The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-04-09
REAL VS.. SHAM.
(RepOrt for Glass FL

REAL VS.. SHAM.
(Report for Glass F.)
Those who endowed by their parents, or
have acquired through their own energy fair
education. which is almost always accompanied
with some literary tast, have little difficulty
in discovering and selecting from among the
books. speeches periodicals of the day. that
real, good genuine article. which retreshes the
brain and elevates the standard of men, while
to the beginner it is a difficult task. There is no
set rule by which every man follow respect
ing what he should read what he should say when
and how he should say it. My own experience
has taught me that the rule recommended by
Emerson and other eminent writer's. applies better
to the art Of book reading than any other and
that is; when you read book and find you have
acquired some knowledge. been inspired with
higher aim in life, touched with a truer more
generous. benevolent feeling towards your fellow
men then read it again and the third time, and the
oftener you read it the higher your aim in life
will become. I once read that Internal book
called "She," but no one will ever catch me read.
ing 1t again, would rather be restricted for one
whole year to the reading of Thackeray's "Henry
Esmond" than have all Rider Haggard's and Hugh
Conway's put together; both popular writer's in
their day. but made SO by mere accidents. not by
brillancy of their works. Neither of them shows
us life as it is one deals in mythology, while the
other takes through Siberia after Italian Still
they are as much above the standard of great
many other writer's as Victor Hugo is above them:
They write at so much per page, not to educate us
to attain that place of knowledge by which man
can see the noble side of life. nor do they take
their reader into that society that will elevate his
morals and procure his future happiness We do
4ho 80
acter of those desire so much to meet in the
world in their work. They write one way and
live another-their teachings are inconsistent
with their lives-no realities in them.
1t is the natural thoughts inspired by the good
ness and sympathy felt for all mankind that is the
genius in the writings and speeches of to-day. A
speaker to enkindle that copgenial feeling among
his hearers must adopt his natural tones. make use
of his natural gestures. and never try to initiate
any one else; and the same applies to writer's.
Occasion is the father Of all that is good within
us; and it is misfortune that awakens the ingsnu.
ity, the goodness. the sympathy in hearts.
where those qualities would never have come to
life, but for the circumstances which gave them
being.
At the dedication of the soldiers monument at
Gettysburg to those brave and heroic souls. who
and business might prevail. there was grand and
imposing ceremony. The speaker Of the day. was
Mr.. Edward Everett Everest. cultured and
scholarly gentleman, who made two and one
half hours Grafton which carefully prepared
from an extended vocabulary and was a master.
piece in the way of set speech, full of logic and
rhetoric. President Abraham Lincoln was
invited and attended. On his way from Washing.
ton to Gettysburg he jotted down few notes in his
memorandum. He made little fifteen minutes
address which touched the heart of every man
within his hearing. and re-echoed from the At
lantic to the Pacifc it put to blush those who
had spoken of him being illiterate; and to-day
it stands a model in English composition beaming
DER with rhetoric full of purity and simplicity.
It was culed fresh from the heart and to those
griefstricken widows and orphaned children
whose tender and faithful souls had known no
comfort under the great calamity it sent consola-
ton and hope In their affliction. Who is there
to-day that remembers anything of Mr.. Everest's
speech? Not one man in a thousand; while al
most every school boy can repeat from memory
Mr.. Lincoln's. 1t was characteristic of the man,
rejecting his heart to Borrowing people. What
plea has ever been recorded before bar of justice
that had so much sincerity. SO much loyalty to
his country. and so full of magnanimity to his
cusers as the patriot, Robert Emmett, entered
in his own behalf? His life at stake and his
heart overlooking with love for his fellow country
men, every impulse within him beating in
Spouse to the call of what we all love and cherish
SO much-liberty. Unrelenting in his desire to
accomplish his purpose, seeing nothing but sorrow
and distress for his country. he pleaded for that
mercy and forbearance as only those who have the
real spirit of oratory instilled into them by lofty,
sslf-sacrificing nature plead.
Thus. we can 60 from Dante down to Hugo and
from Mark Antony to Abraham Lincoln, and
each passage of speech. each page of manuscript
we find that bears the mark of genius or great.