The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-02
Ipnool. Z Rao baea ssakaIAbres.

schools who fiaVs SfA,Mndsss sskelAbrcs.
, sion That the mother tongue Is adequate
tor al the neecs OF ciuzens In a repub-
nc where English is universally spoAen.
II the high schools do nothing else tney
ought to turn out young men ana women
VINO can speak anu write the English IAN
guage fiuentiy. correctly and feiicitousiy.
Attempts to teach the sciences, foreign
languages and higher mathematics in our
hign schools are very well inoeed In their
way, but too often result IN very super.
fetal knowledge Of these subjects, ail o!
which is soon forgotten after graduation,
But the AGILITY to use graceful or tncis'
i've diction, when once acquired. Is nm
abiding and never-faiiing source Of INTEL
lectuai strength. II by English course is
meant closer study OF the English Ian.
guage and its collateral branches, then
by all means let US have 1t in the high
schools" o. '.''-
Edgar Fawcett is III at ease over the
recurring vogue of the historical novel.
In current critique he says: II have al
ways fell, that for the novelist history Is a
much in the past that even its most faith
full chroniclers know but Ill: that they see
through blurring vapors Of legend and ira
dition; that they unconsciously juggle
with and distort, howsoever honest and
earnest their intent. History heaven
enough with fiction. For the poet to en-,
mantle its happenings with his rhyt
and cadences may be artistically legiti.
mate; but for the cooler-headed writer OF
prose to treat 1t has too often SAVIOR OF
frivolous falsehood. Besides one feels that
the conscientious novelist, writing Of his
own epoch, Is in marked degree the his.
torian Of that epoch. Future historians
will be sure to consult him, according to
the repute for authenticity that he may
DNl1 t,l n
studied as a kind of handbook to the
period in which 1t is cast. De Foe, Field
ing and Smollet have already been SO
studied. Trollope's novels. like Leech's
and Du Maurier's pictures, will be valu-
able In a sort of documentary way to COM
ing Gibbonses and Macaulays and Frou.
des Of the Victorian age.
apart from this. posterlty will care far
less for the writings Of a novelist who has
ignored his own contemporary oii-
ments than for those Of one who has just.
ly and lucidly represented 1t. We newt.
ably prefer an author who has been stamp.
ed by the influences OF his own particular
personal share in the great practical dis
closures Of human acts and aims. We
want our Homer to be early Greek, our
Dante to be early Italian, our Chaucer 10
be early English. For myself. I confess
that the poetry of both William Morris
and OF Rossetti has always lackedinterest
because these poets never seem to concern
themselves with the intellectual progress
and posterity of their own century. 1t Is
not that their themes are archaic. Ten.
nyson, In his 'Arthurian Idyls,' could no,
well be more so. But Tennyson. though
he may sing. Of Guinevere or Elaine, OF
Lancelot or Pelleas, Of Enid or Vivin. IL
nineteenth century in every least or lar.
gest note. Hence his astonishing magic
should say, and hence his secure and dur
able empire over thousands of our best
living minds. Unless I greatly err, the
novelist, and If he conscientiousiy and
obediently obeys Its call the tribute he
renders to 1t will In time be much more
valuable than all his possible groupings
among the shadows of q semi-somnolan,
past. Leave history. ! should say, to his.
torians-or, II You will, to the poets, with
their charming licenses, their taken-for.