Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-06-17
KEEPING ALIVE THE SACRED FIRE.

handing down those treasures of Literature
which constitute the soul of civilization.
For though it may be possible for the ma
jority of mankind to be occupied with ma
terial cares and pleasures, and ephemeral
and frivolous concerns, it is very certain
that if such pursuits absorbed the whole
of the race, it would require few genera
tions to extinguish the culture. the learn
ing, the arts and sciences, which distin-
guish the nineteenth century from the
prehistoric ages. It is the few Jealous stu
dents and thinkers who keep alive the sa-
cred fire, and hand it down in undimin-
ished splendor; and it is therefore of con-
sequence to know where these same high
priests of civilization dwell. In many dis
cussions concerning the relative progress of
town and country, the palm OF intellect
ual pre-. eminence has been awarded to the
former. Thus Holmes speaks of the way
in which city like Boston drains a great
intellectual watershed, attracting to itself
whatever is best among the rural mind
products. And no doubt great cities have
this tendency, because they present con-
spicuous advantages to the studious and to
the ambitious. But the grea. cities are
few in number, and the small towns are
legion, and when we come to consider
whether the small towns possess the same
advantages over the country, we shall dis
cover some facts which may surprise us.
We have for some time past been inquir-
ing into this matter as far as was possible,
and the results of such inquiry have been
curious. Thus we have found that in many
parts of rural California there exists
literary taste such as can scarcely be dis
cerned at all in the towns We do not
forget that the possession of considerable
libraries in the towns tends to conceal the
existence of this kind of taste, since
students are not obliged to order their
books, whereas in the country whoever
would study must first buy. But when
due allowance has been made for this con.
sideration we are still of opinion that the
guardians of the sacred fire dwell more in
the country than in the towns. In the
great West we believe that this tendency
is much more marked. In Illinois and Iowa
and Nebraska and Indiana there are thou.
sands of farmers who enjoy every comfort
and many Injuries, and in whose pleasant
homes refinement and culture will be found.
In those beautiful western homes Litera.
ture, Music, Art, are fostered and cared
for. The best books are procured, read
and discussed. The development of the
intellect is sedulously attended to. The
comparative isolation of the country life
affords full opportunity for mental cultiva-
ton, and in place of the inane round of
frivolous amusements which too often con-
stitutes the active life of city residents,
these fortunately. situated people are en-
abled to grow evenly and strongly, and to
build up sound minds in healthy bodies.
And as the life of the city seems to tend
more and more to emptiness and frivolity,
it may be that we shall have to depend more
and more upon the country for the saliva
tioL and perfection of the nation. City
life does not grow more intellectual as
time passes, but less SO. The love and
understanding of literature, which are
necessary to the establishment of any real
culture, are practically unknown among
us. We have schools and colleges and
even university, but it is not apparent
that the current educational methods de-
velop in the rising generation any genuine
of these subjects. We seem
to be producing a generation which pos.
sesses little or no valuable knowledge of
any kind a generation which is essential
ly frivolous in its conceptions and
aims; which is contented with sensuous
qualifications which neither understands
nor seeks to understand the higher things
of life. We are developing a generation |
of pithless characters Of schoolboys who |
decline to join Fourth OF July parade on
the ground that they "don't want to have
/" to walk in the Dust" of people who are
not even animated by the contemplation of |
what their ancestors have done for them,
aud are content to sit with folded hands
and let whose pleases undertake their part
in the worlds work. 1t is not surprising
that with such indications there should be
arising general plant because OF the
dearth Of great characters among US.
But if these are the deficiencies of the