The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-07-13

whom the >iory Is Told.
There Is II story going the rounds Of
The rewslapers to the effect that during
III" ge of Petersburg General Lee
'urLrd asid from the grave duties and
hangers Of his position To pick up and
replace on the limb of "a tree "A nest full
# young birds that had been knocked
lown by "a Federal shell. A similar
story has been told OF Lincoln To illus
rate his tenderness Of heart. and the
probability is that tie fable originated
away back in the early dawn Of civili:a-
ton. II is mostly SO with the anecdotes
which figure in the history Of great men
and vents. When they are not Dor
rowed from the ancicnts and handed
down through successive generations.
they are manufactured by skillfnl writ
ers 10 suit particular characters and oc-
c%asions. We may he quite SURE that
General Lee never paused in the purse
Of a battle to look after distressed birds.
He was "A man of fine feeling undOubt-
eddy, but it does not follow that he was
in the habit of making himself senti-
mentally absurd.
The story, i'll short, is not characters
tic. and so it has no historical value. A
distinguished mans fame is harmed
rather than helped when he is thus rep
resented as manifesting himself in an H.
logical and improbable manne Il
would be easy To believe Of Lee thar he
stopped to ease the pain Of Il wounded
soldier or that he gave his rations to a
hungry prisoner, but il is not reasonable
10 suppose that his instinct of sympathy
l., ,raytd hiin lnto the girlish act which
TINS story attributes To him. And thus
1t Is with hundreds Of other anecdotes
that are used to nnlart an cnliveninS
flavor IL In. drearilcss of history.
The anecdutc Is IL desirable thing in
works which are intended to convey Il
viz ia impression of historical occur
encrs or celebrated personalities. hut it
needs - bc employed ju,iiciously and
with il rational sense of fitness. There
Is no advantage gained when such mat
ter Is introduced for the mere purpose of
giving variety where there would other
wise be m%onutony. The anecdotes pros
pcrity lies III its adaptability to the char
actcr that Is BENG portrayed and its
service aS II striking illustration of an IN
,lirldual TRAIT or tendency. We often
get u better idea of IA man from ON
simple story of his arnotins tastes or
cald,ices than from the lahored accounts
OF ms more important proceedings, hut
the story must be carefully adjusted To
the logic OF the mans life AMI the salient
facts 81 Els career. or It's intention will
ne ,ctcaty..
Tie best historian, and biugraphcrs
understand this and are accordingly H.
rnnstaking and solicitous III the ease of
an aneedote rs Ill that of Il problem of
serious interest. They do not tell stories
Of that SOFT tor superficial effect or to
quicken the readers Tagging attention,
hut to emphasize "A giNen characteristic
ana to I'LL a practical want IN the war
OF description or analysis. The mncc,lotc
supplements and iliumnates the heavier
features Of the narrative. 1t is used
with discrimination and not in IA light
and ~pronn>cnons IN The picture
wpuld not hr complete wifhous il. The
character would be dim and distant in
the absence ut such AID To the appreria-
no of governing motives and PECULIAR.
ties.
IL J. not really essential that anecdotes
thu cuaployri shall be- literally true.
SoIne ii the best If them are pure inyen-
tons, winch have the rare merit of b.it. |
we'll imagined. \. story that has "A rea. |
sonable degree Of probability and that
can he crriiled consistently WITH what,
Is known of the general qualities of a
character Is useful even when it is not
positively accurate. There are some Tic |
tions of that kind which are worth more
III their way than many ponderons and |
ire-om facts. All of the great figures
III history owe something to these con ,
venient fables. They are identified with
certain anecdotes that keep them in easy
remembrance and thai enable us to make |
close acquaintance with them. But the
anecdotes must nave the virtue of plau-
sibihty, or they will not answer the pur- |
pose.
Unless they represent things which
might ave happened without contra
diction of the character 10 which they |
relate there is no Justification for them.
and they are "A reproach To the writer
who uses them rs well as IA damage IL
the man whom they are>designed to
benefit. The philosophy Of the matter is
all contained in the statement that great
men, like small one are expected To bt
true To the laws Of their lives. Anee.
dotes which come within this rule are
historically valuable, whether strictly
true or only products of fancy, and those
which fall outside of II are silly and mis-
chievous, regardless Of the reputation ot
the author or the purpose of the decep
tion.-St. Louis Globe-D Democrat.
Natures Protection For lnrtpe Fruit.
For protection from the animal world