Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-05-01
"a Plea for Ar, and Let,ers.,,

"Homer and Dante, Shakespeare
md Milton, Irving and Bryant, in
etters, and III art, Fiddeus aud
Raphael and Tissian, aud all
their worthy following, wrote and
and painted for all the ages,
and in the marble, and on the canvass,
and in the library, we have their =.
great achievements, the untold opu-
leuce Of these rich inheritances."
The speaker then continued with:
l have spoken of letters in the
stable and enduring form of books.
when aggrt gated in large bodies, but
what shall 1 say of them in their
more fugitive, more popular aud
phases of presentation
of the quarterly, the monthly maga-
zine, the weekly journal, of the in-
tegrity. the universally of the daily
press, its sieepless vigilance, its
boundiess enterprise, its amazing and
varied and profound ability, present
ing to US marnlng and evening the
great worlds doings, and the acts of
''all which it inhabit;" its truly we'll
drawn mass of busy life, its fiuctua-
tions and its vast concerns. Time
and your patience forbid enlargement
Oh thc swelling theme. s.e
In my plea for letters have inter-
woven. trust fiily, plea for art as
we'll, and feel admolished to refrain
from an extended reparte treatment
of this branch Of the subject. They
are twin co-workers in the great
cause of civilization and culture.
In glancing over recent journal of
literature my eye fell upon short
article entitled cure for gossip, and
the remedy given was simply culture.
Good people often talk about their
neighbors because they have nothing
else to talk OF. A charming picture
was then gwen of a family of young
ladies who the author had seen in
their home, met them in art galleries,
returning from books stores aud
libraries with fresh volumes in their
hands. Their conversation was full
| of what they had seen and read they
were brimming with questions, ready
| to listen; an hour spent with them
was delightful, stimulating and re-
freshing. They knew something and
| wanted to know more, and to speak
of their neighbers' doings aud belong
| iugs would have seemed to them an
| impertinence.
The age so abeunds in facilities for
selt-calture now that we have COM
munication by steam and wire with
the ''elder world" now that voy-
age across the ocean is no longer q
matter Of weeks aud months i'll q
wave-tossed sailing vessel, and events
beyond the seas do not grow old be-
lore they reach us; now that the
photographers skill placed within
the reach of all simple and correct
copies of the works of the old mas
ters.
From the land of Michael Angelo
and Raphael, the one so mighty, SO
awful in his supernal genius, the
other SO spiritual, almost divine in
his beautiful conceptions, that we
scarcely wonder he was called to the
brighter world at the early age of Sc,
i'll the full glow of his genius that he
lay upon his bier III the marble
beauty of death, with his picture OF
the TRANSPORTATION" still un
finished.
From classic Greece we have pho
tographs of the marbles of Plidiai
and rare statues wrought by un
known hands, some from the islandl
of the Archipelago, some of which
rank higher than the Venus de Milo
which stands in mutilated lovelinesl
aud beauty iii the gallery Of the
Louvre, i'll Paris, and how nearly are
we brought to ancient Egypt in thu
learning, pride, glory aud wealth thai
graced 1T for centuries that are buried
III the long past, by vivid pictures
and the often repeated stories of those
who view the pyramids. the sphynz
and the colossal grandeur of the
temples of karnak. But we mus,
pass on from antique art to the living
present. -
Great nature in our own boautifu
land is attracting the artists eye, ant
moving his pencil in the delIneatior
of her beautiful lakes nestled among
the mountains of the east, of mighty
Niagara aud charming landscapes from
, The storied Hudson, the Susquehan,
: nah and the Potomac rivers, and ii
n the great west, which is no longe
the hunting ground, as pictured b,
> , our own LongfellOw. y
Our late centennial exposition bring
ing as in such close fellowship will
other lands has shed an influence il
. artistic cultivation felt throughou
our country only to be stimulated b,
Il similar displays here and abroad.
: But a few years ago the collec
y tion in the Art Hall at the st. Loui
s fair was largely made up of wretche
g daubs in oil, photographs, displsye
It for premiums, with an occasions
}, portrait of merit or rare pictur
d loaned by some citizen of wealth an
3 culture. Now q well lighted hal
G has had its walls hung at the tw
IS last fairs with massive views of d
l. Haas, aud golden rosy sunsets on sc
e and bay, by SaudforG r. Clifford, {
+ New York, and views of souther
ID bayous and silvery cascades and wilt
le woods, by j. X. Maker, of st. Loui
: Turkish battle scenes, by Adelp
t. Schreyer, with many other picture
of equal merit from home and foreig
g. artists, and gems from all the prival
d collections Of merit in that imperi
,e city, gathered here and abroad, u
" fording rare opportunities for artist
,s cultivation here at our very doors.
,r -
5. And to the young, the poor, Il
le struggling, to those who have IL,
the means to acquire private librari
"a there be here tonight, that you d
INV tiS 5iSatOSs oOhCAb ~" u dI
" book collections.
j. Strive for seif-cultivation. The
~ is no barrier to your social OR polil
S. cal advancement, but ignorance
he bondage. Be not beguiled by stori
~ of intellectual prodisies. "Genius
bs ,cork." Intense study and applic
be tiou are essential to excellence in al
,s pursuit. Make books and true q
.3 your companions. They will op,
m up to you the boundless realms
% knowledge. They will inform W
-, of all races and all stages of civiliz
NJ ton. 1t is theirs to tell the herois
ss OF the soldier. the song of the pot
m the captive's living death, the glo
anu the shame OF man; his whole pa
history is i'll their keeping.
to IN PEACE PREPARE FOR WAR.
-, [Bodls (New) Free Press.l
of In decorating the home, married pc
ple should be careful how thew arran