Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-30
The influence Of Imaxination.


Gen. de Trobriand, in his book. ''The Army
of the Potomac" relates many incidents illus
trating the influence of imagination. One poor
fellow believed he had ball in the head and
prepared to die on account Of il. He died
Another with his eye gone and his eyebrows
burned of thought nothing was the matter.
Another instance was that Of surgeon who
had been allured into the army by a salary.
he had been a man of luxurious habits. He
found himself living without fire in tent COW
cred with snow. He sought to make himself
comfortable by making q fire in the open air
and toasting one side while the other froze.
He could not get used to the meager fare and
no bed OF the camp. But the roaring OF can
non ended his career. He became livid, tremb-
ling like leaf; he shook at each defamation
and seemed about to lose his legs. II am
dead man." he at last exclaimed, as il actually
shot Il must go away or I am q dead man.
And there had not been a shot anywhere near
the division. He had to be carried to hospi-
tai and discharged At Gettysburg color
bearer staggered and fell back. STEADY"
called the colonel. Il am wounded" he re-
piled, In a choking voice. "Where?" I'm
the throat" The commander leaned over
his horse and looked 1T is nothing.
see no blood" He imme diately retook his
place, raising up his flag. The ball had really
leather collar, and the shock had choked him
for moment. On the dawn of the day after
gettysburg De Trobriand found young SER
geant stretched out on his back his head rest
ing on fiat stone serving for pillow. His
position was natural. even graceful One knee
nghty raised his hands crossed on his breast,
his eyes closed, he seemed to sleep; perhaps
dream of her who waited him In the Green
mountains. He was dead. Wounded, he had
dragged himself there to die composedly. His
haversack was near him. He had taken out of
it a little book on which his last looks had been
cast, for 1t was still open i'll his rigid fingers
1t was the New Testament. Different was the
tale of a Florida lad. Scarcely twenty years
old. he had been bullied by confederate
agents into entering the army. His left heel
was carried away by piece of shell. His right
hand was torn off by a canister shot-two am
putationS he did not complain of, but when he
spoke OF returning crippled to aged parents
dependent on him his smile was more heart
breaking than any complaint could be.
The Endecalogue OF Fiction.
According to the Pail MAJ Gdzeae Mr.
Besant formulates eleven rules which must be
constantly kept in mind by those who would
worthily follow the art of fiction. These
eleven rules-the endecalogue, as one might
call them, of the art fiction-are as follows:
l. Practice writing something original every
day.
2. Cultivate the habit of observation.
3. Work regularly at certain hours.
T. hedu no RUBBISH.
5. Aim at the formation of style.
6. Endeavor to be dramatic
z. great element of dramatic skill is selec-
ton.
s. Avoid the sin of writing about character.
.. Never attempt to describe any kind of
life except that with which you are familiar
10. Learn as much as you can about man and
woman.
II. For the sake of forming a good. natural
style and acquiring command of language
write poetry.
Most OF this, while perfectly familiar to
Besant scholars, is not known to the general
public. The last commandment. for example,
vlous to those who have thought about the mat
good prose- Longfellow, Thackeray Matthew
Arnold and Mr. Besant himself are examples.
Mr.. Besants doctrine, moreover. is in accord
with that of SO high an authority as the present
professor of poetry at Oxford Writing in
1856, Mr. Palgrave said: The excellence of a
poets prose is well known to those who care
for excellence in literature; indeed. looking at
literature from the beginning, it is compare
lively rare to find a prose writer of the
first rank who has not himself made serious
practice of poetry
The canning house of Graham Il Co.. at
Goldsboro', Caroline county, Nd, was burned;
loss $4,000.
The steamer Gulf Stream, reported overdue.
arrived at Charleston, 8. c.. yesterday morn
ing. She was delayed by gales, and shifted
and damaged her cargo. Her cabin and other
doors were stove in.
Bill Thompson, who killed Sheriff Genty at