The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-06
FUNCTION OF FICTION
George W. Cables Address on
His Art Before Y. N. c.
soy YIELDED sywoRD-P,cTvass
cev. Pennsyer Gets . Dressisg Down
Frsm the PaIpit-Desn wssseu's
Anniverssry-gharch NessA

h - y.
Yesterday was held IN Plymouth Congre-
rstionsi church, and was marked by
lsrxe attendance. owing to the fact that
ne address was made By George w. Cable,
tks famous novelist and eIocutioniss.
Especially fne music vas rendered By the
rrasicians and the congregational singing
rss excellent. The iarge auditorium. too.
had been hastily decorated in honor of Mr..
Cable. The latter was introduced 70 tbs
sndieHee 81 4.so o'clock. and spoke for
BezrsY bali al hour, hss plain, simple aud
direct style being something of surprise
10 many who had gone 70 hear him ex-
p<etimgs theatrical entertainment. In
psrs, Mr. Cables address was as follows:
sIn the beginning let me say that am
not preacher and / am not going to
preach. There is something OF an incou-
gritty for me standing so close 10 the
sacred text, some Of you no donbl think
What sort OF connection can there be
httwsen fctionist and Bible exponent
fou ri! know me better Is o writer than
- anything else. and / will explain. I
vii say that fiction 10 as far from false
bod as fslsehocd IL from truth. Fiction
j. the faithful, constant wife OF truth.
Wien We deal IN fiction We take the frag-
rsepts Of our own and others experiences,
end build from tbefn better, higher,
bother life Tor our character than has been
possible for any one of az. These frag-
mEnts OF fact are to fiction what the
bricks are 10 q building. their identity is
lost in the grand and noble whole.
The fiictionist may stand before God
and man, and without dealing with actual
happenings. present 20 his reader the very
word of God, not the Bible meaning OF
she phrase itself, bat the very truth It
sell. Now. what can . hctionist say to an
sudienee Of the Lords people upon the
Lords day. lie need not tell them the
Lords truth by the narration of facts. bat
by pleasing hetions Of his imagination.
The first thing that comes into my mind,
as - may in yours, 10 the early religious
training that We received, and that We
have ali found IL necessary to correct 10
some extent Ia our matured years. Our
faihers and mothers. however, were faith
ful according to their light. We were
told then that God created us for His own
glory, for instance. This was what one
Nit once termed celestial seIhshness.'
but now, this blessed book has taught us
better. The supreme purpose of the
Creator In our creation was that He might
have that upon which TO bsstow His love.
We can now consider ourselves as sons
and daughters of God gathered around
His family board. We are gathered for
His pleasure.
"Now, right here I would like TO ask
what must be- In child before he can be
acceptable to his father. You will ali have
~ answer, but will not wait for IL. You
will reply; Love, obedience, obedience
from choice. Yes, all these things are
necessary, but that would not make per-
feet answer. Some one here near me says,
We must have character So must the
child, but IL Is not the ultimate. 1t Is but
the means to an end. God wants some
thing besides character.
al a.. - r.. n
have sat around the table with the father,
cbedient. loving and full Of character. with
eli the jewels OF Christianity except one
little one, the most precious in all the dia-
dem. Where will We find that little spark
ling gem2 1t was named In our Bible les
son just now. What IL itf Some say, but
very low, Faith Several of you say.
Love Yes, love is one OF the most
precious of the gifts OF God. There one
says character again, but none of these
are the jewel. They point TO the end for
which God made as. but not the end Itself
All. there Ii is. Speak IL out: it is right.
'Joyf That Is the jewel. Say IL aloud
with me, Joy
Everything I'm this world that causes
Joy, that gives no pain, that Injuries no
one. Is from God. The works of the car
penter, the bricklayer, architect, painter
decorator, artist, sculptor and lastly of tho
novelist, oil are creators of Joy. You may
place tue Work OF the nofellst along with
that of the hodcarriers, bricklayers, ma
sons. painters and humble workmen who
worked upon this noble editice, bat you
cannot rule him out. There il bis connec-
ZION with the sacred text The father,
either heavenly or earthly. cannot be sat
isfed with his family unless il brings Joy
Into bis heart; and the fictionist. innocent
eanser of JOY, of happiness. in this
world By his word-painted pictures. is
one In the great family. And. turning
Rom 10y TO happiness. we see that TO be
happy it is necessary that we be exter-
nslly unselhsh. Whyf Because no one
can be happy by himself The only true
xsy 10 be happy Is TO make others happy
BY doing our duty, you as merchant
this one as q shoemaker. that rs q broker,
or In any other lawful occupation that
creates pleasure and brings JOY into the
world, and among those doing so may We
al come, you In your business and IN
nine"