Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-01-06
GOOD READING.

TUOD READING.
The long winter evenings are with US. It
is the season of the year when ample op-
portunity is given in which we can improve
our minds and thus elevate and purify our
thoughts with good, clean and substantial
reading.
1t lie remarkable that we, who are the most
practical, are also the most sentimental PEG.
pie in the world. There is kind Of litera.
ture and art grown up among us which is
weak and unhealthy, and yet the most pop
ular of all The nom de plume of many
favorite writers, especially among women,
indicate the same thing. They are favorites,
however, only In a limited circle, and cir.
Gle of peculiar sympathies. They crafty
the love of sentimental excitement that soon
grows morbid, and they exploit, as the French
say, some of the highest and noblest emotions
of our nature. This tendency is nowhere
more remarkable than in the character OF
the popular music. II you turn over the piles
of new songs in the shops, or glance at the
sheets upon the piano in the parlor, you
will notice the same thing. The songs are
ell of a weak and desperate passion, and
extremely mouruful. 1t is favorite device
Of ordinary song writers to harp much upon
sickness and death, and the composer fol.
lows in the same strain by the most com.
mon.place minor chords. The negro melo-
dies are ludicrous example Of this pecu.
liarity, to which the negro dialect only con.
tributes. But we do not mean TO deny the
genuine pathos Of the original negro songs.
They have languid, tropical, wailing
measure, which is very significant and char.
acteristic. We condemn only the extrava-
giant pursuit of the same effects through all
gradations, until taste, offended by the base
imitation, is almost willing to reject the
original.
1t is the same in literature and art. We
must accustom ourselves to the best society in
both, or we shall fl nd that we are gradually
losing the power Of enjoying the best So
ciety. Men keep themselves 10 tune by
some effort. If you suffer yourself " be 80
much pleased with vapid and sentimental
hooks, you will find that you have lost your
taste for the great works of literature. Why
should you spend time upon the yellow.
covered novels, and the tales of newspapers,
when Scott, Fielding, Dickens, and Thsck.
cray are as easy to obtain, and are of an in
comparable superiority2 Why should a
moment be devoted TO the romantic moraliz.
ing and pert sentimentalism of Tsbitha
Toadstool, and the other Alternative ladies,
when the great genial volumes of the Eng.
lish Essayists-so graceful. and gay, 80 wise
and witty, so thoughtful and humane-lie
open to every reader.
We do not mean to suggest that the only
good books are the old books, nor that an
author is to be disregaried because he is con.
temporary. Far from that But il is not
necessary To insist upon that side Of the argu.
mcnt, few will make that mistake. But il
is necessary in day when the reading OF
the majority can he more than occupied by
the newspapers and cheap books u suggest
caution in the selection OF reading. and 10
clean the portraits OF the old prophets, which
time has somewhs, dimmed. There is some.
Thing tenderer than sentimentality The
tears which are drawn from an easy sensi.
blity do not wash away much unhsppiness
from the world. II is easy to sit aud weep
al twilight when soft songs are sung or
pathetic story is told, but the listener will
wipe his eyes and go out into the street
hard and censorious and inhuman as ever.
Marat was fond OF kittens. We must lot
mistake sentimentality for sensibillty, nor
strengthen ourselves with the belief that we
are virluous because we weep over stories OF
Hot Corn and the like.
Let us select good reading-such as will
strengthen, purify and invigorate the mind
and heart, not that character of reading
which pleases for the time without leaving
behind something substantial, permanent
and healthy.