Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-07
Hayes Love Of Literature.

He early became . member of the
Literary Club of Cincinnati. established
nearly half century ago, and including
iurists and statesmen ike Chase,
Corwip. Ewing. Charles 2. James
Hoadley. and Mathews; artists hike
Baird; clergymen like Conway; with
journalists and whoever else loved let
tiers in city always first III culture IN
the West. With many registered VOWS
ito speak regularly at the club. Hayes
rarely shared in its discussions; but lis
meetings were always times OF greatest
pleasure to him, and for twelve years
the club was IAN important part o,
his life," as he wrote one "c!ub night
in his camp on the kanawha. fondly re-
calling the club nights Of the past, and
dwelling on their associations and enjoy
ments, He was, indeed. ono of those
non.li,erary men who take D purer and
finer delight in literature than is perhaps
possible to the professional man; and
such an event as Mr.. Emerson's delivery
in Cincinnati of q course Of lectures III
1850. finds an ampler record in his diary
than apv other event of the time. lie
heard every one OF the lectures, and ne
reports the leading points of all IN MS
journal. He had, from bis college days
u great love Of metaphysics, and MS
reading embraced the German az we'll as
the English philosophy. But bis favor
ito anthor (liked. however. with the
readers own critical reservations) was
Emerson, whom he read with an enjoy
ment equaled only by the delight no took
in another supreme genius-Hawthorne
The general reading Of this young law
yer, even after business began to accu
mulate on his hands. was as great as thai
of n ost men of literary life; but the OIL
ference was that he never read for a 1T
ersry purpose. as men Of letters do. lie
| is as far AS possible removed from the
| merely literary temperament. It was 1"
| find ont what an author had to say, not
! to see how he said it. that Hayes read
! books; and bis criticisms on what he
| read. though he shows his sensibl!ity to
| the charms of style, are always more
| concerned with matter than with manner.
| Men. character life, are his study. not
| art; and it is observable that the books
| which most interest him are those whose
! substance is of vastly greater Importance
| than their form He delights in the nov
| eiists. and each new fiction OF Ibackeray,
| Hawthorne, DICKENS. Bulwer. Is sensa-
ton marked in his diary: but when he
comes casually and 'ardily upon the life
and writings of Charming, page after
page of comment and quotation mani
| TESTS his intenser interest. he views the
| whole matter Of reading from all dn't
erary point, yet there is shrewd sug-
eestiveness in many Of his references
| which could not have been more aptly
appreciative if he had-shall we say?-
be en- writing book notice. 81 am go
| ing to sip a little from Sterne's Tristan
Shandy,'' be writes; "enoush to test us
qualities. One oneh, to read these of
course books. which every one reads, or
claims to have read. as Don onlAote,
which is good, Gil Bias, which isn't
good, etc." a ia 'gment which evinces a
clear. if not too severe, sense Of the diff
ference between the solid Spanish silver
and The French plate Hosell's Life OF
Governor Hayes.