New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-07
BY GEO. WCABLE.
DISCUSSING WRITER'S AND BOOKS.

FIRST MEETING OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
CLUB FOR THE SEASON.
The fortnightly meetings of the Nineteenth
Century Club resumed last night in the house OF
Coutandt Palmer, the president No. III East Twenty
frst-st. The company that gathered there was
similar In numbers and quality to that which
met in the parlors during the first season OF the
club last winter. II was composed OF members OF the
club and invited guests Among those present were Ros
well Smith, the Rev. DR.. @. GOthe Mr. and Mrs Burton
~ Harrison, George Parsons Lathrop, DR.. Hammond, 3.
II. Morse, Mr.. and Mrs. ID. @. Croly the Marquis dc
LAMA and Thaddeus b. wakeman
Mr. Palmer opened the meeting by statement OF the
purpose OF the club, denying the charge that 1t had
specifically irreglous tendency. He also reviewed the
Of lectures read before the club last year. and
nounced that among the lecturers this winter would be
George w. Cable who would discuss the ideal
life and art OF the fctionist; the Rev. DR..
John p Newman, who would speak Boodha; DR.. Ham,
mOnd who would tell OF the and abuse OF the brain
and Mrs Elizabeth Cady Stanton who would discourse
on Woman Suffrage. He then introduced Mr.. Cable as
writer who had done for the Creoles OF Louisiana what
Bret Harte had done for the wild miners life Of Colorado
and the West and his way 10 tho front rank OF fiction
writers
MI Cable announced HIS theme to be The True
Literary Artist" He read his lecture in easy way.
with voice full OF graceful infections, and with remark
ably clear and distinct enunciaton. He treated Of
writer's and Of books and OF the elements that
|
with close attention. and he had been received with
hearty applause &C the outset his remarks called out
enthusiastic applause at the close He read for over an
hour and among other things said
Literature IA the architecture Of thought. Therefore,
II seems to me- the producer OF literature than any
evolve artistic work must, II he would he whole. round
artist be whole round man The painter the SCULPTOR
the musician the architect may live to himself and
may be the better artist for DOING but the writer must
discount his quality. They may live In the past and
burn ami shine IN that setting like stars in the sky; but
ha nff Tho tlHa hp thp
the past aud for the future live In and for and with the
present-the men and the things and the affairs that
Nay. we may even turn this assertion around end for
end aud say Is the duty OF every citizen at least to
literary product called for by bis day and his surround
part in the literary production around then think there
lies burden OF proof which ought TO consider
whether We can afford to carry History In its modern
FORM has taught us the scientific principles OF the RISE
progress and decay Of all human institutions when, un
fortified by socetys knowledge or the Significance OF
their symptoms, they allowed 10 take the natural
course. Three things 1t warns us never to let fall into
bad repair but To be ever evolving their better and bet
ter operation They are religion, literature, and the
But one will say: All this 4. admlttcd we wait only
for inspiration" Then wait no longer In t@e first age
Of printed literature human society learned tho priceless
lesson that the reception OF the best Offices OF literature
does not depend upon eudton. and In later days has
added TO this the happy knowledge that the production
OF literature does not depend upon that vague something
called inspiration IL Is true that among al arts te{ay
production the least communicable by masters and the
most dependent upon intuition. There are no secrets In
- methods and though has rules yet It falls short Of
harness The attempt TO define genius talent the
ability to work harder than others Is only the
aectaiOn Of those whose genius or talent has
been established beyond dispute Naked effort can only
do by toll what talent does with ease; and talent
only learn quickly do well what genius has done be
fore IL without rule teacher. And so say to whoever
walt for inspiration hut let inspiration answer the
calls Of effort. For what Is ininsprationi simpya
brnin which IA that bodys master. Certainly It does
have s seasons and caprces but the only way Tor the
literary workman To know them with certainty - TO Try
them daily the desk. pen in handdgcntly arduonsy
and yet win self restraint that e.Ghews al manner o
artificial forcing Tie literary artist must hot seq MN
self down To- be wooed by. but TO WOO the nuse ana
! faint heart never won that fair lady.
Writing f. bat the refinery OF thought II Il tho CaI
Her of convictions. II = the mordant the fixing salt
nai sets the Of what have heard and seen and
read Are you AN omnlveIous IGadeti Ohcr you au eA
pcrimrut-Iriyc on gorstng with books read only Tor
discipline equipment and write. wriel
II ought 10 De- more clearly recognized thanI hiuklt Is
generally that the mere care to assert ana eNempy the
entinn of this retain the symplic1 the side o
ecudr but II would not be hard to show that u some,
nc. fails a. utterly 10 effect that result n the good
storv ~ Robin ION fails boys away from the
sc9 The fact /, that every sort moral rs
own peculiar radius within the swing Of which the
mind cannot conc even under the most approved ccu
distance. vary greatly. Some wrong doing scarcely
tempt. the intelligent mind even by actual contact while
the very names OF oh' Z, even who thrf hrc b,hR DC
nouucrd cast evil SPELL inraming The imagination ana
dehi.ng the will Tie crucial test OF Tue Literary tIeat
of any vice should he. therefore not whether e
author has intended To cNempy or has even succeeded
u excmplfyiuc the ultimate uuprohHblencss ana pun
-hmcn. ~ transcre-son, bnt "hether MS Work doS OF
does not I'm any az ia stages procure either with or
|
~ ,rrnug doing or Iis instrumentation ~ ~ nature
danger or his failure visit ~ NJ length with his distinct
and righteous condemnation. Nay, more whether even
after Ii has al THIS II does does not leave the
reader after all with lower opinion Of hs own nature
and the nature society and the relative powers
/ OF good and evil than he ought IN have.
slayish =uhspryienCc 10 reality ~ 20 Tar from neceS
sary I'm Imaginative writing that 1t Il only necessary 70 BE
avoided. IL il true that the Just claims OF reany upon
literature are larger In these days than they
before The clean white OF truth has greater vae. lt5
demands upon history science philosophy are lntXorab
/ Tho literature Of the imagination, too. feels
their presence Fctionlsts and dramatists especially
rather readily this pressure,
mi.conccivng significance, have assumed that
certain subjects longer available to them simply
because the valuation Of truth and Intolerance OF u
| reality demand "a change In thelr NODES OF aEsuS
! treatment Here the secret seems To lie OF
| Inc supposrd unftness OF yirtuOus character,
! and automatically OF the good men, material
for the prose nctont What Ia the difficulty In the
frat place prose fiction has surrendered great de OF
~ Ideally art has modified elf to correspond with
Of the ward life and actions OF men assumed 10 DC
| simply aud grandly different from ourselves
! but Of the inner life and motive and
| struggle OF characters which, In the light OF
.t within our crcdcnce aud the grasp or orr modern
! lmaCinuton Now what does this signify Ihat virtue
has ceased inspire admiration No; out tndt inc TO-
0ulreueut- of "A less simple and credulOus popular NINA
! and "A sclfrestraned Imagination reject the Outline
sketches Of gigantic ideal virtue that once stood Tor
portraits human lfe and demand not th ne lueaIs
BE- lost sight Of but that they shall be even brighter than
! ever and shall shine by Inference through true ana
cords and haImOncs with which It's heavenly nobility
aud earthly fraity combine to make up the felow-nan
After Mr. Cabio had finished reading, the subject was
discussed by 5. ii. Morse and others.
NJ TJrDI