Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-02-26
TbTee Characters Of Every Age.
W. II. FouTE, A. NJ.

hPiVu bhul VOtUip VI 6'UlJ hBv'
W. II. FoUTE, A. NJ.
"Read not to contradict and confute,
not to believe and take for granted, mot to
find talk and discourse, but to weigh and
consider" lie who reads in pursuance
OF this wise advice from the lips of
trancis Bacon, will be sure to discover
that It's wisdom is founded not only in
the broad and comprehensive experience
| OF the 'greatest, wisest, meanest OF man
kind" but in the daily experience OF
every reading man and woman. In every
book the language is the mere vehicle for
few grand lessons which the author in
tends to impress upon our minds. In
most books 1t is the intent of the writer, If
he have any purpose whatever, TO exhibit
TO his readers some great truth or to eS-
pose some great error. Surround IL as he
will with the drapery Of language, inter
weave ii as he will with the meshes OF
logic, II we read every line and para
graph, it will result, perhaps, in the es-
tablishment of the truth of but one phys
ical, intellectual or moral principle, or
the dissipation Of but n single fallacy.
! To read books then, in the spirit of Lord
Bacon's counsel, is not simply to peruse
the authors style OF composition, not
merely to study the beautiful words and
well-rounded periods in which he clothes
his ideas, but to ''weighn and soon
sldern To ''weigh" his arguments and
| Illustrations in the scale with opposing
views, and to "consider" whether we
have added even single item TO our
stock Of information as to the domestic
| life, social relations, politicu history or
moral status OF humanity.
Didactic and scientific wri ings are of
no value at all If not read IN his manner.
There is, however, class of writings
which arouse in the mind an excitement
so much more violent that the tendency
| OF most readers Is to lose sight of the OBJ
| ject OF the composition in the pleasurable
sensations evoked by It's perusal | refer
| to plays or dramatic work, and to novels
or WORK OF fiction, The drama, by the
employment of living, moving beings, in
| stead of distractions, has realism so
vivid that oitentimes the very central len.
son of the pay, the very idea which has
Inspired the author to his highest efforts
in tho use OF language, is lost in the
tempest OF emotions which II Is in the
power OF the actor to excite. Hence, the
storm Of applause which invariably greets
the eloquent onunclation OF an authors
words-an applause which constitutes
one OF many evidences of the prevailing
modern taste for plays which are devoid
Of all object, save that OF stimulating the
emotions. For how few there are In this
day who stop "to weigh aud consider,n
to "read between the lines" OF play, and
care TO discover the lesson or lessons
which the author has attempted to teach
for the instruction and elevation of his
fellow-men. II the charge Is true rs to
this class OF work. how much more true is
; it OF the class denomlnated "works of TO.
nance" The popular idea as to the OBJ
lect OF the "novel" Is illustrated not only
IN the character Of the worthless trash
which feeds the morbid imagmations of
the present generations, bat In the e,,ner-
ally received opinion that the value of
such productions Is TO be. eX-
actly measured by the amount of
nervous excitement which they pro
duce in the brain OF the reader
My hearers will readily grant, am sure,
the pardon which ask for this extended
preface when they are informed that 1t is
written MS Il criticism ON the popular
taste in regard to reading, and is in
tended, In fact, MS u species of apology
for the writer's acknowledgment that he
has derived the lesson which he proposes
to apply to the teachers profession from
4 work OF fiction. AlA this, too, by a
process OF generallzailo In strict accord
with the advice which ul,ens this essay
u process, by the way, " hlch would have
been impossible had he confined himself
merely to the study of the beautiful and
phllosophlc style Of the writer, or had he
suffered himself to he blinded by the
= sweet glamof OF romance which the hand
OF genius has impressed ON every page Of
4 remarkable book.
In the production OF works OF hctiOn--
3 OF books whose object is confessodly e
= please the mind ana stimulate the imag,
NATIVE faculty at the same time that they
convey Information upon the social llfe
domestic habits or political state OF the
: times OF which they treat--in the con,
struction of noyels--a class OF works II
which the characters move at the toucl
Of q SINGLE hand-in which love, jealousy
ambition, avaFice aud all the passions OF
r humanity form the chief materials las
they do in real lifel OF happiness ant
misery Sir T.. Lytton Bulwer stand.
, without an equal In English literature
+ There Is no virtue which does not shine
with a purer radiance, no vice
. which does not assume darker
hue beneath his master. hand
| II, however, called upon TO maintain the
! prevailing beauty Of his works OF felton,
the careful reader could not fall to dis.
cover that, however high his flights OF
laucy, however metaphysical his dlsqul-
sitlons, however profound his reflections
there runs through every book golden
| thread OF practical application TO the af.
fairs of real lie, an unbroken chain OF
lessons designed for the education OF
humanity.
To the casual and careless reader
"The Last OF the Barons" would posi-.
/, fbly appear but ilne illustration OF The
J romance OF history. BY such a reader II
would perhaps be pernsed with constant
aud uniaihng Interest, and (while pro
nouuced inferior to similar works 10y
Walter Scott lwould doubtless receive
hia commcndation as one OF the most
beautiful aud successful applications OF