The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-01-02
LIT ERAKY.
the year.

LITERARY.
There is dash of sentiment i'll our
Christmas week, for the fairy books make
us primitive; and in the friendly bowl OF
ccg-nog sentiment is the best ingredient;
and the clattcr of the rompinS boys. tue
Groom of the baby, and the family alice
tons brightest when the holly is grcenest,
dispose us thereto But the day and the
nation mock ut it. Not even an ulster and
thicl; boots may save man, suspected OF
tender feeling, from public scorn Eveh
the sentimental German. when 1t comes TO
business, has the proycrb do hoert dtt's
auf! the which is rs much to say--no SEN
timent wanted here. Being Il business
people we are not IN emotional people.
Hearty sentiments and strong friendships
die out nowadays for pure lack of nourish-
ment The business letter and the cleo
trio zen have done the work. Ii is not rs
when the beloved eoosequill spluttered
love. and every honest man wore his heart
in the visible ink stains on his thumb and
dexter finger.
The postmau in uniform. carving out
the facilities of II perfect system. does not
bring us the sound and wholesome letter
that used to come with the numbering
coach hcralded 10y the. horn; the letters
that were sealed with wax bearing the
imprint OF the signct Of the family and
the assurance of loyalty; in them, from
the fathc-s' sage advice in good clear
handwrit. in authoritative bold letter and
with stately flourish OF highly respect
able adjective, garnishcd with stray wis
dem from Cornelius Ncpos and apt refer
cnce to 1.-The sisters three, and such
branches Of learning" Then every man
had his flourish yet dear to the German
as the blessed Scino,rte!), that added I'M
mstakablc dignity even TO the good old
name of John Smith and possessed the
spirit of John Hancock in the declaration
Of independence. Ne lack of ink in the
pen, and whole bottles in the secretary.
No. it is rclcgntcd row to the boarding
lar notes or what fashion demands, mono
grams at the top, the essence of the whole
being in double cream inlaid or linen
paper-tlat or even ailtclion is wasted.
Nor, from another standpoint, this old hon
e.. letter writing ha. taken shape in the
antiquities of the politicians and The pert
phrases ot Mrs. jerks. Public men imi
talng Tailcyrand OF the ''yulpinc UNDER
standing" Gas Carlyle has it). avoid pen,
ink and paper rs Il sort OF diabolicaI trim
iiy: or writing. 80 use words that an in
| yestigatiug committee would stand aghast.
But it is not reasonable to suppose that,
when Il man stationery is furnished Ivy y
company sagaciously bent on subsidies,
his letters will be a. pure and simple as
Thomas .Jcilcrsons Again, aside from the
business letters which make the bulk Of
the mails. few are sensible, hearty express
sions Of experience or feeling. This is
not speculation. The dead letter depart
ment affords dreary work. Thousands of
letters fell under the curiosity Of soldiers
in the late war They we're often touching
! in simple words. and pathetic in grabbed
hands and yillainous grammar, but they
arc lacking in the old time iulness, which
brought up pictures OF men and homes,
oycrilowing with q mothers care, Il sisters
love, 4 fathers counsel. We feel less
deeply. Our principles are less grounded,
and men are left more to care for them
selves and shape their own courses. We
live i'll looser bonds. The corner stone of
sentiment is gone. The true letter has its
limitations and undcci.ing conditions.
Without the spirit implied in these rules it
has neither use as Il temporary cXpedicnt
OF communication nor value AZ an express
sion OF character, and consequently can
not CRAFTY future public or private inter-
est Friends write twaGdlc Lovers Will
continue TO rhyme worse than Rosaiind's
swain. The fact is, love is too subtitle a
passion to put on paper and send by gov
eminent stamp or per bearer. In lis ardor
il is too extravagant for ink. Ii is not in
its nature to be epstolary The spirit Of
il is dramatic and lyric Rather let un-
told be the loves Of the francesca and
Paola, unwritten,
The wished smile. raptuousy Kissed
BY one So deep in love
What, then are the conditions of letter
writing? The communication in char
acteristic style (Which must convey as
nearly rs possible the personal converse
ton ofthe writer Of matters of interest
to the person addressed These matters
acquire an interest to future readers.
according to accident or circum-
stance. 1t is hardly possible for the love
letter to be other than after the common
model, purity OF expression making no
difference in this regard When the love
letter is tempered by time and maturity OF
soul; when years of association, founda-
ton for affection, the happy events of
life, and the prattle of children give a re-
ality to the background, there is vitality
in such letter. The assent of reason
may hallow IT, The history of life NAV
be involved in IT, Whenever realities are
bound up with the emotions, it NAV be
one of the productions OF art; its poetry
may glow for y worlds reverence Thus
comes about the use of letters in literature.
The letters of the scntimcntalist, Swift to
'ancssa, do not come within the standard
OF true letter writing. because they are
heartless and fictitious in expression.
They have value as sentimental models,
and serve to illustrate the character of
the wretched dean.
1t has been indicated that there was n
period ofgenuine letter writing; that there
has been decline therein; that, ut hest,
there are classes of letters which under
no circumstances have a private or public