Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-07-09

| 80 uuch uTepfecateu " SOME sccts
of religion is an inmate propensity.
| The passion exhibited by children
for hearing fairy tales and stories
shows how natural is the desire for
fiction and imaginative reading.
Children in their play are always
personatiug other people. always
pretending something. This is
only the dramatic instinct.
| All children love bright, pretty
things and are strongly attracted
BY beauty. 80 The love of the beau
lssfal ,sh,eh isaas "a - dress taste-.
| faily is not wroag but merely natu-
raj.
From the moderate indulgence of
ali natural propenslties much good
and happiness can be derived but
there are ways III which people seek
pleasure entirely foreign To natural
cravings. From these come harm.
Is the longing for stimulants ever
Il natural one: The most moder-
ate drinking of alcoholic beverages
can never produce any lasting good,
except in case of illness. Is a man
healthier. happier. more refined,
for the transient pleasure afforded
by glass Of wine? Has his life
been prolonged, his mind strength
cned. or his body made more vigor-
Gus: A good laugh at comic
play has really the effect OF pro-
longing life, but doubt if even
the most moderate drinking can do
SO. This appears to be Nazareth
from which no good can come.
But when we consider the use
made of alcohol IN medicine, and
the arts. we will find that u wise
Creator made il for good and use
ful purpose and only through mans
abuse has it become what II is.
| Now let us see what real good
can come from each of those things
which some people have censurcd
as strongly as did the proud Jews
of old the Nazareans.
First, there is novel reading.
- Although there are some works
OF fiction which may have a'bad in
fluence on the public, vet there are
many more which inculcate good.
| Some novels are very instructive
history is never SO well rcmcmb bcred
as when presented 10 the mind in
the form of story.
| Sir Waiter SCOTS novels have
done much to interest people in the
great events of nations when in
terest is once excited we are eager
enough to read and study history.
| Yet we should not read all books
for facts and information merely
but to be inspired, to have our
thoughts uplifted to noble ideals,
to have our sympathies touched,
our ambition awakened to do some
great or worthy thing all these are
accomplished in good work of
fiction.
When we read Of u noble and
beautiful character. unconsciOusly
we try to initiate it.
| To render goodness lovely and
iovable and vice hidcous and loath-
some to cultivate in man love
} for the beautiful and artistic to
refine his instincts and broaden his
knowledge Of life to raise in him
noble thoughts and pure emotions.
this is the mission Of the novel.
It's power is over the Imagination
rather than over the understanding,
but hear what Carlyle says Of the
imagination "Not our logical
faculty, but our imaginative one ia
king over us. might say priest
and prophet to lead us upward or
; magician and wizard u draw us
downward The understanding is
; indeed the windOw-toO clear thou
canst not make it-but, phantasy
is the eye, with its color-giving ret
ina. healthy or Diseased. =
II Consider the good Dickens novels
have wrought. How can We think
the reading Of such works perni-
cious: How many weary-hearted
people have been cheered by his
humor, how many hard hearts melt
ed by his pathos
/ Charles Reade's novels we're writ
ten TO illustrate some social evil.
| Walter Besant's book, "All Sorts
and Conditions Of Men," is practi-
cal illustration of the good novel
can do. A beautiful palace for the
instruction Of the poor in all the arts
and refining things Of life was con-
structed not long ago in Whitechap-