The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-09-21
A HUMAN PkRvKRsIrY.
New Orleans Times. Democrat

fighter who makes flying forays into every camp, in turn-gave voice to ar undeniable truth In his comments upor the work, "Authors at Home" pub. lished not long ago. "ln order tC write contemporary biography thAt shall be entertaining" he said, ait Ii indispensable to be indiscrs ct, and mol too eulogistic. Nobody evel was 90 good and great as these author are represented by their respective and respectful biographers as being. Sucf unfailing excellence of subject Is op. pressive, and the unregenerate man re. volts"
 In moments of complete candor W, are obliged to confess that 1t is much more interesting to hear of the misdo. iDgs than of the virtues of our fellow. men. The artist, the author, the actor the professional beauty, etc., being considered personal property, more ol less, we feel that we have Q right tC pry into their most private concerns These celebrated characters themselves often bear such keen research with re- markable equanimity; probably sup. ported by the thought of its value a. an advertisement. If Bulwer and hi' wife had been loving Darby and Joar couple, our interest in their married life would be of very tepid nature but when there is a question of crimi- nation and recrimination, abuse, and even blows, we are instantly upon the alert.
 The shrew ishness of Dick Steele, darling Prue," and the fbbing ex- cuses with which he, in his manliks blundering way, tried to blind thost sharp feminine eyes to his roysteriDgs are far spicier than tender love- pas ssges, or the record of unrufiled con- nubial bliss. How diverting 1t is to read of Pope's littleness of mind, his waspish spites, his outbursts of rage his peevishness and petty deceptions and to put out of sight the value oi his contributions to literature. Let ut forget all about Fielding's love for his wife, and only remember that, shortly after her death, he married Ter maid servant. Let us always picture him banqueting, in company with two or three shabby, disreputable friends, upon ham, bone and some cold nut ton, both in the same dish-a sorry feast set forth upon 6 soiled table cloth.
 It Is all very we'll for biographers of the eulogistic sort to dwell upon the @eauty, sprightliness and virile intel lect of youthful Mary Wortley Mon- tague; we prefer the account of one of her contemporaries. who describes the lady of quality in her miserly, slovenly, eccentric old age. We will banish from our minds the remem- brance of Browning's noble poetry, and the shining "Rubaiyat" that Ed ward Fitzgerald gave to the English reading public, and merely chuckle over the latter's posthumous insult to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and the formers poetically expressed wish that the dead man were alive that he might kick him or spit in his face.
 In short, we prefer Philip drunk to Philip sober. His antics are more di- verting than his dignity. We are of one mind with the man who, upon the boast of Q friend that his married life of twenty. five years' duration had been unbroken by a single squab- ble murmured thoughtfnlly, "Mighty dullp We resent an excess of virtue people have no business being too good. By implication, it is . refiec- tion upon our own conduct. AS Horace Walp0le wrote of Cardinal Rucellai: "We little people that have