The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1878-05-23
GuSEl.

Surplus emotion, emotion eutreachino
the circumstances hat evoke it; emotion
sought, as q IaGus, for its own sake, and
~delighting in its own obtrusive manifest,
ation-emotiOn severed from conduct,
and often incongruods with it-so we
may describe that SOFT OF sentimentalism
which is tersely, If not elegantly, termed
gush. No small part of our modern
literature is stepped in this element.
The great founder and patron and model
of the sentimentalists in liter. ture was
John James Rousseau. He is the grand
apostle Of gush, and raised it to the rank
of a fine art. Burke, in his reflections
on the French Revolution" reports a
conversation which he had with Hume,
who Informed h m that he had been
informed by Rousseau himself what were
his literary aim and method. Rousseau
said that in order to interest the public,
the marvellous must be produced. The
old mythology was dead; the interests
ia magicians, fairies, giants and heroes
Of romance was gone; and nothing was
lett tor a writer but TO display the mar
vicious In life, in manners, in characters
and 10 extraordinary situations, giving
rise q new and u~nlooked-for strokes IN
politics and morals" Jean Jacques was
az expert practitioner upon this theory.
Tie wrote about his own feelings IN such
a way as to make the world (the world
of the eighteenth century, weep. He
recorded his ofenses against morality and
decency in such a manner that he drew
to himself the sympathy that was
due to a saint or martyr. He
wrote beautifully about Christ and
the Christian religion. He wrote
charmingly upon education, and sent his
childrep to the founding hospital as
tAey were BORN. Wickedness was
never made SO interesting as in The lar
monious periods of this highly emotional
5ransgressor of laws of God and man.
Byron followed the sentimental path. !
interesting Williams, full Of sensibiIity,
bounding in eloquent misanthropy,
elligg how they felt in ~melodious s6lilo,
Jules and apostrophes to storms and stars,
'ntranced the reading public. Goethe.
n portion OF his career, played the same
ole. Manfred had is counterpartY In the
of Werter. Grimes that subvert
order and happiness we're depicted
8 the mere consequences Of the operation
f the great principle of elective afini-
Doing right, in a quiet way Is
,mething SO duh! When the masters
literature set the example, apd sue ]
seded 50 well, it is natural that a multi.
Ide Of feebler torches should Be kindled
their fires. Sentimental poem, dramas, I
ovels. the name OF which is legion, have e
The literature of gush is very
at the present day. They J
hose morbid appetite Graves such food
fnd it 10 melodramatie romsnces. j
through several volumes, or
the numerous weekly journals devoted Ii
this sort Of trash.
1t is not the passion Of love alone that
the occasion and the material a
-gush. There is plenty OF room for it N
thin the sphere OF religion; for even
9 most sacred truths are capable Of be
| mSde an instrument ol it, and The q
81 sacred feelings turned into
vehicle Tor its indulgence The to
gaud who devout!Y prystrstes M
before the image Of the @
Is not the solitary example of ri,