
Caecism, hut which Is IN the SOUL ana succeeds D
hints which The Initiated seek everywhere ana wmch
The uuinitiated find nowhere.
In succeeding talk on tho universal cry Tor eduea;
lion a. all II. phases the lecturer ReasaR&y n.y. 9GIsSe psc
from the society on her bO0kene DrihSiHE io Pi"te
Mr. Ruskns lucas Of mans relations TO life, TO men, TO
10 Rus and the lecturer, is the leading womens souls
what is be, and making what is best Out OF thet-
two things attanabe by the and together,
snce the training which makes men happiest IN them
selves also makes them most scrvleeabe 10 others VI
which gives rich and vital knowledge aud
not verbal learning; OF the necessity Tor TUITION
which shall be adapted the individual, and shalt
not he intended merely crafty craving for knOW
edge, there was much TO say, and II was
said wisely. With her authority, Miss talthull
does not think that light light Is always good; 1t
is only beautiful only available, when II IS tempered
with shadow. III education tmatters little what people
know provided they know what fits them for their work
and enables them be happy in It, The main thing to
be understood is that mans not educated IN any case
whatever he read Latin, Wl1te Engsh ana
behave well IN drawlngrOOm, but that he IS only edu-
Gated il he is happy, benecent and effective IN the
world A cOmpa nOn Ruskin's picture Of the cdu-
Gated person. lecturer borrowed from Prof Huxley
in his ideal all life and fire. owning an intel
Iect clear cold gc engne ready 10 spin gOssa-
ner or forge anchors knowing Nature and the laws or
her operations loving all beauty in art and nature,
hating wrong and respecting others as himself.
plea for "mOdCu poetry" which is often sneered at,
served as introduction to the recitation Of several
poems, and from these Miss Faithful passed TO an
earnest admiration know not books but things,
NOT merely the outer be lightly talked OF, but the
Kernel 10 be intelligently thought about. Ihe best
society opens golden gates % those who knock IN truth
and conscience, aud without ceasing GibbOn was in
MS study at 6 O'clock morning Summer and Win
as a merchant. Then the wOrdcres out, miracle OF
genius" Yes because such man is miracle OF labor;
because trusting TO his resources he mas
ransacKcd thousand minds; because he has used the
wisdom Of and taken as the point Of
his departure the very last line and boundary to which