Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-11-12

Inest mdNlnls ana some lew OtLtiN lht
literary cynic makes out pretty well.
The art cynic has narrower sphere
of action. You NAV find him about the
picture galleries He stands before
picture where .he whole sOul-a poor
thing. perhaps. but all he has of the
artist has been poured out Women,
looking at the fixed thought on the
canvas, are moved 10 tears. tie, how
ever is unmoved. After mature consid-
GRAFTON he turns to his friend and
whispers audiblv: "Ah, Yes pretty
well-the old trick. Won see, SO the
simple country folks dry Their eyes,
ashamed 10 be seen CRYING over a picture
that is done by the .'old trick. and 90
on to the next. all their pleasure spo led
Sometimes he gets an opportunity OF
speak ng out in some review. Then.
taking the p cture N detail. he has
chance to sneer at every one.
The theatrical cvnic-he never laughs
and never cries; needless to add that
he never applauds His finest opportu-
nity is when the whOle house i in tears
He 5 wont. then. to turn round to the
man with him. whose throat is perhaps,
choked at the moment with sup
pressed sob, and to whisper loudly:
Very badly done all this ! never
saw worse piece" So that the peo-
pile all round leave Of crying and try
not to feel interested in the heroine's
sufferings. In the same way. when
faces are broadened with grns, when
boxes and pit and gallery are
roaring with laughter. he will sit with
unmOyed cOuntrnance or remark. Impa-
tiently. Dear me, this is very melan-
choly" which has an effect upon the
audience III lar to that of oil upon the
unnumbered smiles of ocean. Some
nights ago | saw two of these critics at
New York thcatcr. They were not
greatly advanced in years. the elder
being apparently about twentv-One.
They listened with grave faces ut the
funny parts. keep ng. | thought, fur
tive eve one on the other. to detect and
deride anv accidental lurking smile,
but when we came to the mlsfortuncs
of the hero Ne. and the agony was piled
up higher than We could we'll bear. these
two Young heroes with whom intellect
aud an overwhelming apprec alton OF
art altogether conquered and drove out
sympathy. and with whom the crit cal
faculty SO far mastered the emotional.
that they lost the power of feeling the
thought in watching for the expression
of the poet. suddenly rose. moved by q
common impulse. Bah, said the
younger. with an infall be air of sdain.
what rot it l.. Let lis get out Of here.
So they got out. The two boys were,
after all. only boys. As for the rest Of
us we cried and laughed at the foolish
piece till our sides ached.
saw young hut very promising
cvnic the other day. in an Episcopal
Church. Three boys were sitting
together. he in the middle, but | think
he had come alone. The other two
pulled out their Bibles and followed the
lessons. joined in the chants, sang the
hvmns, knelt for the prayers. and gener-
ally comported themselves with be.
coming reverence and propriety. He,
however. my Cynic, regarded them, 10
right and left. with an Air of the most
sublime contempt. He would look
around the church, As if to call atten-
ton to this prepG>terous humbug and
his own superiority. In Difference to the
service. he stood up for the hymns and
sat down for the lessons; but he neither
knelt, nor Joined in the singing, nor
affected anything but the most supreme
boredom at the whole thing ''Relig
ion?" he seemed to saw. PRAYERS?
piety? Dear. dear. what absurditv."
OF inferior quality. but. perhaps.
more effective in his small way. is the
| domestic cynic. He it is who takes care
that none of his household shall be
possessed of any foolish notions of ad
mirat on toward their friends or ac-
quaintances. He knows the cheapnesS
of friends liquor; the reason-sordid
and selfish of course Of another
friends kindness to him; the un
trustworthy character of third; and
80 on. Much as we may admire the
other kinds of cynics, confess that
toward this one | feel q repugnance,
Ow NC chiefly, | suppose. to some defect
in my organization that forbids me to
write about him with phlanthropical
calm. But these great and noble men
whose aim it is to show the world what
it really is, and not what it pretends or
hopes TO be; to put down sentiment and
all the things which foster absurd
friendsh ps excessive admiration. IA
matte principle devotion TO cause. 10y
atty and the like passions. which have
produced such great d sasters to the
world. who have discovered the real
roots of love, and now hold them mp TO
the deri>ion of mistaken humanity;
who tear his fanced honor from man
and her imag nary modesty from