Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-02-25

and tnwdry sunshine as constituted the
halo around Uncle Toms" head. 1t
angered me to hear the preposterous
praises heaped ON the book. When GER
tain admirers talked of similitudes to
Shakespeare and the Bible failed 10 dis,
semble my utter disgust. When twitted
W it'll condemning and conforming what
WIS ignorant OF, replied that il was
not necessary TO read the book of Nor
mon to pronounce Joe Smith fool, nor
the Age of Renson" TO discover what
the bubble of the world had abundantly
revealed; that Tom Paine was an Atheist
aud Radical.
Many of the southern people telt in
stinctively that 'Uncle Toms Cabin" was
the David that was staying the Slavery Go
Hath, and MS we happened to be born at
Gath and not at Bethlehem, we very nat,l-
rally desired every impeachment to be
thrown in the insolent Yankees way.
We ignored "Uncle Tom" Every volume
that came into the house we threw out of
the window or into the fire. But the
world disagreed with u.s. When Nat Lee,
the crazy poet, was in lunatic asylum,
he was Intercepted by visitor with
''Halloo, Nat, what brought you here ?"
To which Nat replied: "Well, you see,
there was a difference OF opinion as to |
my sanity between the world and myself; |
the world was in the majority, and here |
| ann And thus it was that after trying |
conclusions with the world and, as we
| held, the flesh and the devil, for good
many direful yeas, we came to the con.
clusion that there were too many against
us, and SO we suceumbed to time and cir
cumstance. The war rolled over, and
| uf no uttltr nl ttta rotY1 Af
peace, bringing life and content. But we
hung on to our prejudice against uncle
TOMS Cabin" and continued to regard il
us q successful political bulletin, of
no original or permanent literary value.
The other day well-known Boston firm
published new edition of the work, and
its dissemination caused measurable re-
yiyal of its faded interest. The book
was sent me. 1t lay on my desk before
me; its gilt letters shining in my eyes
spelling the still nnsavory title, Uncle
TOMS Cabin | took the book into my
hands mechanically and opened its in
/ trodactory pages; / smiled contenptu-
, ously as / read of the raptures of Jenny
, Lind, TIE nicely cut praise of Kingsley
and "Mehercule =! the pious tribute Of
Heine. ut is not strange" thought l,
! that these Europeans should have an
n abstract proclivity to such radical theo-
riGs as abolition, Communism and Nor
!, monism; but that men Of experience and
4 excellent business sense should risk re-
publication of this work would seem to
= argue their belief in its intrinsic value
4 either in a literary or moral way, or
perhaps in both" l therefore began to
: read the book that had been published in
the year 1852 For the first quarter of
= the work 1 saw and felt nothing that any
ordinary literator might not have written.
!, The style seemed studiously plain and
! simple, the material common us the dirt,
. and the working up of it plastic enough,
q but in no way remarkable. BY the time
q | reached the middle page had ceased to
criticise; all ennui and forced attention
/ had vanished; began to feel the power
not of Thackeray nor Bulwer, hut
of Dickens and Bunyan himself My
. eyes were wet with tears before
. knew it; my hand became clenchcd
- unwittingly, and became choked
with emotion over "Eliza's" woes
I and tEva's" angelic DEATH | then
:, stopped and pulled myself together.
: took in inventory Of my mental and
: moral condition and became aware that
had been under the spell of genius of as
clear an order a9 that of tine author Of
Little Nell or Lies Miserables." The
literary status of the work | clearly per
II ceived and frankly acknowledged. NJ
- simplex -munditis style could hide tht
le genuine weight and brillinnce of TIM
"a most moving tale in which the features o
y Lear" of "Shylock," of ..Cordelia,n O
q "Valjean, of ''Ogres," and of the "lIol,
4 Martyrs" seem to fit and leave an atmos
IS phere of glory buifeted by great waves o
7, hellish darkness. "'ris Il great plea
ID admitted, "the plea of genius for OPP
OF pressed humanity, but ms a novel, tale
a work of fiction, it is nothing but col
= lection of brilliant fragments of thought.
So went on and finally resigned mysel
lg 20 the sweep of the tide that flowet
10 through caves all dimmed with sin an,
Us lighted by the inextinguishable lamp O
~ virtue and faith in God. ! closed tn
w book, feeling that l had seen Tom di
On from the lashes laid on his back by "a
q, inhuman monster, and querying Wit
n, myself whether God really permits sue
es things to be done, or, il He does, ho'
% little do we know of Him, and of til
NJ heaven which He would have us believ
~ is the reward and consolation transfer
yer IDENTIFY superior in the contrary ratio
ae all the ills and agonies of earthly life
Sn From this solnhre mood | slowly escaped
'et md as my thoughts flew back over ID
III. sad, noble, impussionGd scenes of tn
on peoples book, | felt somewhat of ii
" power of that grand sentiment Whic
NY made the mocking devil, Heinrich Helm
Wo kneel down beside the Bible
sm Let the political textures go. Doub
pe less the book did the work of n milliC
ny men in bringing ON the conflict and
freeing the slaves. We are thankful it
all over and that not even an acti
imagination may picture now ii Legree
the woes of Thomas Kemp
ing in ebony. We try TO forget and forgi
md the cruel impossibilities of the tai
lol- knowing what we know and seeing VIII
ow we see; we forgive the grossness Of Il
'hy caricature rs regurds its fneial feature
md when we feel the honest beat of II loyil
lan heart beneath ALL and listen to the gosp
a of faith in God and good will to man
sed "Uncle TOMS Cabin" will live and
He read centuries hence, in all probabilit
ida not rs veritable history for such it is nc
he not us a gallary of portraits in in
INT, though est. Clare and his wife, eau
Ialf 0phelian and 'Topsy" are creations
900 original value; not as a rhetorical speci
5es, plea, high-wrought, cunning and impf
out stoned in its very simplicity-no, not
any of these things, but it will live al
be read with tears and deep convicti
ppy. because it is an evangel of love.
am But not even an evangel of love cou
e ene fly to the heart so quickly and with SUI
subduiug power were il not winged wi
the airs of genius.
Tilt There is type of genius which, thou
ON it may not reach to even the second RON
e eaS of the immortal seats, is yet as genui
H ,dy's as that of the master who sits at the he
m 70 in his peaked beard and earrings. T
ale,s genius of the sentiment and of t
R tbe spiritual nature may be at times commo
ular place, but it moves many more hearts nj
any influences more lives than do the prime
INV INV. of the creation and fancy. Montgomei
even, has more followers than Shelley.
te. But the author of 'Uncle TOMS Cabi
,o,va had holder wing than Montgomel
81; The category that embraces her is vic
-eea- but every one within it can moisten I
II 1ag IN eye and shake the heart. 1t extends FRI
mil; Shakespeare down to the prolific spins