The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-01-25
The Midwinter february Century.

After the new cover, the first midwinter
issue of The Century is chiefly distinguish
ed by its unusual range of popular contri-
butors, whose names of themselves awak-
en- in the reader the desire to see their contri-
buttons. OF these are Ralph Waldo Emer-
son, Henry W. Longfellow, the late Dean
Stanley, Mrs. Burnett, Mr.. Howells, Frank
r. Stocking, "H. H." E. c. Stedman, Fl.
c. Bunner, each of whom has'his special
audience. Add to these attractive names
the other features; a fine frontispiece por-
trait of George W. Sable, author of "Old
Creole Days" and The Grandissimes,"
engraved by Cole, with sketch by Col.
Waring; another of the unique and anus
ing " Tile Club " papers, illustrated by ten
of the members of the Club; the text (some-
what abridged) of Mrs. Burnetts's play
of Esmeralda," now running successfully
at New York Theater; an illustrated &C
count ofthe growing sport of Lawn Tennis,
with full directions; a review of" Signifi-
cant Features OF the Atlanta Exposition"
by Edward Atkinson, Esq, who, we
believe, was the prime mover in that en-
terprise; and beautifully illustrated pa
per on +" The Phidian age of sculpture ~
and it will be seen that the number con-
tains characteristic essay, by Ralph
Waldo Emerson, ON The Superlative,"
which forms a leading feature and contains
the following;
"There is superlative temperament
which has no medium range, but swiftly
oscilates from freezing to the boiling point,
and affects the manners of those who Share
it with certain desperation. Their aspect
is grimace. They go tearing, convulsed
through life-wailing, praying, exclaim-
ing, swearing. We talk sometimes with
people whose conversation would lead
you TO suppose that they had lived in
museum, where all the objects were
monsters and extremes. Their good peo-
pie are phenixes; their naughty are like
the prophets figs. They use the superla-
tives of the grammer: most perfect
'most exquisite most horrible Like
the French, they are enchanted, they are
desolate because you have got or have not
got shoe-string or q wafer you happen
to want-not perceiving that superlatives
| are diminutives, and weaken; that the pos
tive is the sinew of speech, the superlative
the fat. If the talker lose q tooth, he
thinks the universal thaw and dissolution
of things has come. Controvert his opin-
ion and he cries 'persecutionp and reck-
ons himself with Saint Barnabas, who was
sawn in two.
Especially we note this tendency to ex-
tremes in the pleasant excitement of hor-
ror-mongers. Is there somthing so deli
cious in disasters and painss Bad news is
always exaggerated, and we may challenge
Providence to send fact so tragical that
we cannot contrive to make it little
worse in. our gossip.
"An this comes of poverty. We are un-
skillful definers. From want of skill to
convey quality we hope to gain admiration
by quantity. Language should aim to de-
scribe the fact. 1t is not enough to sug-
gest and magnify it. Sharper sight would
indicate the true line. 'Tis wearisome,
this straining talk, these experiences, all
exquisite, intense, and tremendous-'T The
best ever saw; Il never in my lifei'
One wishes these terms gazetted and for
bidden Every favorite is not q cherub,
nor every cat griffin; nor each unpleas-
ing person a dark, diabolical intriguer; (;
nor agonies, excruciations, nor ecstasies
our daily bread"