The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-08-26
1hlbo0ans 1fntintl
STORIES ABOUT MEN.
The PART PLtYECE Y ANECDOTES or
ZIG nEs ~ HISTORY.


4L-E- = n -CEE .D4E4z liz 1@-1- u
TIE rez<ya-e~s u tEe EJECT t1se G--zrg
the sge II Pe<ers11g G41a-al L@
t1rsaI a1.Ie from t1e grave d1-les AL
da-ge-E lis P=ztioa - pEek - AT
7epzo- n tae Eaab u : tz4@ 3 1e
II yong bids tLzt Ri Je1 EocEaz
down II 4 FeIezal s1eIL- : slu4Il4.
EtGzE LIZ ben sg3d 81 L5Ecs.u - Llu-
trats III Tenderness II L-ar. ard r.
probability j. r1at the fasle crzZnaya1
aEsv aacE n The e2vy daau u riTil1za
t5oL- /. flos.r ~ E-lt4 tAe a146y--
wA1cc rs n Tie A!s-1y = gr-a- n4en
AZ ege1t= When tL5g ~ not D<y-
ror-@l froIn t1e a1ci-T-s al h4zde1
doEn tnronga sEnc@re G=1@ratlG-@-
taey aze El4uafactEref'UT s1ll:1I wr+-
era u s1lt particular characters AMI &C.
c4s.cEA. We NAY II quite Ezr= tla-
GareE4i LIZ neTer yans@l Il tn cy-1rse
Il s4ttle u IIk atrer dlstressed b7rd..
H g1s 2 IAN ct EEe feeling aE.40abt-
elr. mt i does Let follo@ tE&t T. YES
il tie E4H:. Il E4a1ing hm4if se-.-
Ee lya-L
Il n sE0rt, = not c-ar1etera-
tc. All - il saze 10 Ei-erical va-re- 4
dl..lngpAs1 .azl7 fame il harmed
rat4er ti14 aei<t when io il ta1s Teg-
rc@@1teI - Ls44eat4Eg himself III Ill IL
l11eI AID improbable 1a1ner Il
would IL easy 70 believe II Lee that he
strole1 u ea=e the pam IF 2 wounded
s1la-er n t.zt he gave his rati1a.s - Z
hUaGTy prisoner. 8Gt il il not reasonable
To slPpce That lis instinct 81 symparnv
betrayed hin into tie g.Y,isn act which
this story attributes 70 LIN. And thu
II = With Lz-drejs II cher a1dy-es
that are ned 10 lmpart 4. ellyenlnz
fagOr IL tho a-earluas II history.
The anecdote Is q desirable thing III
works which are INTENDED ~ convey 4
vivid izapr5ou II historical oc11r-
Fences 81 celebrated pers5n4lities, bat il
needs - oe employed Jndlciously and
with 2 rational s1T4se III stnes. There
L. no advantage gained wi4en such mat
ter II INTRODUCED for the mere purpose f
giving varlety where there would o:ner-
wise he n~snetOuy. The anecd0te . pros
perity lies IL its ~adaptability To the char
acter that IL beiug portrayed and its
service as q striking illustration u an In
dlyiduai trait or tendency. We often
get d better idea of a ln4n from some
simple story Of his deno.ing tastes or
caprices than from the labore1 accounts
u his more important. proceedings. brit
the story must be carefully adjusted 10
the logic 81 the mans life ana the salient
facts Of his career. or its intention will
be defeated.
The best historians and bio2raphers
understand this and are accordingly as
pa!ngtaking and Solicit0us in the case Of
an anecdote as IN that Of a problem IF
serious interest. They Do not tell seorie.
Of that sort for superficial effect or to
quicken the readers tagging attention.
but to emphasize a given characteristic
and To fill a practical want in the war
Of description or analysis. The anecdote
supplements and IlumInates the heavier
features Of the narrative. L is used
with discrimination and not in a light
and proniscuous manner. The picture
would not be complete without it. The
character would be dim and distant in
the absence of snch aid to the apprecia-
ton Of governing motives and peculiari-
ties.
1t is not really essential that anecdotes
thus employed shall be literally true.
Some Of the best Of them are pure inven-
tons, which have the rare merit Of being
well imagined. A story that has a rea-
sonable degree Of probability and that
can be credited consistently with what
is known Of the general qualities Of a
character is useful even when it is not
rlaTxa,-a1- a,,~a
tons Of that kind which are worth more
in their way than many ponderous and
tiresome facts. All of the great figures
in history something to these con-
venient fables. They are identified with
certain anecdotes that Keep them in easy
remembrance and that enable us to make
close acquaintance with them. But the
anecdotes must have the virtue of plau-
sibility, or they will not answer the our
pose.
Unless they represent things which
might have happened without contra
diction Of the character to which they
relate there is no justification for them.
and they are a reproach to the writer
who uses them as well as a damage I,
the man whom they are designed to
benefit. The philosophy Of the matter is
all contained in the statement that great
men, like small ones are expected to b.
true to the laws OF their lives. Anec-
dotes which come within this rule arc
historically valuable, whether strictly
true OF only products Of fancy, and those
which fall outside of it are silly and mis-
chievous, regardless Of the reputation Of
the author or the purpose Of the decep-
tion.-St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Natures Protect IN For Inripe Fruit.