The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-13
CULTURE LIFE IN SOUTHERN
TOWNS.
DIR. Bassett Opens the Course of Lee
lures at Trinity COliege-~An Lnspira'
fiOn TO his Hearers.

DIR. Bassett Opens the Course of Lee
lures at Trinity COllege--An Inspira-
tiOn to his Hearers.
The first of the series of lectures to be
delivered under the auspices of the Lit
erary Department. of the Trinity Epworth
League, was given on Tuesday evening
by DR.. John Spencer Bassett, of Trinity
College, his subject being Culture Life
in Southern Towns" The lecture was
an inspiration to all who heard it, and
will have much to do with arousiDg an
interest in the Couture life" in Durham.
Couture is the result Of cultivatiDg
the soul. 1t is the perfection Of ones
better self in its totality." Referring to
the two sides of mans nature, the intel
lectual and the spiritual, he said: owe
cannot cultivate either too much, but
do think won could fail to cultivate one
side enough" The South has fallen into
this error. "We a'e, accordingly, emo
tional, loyal. orthodox, religious, and
that is a good thing; but we are not as
thoughtful, as national, rs self-controll
ed as we might be. THE speaker taking
Mathew Arnold's expression, sweetness
and light" spoke OF sweetness in its var,
ious phases as politeness, liberation, love
of the beautiful, love of purity. Light is
the removing of darkness from the mind,
the illumination, the Aufklarung, which
enables us to see and think clearly.
nr. Bassett gave an interesting sketch
of the old Southern plantation life-the
homes of culture, rich old libraries, and
5oIiuhttI11 social jptarpanrcp.
This has given way to city life, quar-
ter acre lots in town" crowded rose
bushes and ''stuffy board fence. ""Books
of mellow flavor" have been supplanted
by Kipliug, Bellamay, Sherlock Holmes
Irilly, all bound in golden yellow paper
at the moderate cost Of quarter or
dollar" Yet he would not have us be pes
simistic as to the future. What the sons OF
Southern planters have done in4 business
they may do in the culture life. The
new city life demands ''broader sys-
tenn of cooperation in intellectual pur-
suits" There must be more mutual in
tercourse in intellectual mat ers as well
as in the social world.
The New England town life supplies
an admirable model for the Southern
towns that have sprung up since the
war. With their libraries and lyceums
they have accomplished results in litera-
ture and culture that we cannot hope to
accomplish through ''chance intellectual
intercourse or through individual
studies" There must be this same CO.
operation in Southern towns. Three
studies are specially adapted to this
lyceum work: History, rich in the cul
ture Of the past, and in the lives of men
who had deep couture experience"
literature, which is the very essence of
culture; social science which affords
ample opportunity for the study of
social problems. To accomplish this work
there must be public library. "We
ought either to stop teaching people to
read or be sure that they have some
thing to read that is worth reading"
The public schools have had much
to do with the culture life of Southern
towns The school, supplemented by a
well equipped public library, place for
recitals and lectures, and innumerable
places for the display of the beautiful in
nature and art, would bring about cul-
ture life for large number of people.
In closing DR.. Bassett spoke of the
spiritual life as affording strength.
Sweetness and light and strength make
the trinity of culture"
The lecture abounded in personal
touches and local references that made
the lecture all the more attractive to
those who heard it.