River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-06-12
THE READING OF NOVELS.
IL Is the Most Complete and Satisfactory
Rest for the Working Mind.

IL Is the Most Complete and satisfactory
Rest for the Working Mind.
1t is significant fact that many OF
the hardest intellectual workers turn
at times to fiction with intense and
eager interest. After the tension OF
prolonged thought or sustained investi-
cation the mind is immensely refreshed
by contact with human life in some
good story. In the first despairing mo.
ments which followed the confession to
Carlyle that a part of the manuscript OF
the French Revolution" had been de
stroyed, the great Scotchman, whose
working power was phenomenal, tells
us that he plunged into Marryats nov.
els to secure distraction, and that the
effort was successful. Bismarck, one OF
the most powerful minds of the century,
is always surrounded by piles of the
most recent novels; while Gladstone,
another pre-eminently vigorous and
trained intellect, is continually show
ing his interest in fiction by public
comments and concentrations. 1t is
sometimes a mans duty to leave the
serious books in his library untouched
and to devote himself entirely to the
lightest novels upon which he can lay
his hands
Since many of the masterpieces OF
literature are in the department of fic-
ton, it is hardly necessary to add that
there are many novels which ought TO
be studied as one studies a play of
Shakespeare's or poem of Browning's.
Ignorance of the best modern fiction in
wolves ignorance of very large part of
the best modern literature; For in no
other department, save that of criti-
cism. has the modern mind been so
active and so creative. One returns
again and again to George Eliot's
earlier novels for their profound phi
losophy of life, their wonderful insight
into character, their sustained and no
BILE eloquence of style. adam Bede,"
1.-THE Mill on the Floss" and "Romola"
are as serious and substantial contribu-
tons to human knowledge, in every
way as worthy of profound study, as
Montalgn e's Essays" or Carlyle's
"hero Worship" or Macaulay's brill
liant dissertations They are not books
90 read lightly or for mere enter
tainment; they are books to be
studied; they are masterpieces not only
cause they contain the 'life-blOod of a
master spirit. embalmed and treasured
up on purpose to life beyond life"
These novels are named, not because
they are prominently above other
novels, but because they represent
whole class of books of the highest and
more lasting interest and Importance.
The great novelists have been among
the great teachers of this century. One
can not know France without knowing
Balzac, nor England without knowing
Thackeray, nor Russia without knowing
Tour~uenef, nor Germany without
knowing Heyse, nor Spain without
knowing Valdjs.
When you are tired, anxious or over
burdened, the immediate duty is the
duty of rest. and there is no form of rest
so complete for the active working mind
as the reading Of a good story. When
you are in the working mood. eager foi
knowledge of life and for the study OF
literary art read the great novels dis
criminatingly, inteiligently, though Al
ly.-Christian Union
The most sweeping argument Of tht