The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-04-29
a FOOLISH OPPOSITION TO FICTION
HEADING

Tho cleveland pulic library has seen
proper to Danish from its shelves and inter.
dict for the future the works of Miss Az
GUsrA EVANS NOW MRs. WILSON,, OF Mo
bile, Alabama, and of MRS. HOLMES, and
Mrs. SouTnwoRru. What has caused this
strange action is not stated, but we assume
IL was induced by the fact that they are too
light reading for the heavy heads of the
Cleavclandites who thus say that fiction
shall not flourish, so far MS they are CON
cerned In the free air of their section. Ii
the directory of that library suppose that
they are thus helping either the march OF
intellectual thought or moral improvement
and propose to force readers toward the
scientific, the theological or such other
heavier works, they will find themselves
mistaken. The volumes by Miss EVANS
are ropleto not only with rare neatness of
thought, charming elegance OF expression
and happily conceived and well conducted
plots, but they are characterized by an ox-
atation of the noble sentiments that at
once Eclp on the great cause of humanity
and win toward that of religion itself. She
is not purveyor of fiction writing purely
for money, appealing to the looser qualities
of her readers SO as to make her
books sell She does not deal
in the high coloring of malicious
scandals, Incorporating here and there II
little slip from virtue to whet the edge OF
censurable curiosity, nor yet taking carte
blanche for all manner of sensational en-
broidery whether this look toward de-
basement, or folly, or luxury. But IN u
higher soil aud with most approved nipple
mcnts of artistic finish she cultiyates the
better virtues while wedding out the baser
forms. AS there is a consistency that runs
through the plot of each of her writings,
this same feature is equally characteristic
of the string OF her several works rs an en-
tiroty, The intent and the effect is to make
the world better by the vivid portraiture OF
the wrong-doer aud the mistaken traveller
over. liios highway, rs well as the recount
ing of the final rewards that await the PR
sistent pursuer of the truthful and the
good. And all this is served up in style
at once attractive and instructive. We
challenge successful contradiction of this
concise resume OF feature in Miss EVANS
volumes. And why, therefore they should
have been tabooed by the Cleveland Public
Library we fail to comprehend, unless the
very objects they seek to achieve are oh.
joctionable to those critical citizens. But
conceding better motives, is IL to be OK
pccted that in this practical age when the
hour, of the day are all absorbed by the
rush and whirl of business, that people can
be driven of nights to still heavier mental
exertionY ShIewd theatrical managers know
better than tins. The wise parent and the
intelligent sohool-teacher are not so ignor.
ant OF the phi eromena of the mind olchild
hood and the general physical constitution.
The monotonous dietary of hard labor, in.
tellectual or bodily, is not in accord with
the sensible laws of a correct hygiene The
gibbet of an extreme sentiment must yield
to the platform of the common sense OF n
practical, everyday life, and the sooner the
Cleveland Library company and other SIM
liar associations diagnose aud treat the
case in this wise, the better for themselves
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