The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1895-06-27
The Broad View.

rom the Baltimore sun
The work of impressionist painters
las made men familiar with the broad
riew in matters of art, and whatever
,ur opinions may be with respect to
t we recognize that in the hands OF
certain masters, who understand and
detail as well as masses,
The style is effective. It compares
very favorably with the style Of the
opposite extreme, where, in the close
study Of detail, general or mass ef-
fecta are ignored or neglected. One
might reasonably ask for combina-
ton of the two styles, and this is
what one gets in the works of the re-
ally great masters. In other things
besiness art broad views are antago-
nized by narrow, microscopic exam.
nations of details. There are writer's
who, like the detail painters, lose the
perspective of their story while elab-
Grating the incidents, or give more
attention to style than to substance.
And the critics, professional or other
wise are similarly divided into classes.
Some care only for the general effect
in art or literature; others ignore the
effect and have eyes only for the
minor blemishes Of style. The man
who takes the broad view, who looks
and cares more for substance and
effect than for detail, finds greater
enjoyment than his neighbor who, in
reading book, has his mind contin-
ually diverted from the subject while
he is criticising the construction OF
sentences. While grammar and style
are important as promoting clearnesa
Of expression to other minds, they
are Of inferior Importance to the sub.
ject-matter and the thoughts express
ed. Some Of our great writer's have
been Indifferent grammarians, and
we frequently meet strong men in
business life whose language (unfort
unately) is less correct in form thar
that of their Office boys who have
been fortunate enough to get q LITTLE
education in the public schools
Some unthinking persons who
though incapable Of original work
have been taught parrot-ike, to pro
nounce words according to the die
tionary and to put them in sequence
according to the rules OF grammar
not unfrequently ridicule the awkward
expressions and mispronunciations Q
those who are greatly their superior'
in mental force, but are lacking il
culture. The broad-minded, howeve,
value the substance more than th
form, and accept the wise thought
however cruelty expressed, with notl
ing more than q passing regret tha
: the man capable Of giving it to th
J world in any form had not bee
, taught to polish it and make it mor
presentable. Girard, who wanted th
9 pupils of the college he was foundin
taught "things rather than words
{ had no doubt had experience Of tt
s greater value Of things. He kne
t that he could get in his busine'
s scores of cultivated clerks, writir
d good hands and expressing then
9 selves correctly, for one who hs
e native mental force, original ide
n and the qualities that make up Il
J. successful man Of business. He to-
d the broad view and wanted q
n coming generation of poor bo
J. taught useful things rather than civ
word culture. There is no reas
, why boys should not be broadly 6
ucated 80 as to know something abe
. words as well as things, but if o
= or the other must be sacrificed, thu
according to Girard's view, the VOL
should give way to things. And t
we find to be the unuttered judgms
= : Of the world. It is not an impea
ment Of the schools to say that
=