The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1896-01-18
THROUGH COLORED GLASSES

hope rather than despair for Nebrask;
and Nebraskans. Nothing is more con
slant than climate. Nebraska Is grea
agricultural conntry-the greatest il
world. The rains, so long withheld
must come. will come. 1t Is folly t.
doubt it. 1t is the silliest kind of pes
simism TO predict everything bad wher
al! the laws Of nature point to return
Of prosperity with the coming Of spring
There never was better time thar
now, when it can be had almost for /;
song. to invest in Nebraska property
There can be no speculation as to Ne
braska's future. "One swallow does no
make a summer neither does two
years of dry weather make desert.
A few years ago, when DIR. Sherman
of the university. issued his "Analytics
of Literature" the ideas therein enunci
ated were pooh hoocd and laughed at il
almost every college and educationa
centre of the country. DIR. Sherman
taught in the "Analytics'' that liter
allure must be studied as botany il
studied. by an analysis into its element
airy parts. The effects" and methods
the truth and beauty of literature could
be learned and known by common
people,-by people who are not them
selves distinctly literary" DIR. Sherman
believed, if they only undertook the
study Of literature and its elements in
scientific and logical manner. Tn,
'.Analytics" were published as furnish
ing that manner. And the critics ant
literary lights OF the cultured east coulC
not find terms in which to express thei
contempt for DIR. Sherman and hi
.'crazy ideas" They declared that al
"analytics of literature" was sacrilege,-
that it was an act of vandalism. The,
affirmed that the picking Of a grea
poem or tragedy to pieces and studying
it piecemeal.-making microscopic ex
animation OF its internal anatomy, so I,
speak, would forever destroy ones ap
probation Of literature. IF my stu
dents can not understand and fully ap
preciate Hamlet" said Yale profes
sor. there is no way in which they car
be taught to do So
But DR.. Sherman thought differently
He held quietly on in the method out
lined in his "Analytics." and conducted
classes in Shakespeare, Browning anC
Tennyson. studying the greatest works
of these greatest writer's in a strictly
laboratory method. And behold, bis
method succeeded, despite the croaks Of
the critics. The hayseed youths from
the prairies of Nebraska were obtaining
under DIR. Sherman's guidance, a knowl
edge and appreciation of the true power
and beauty of literature that was /;
closed door to the much cultured col
lege men of the effete east.
And as a result DR.. Sherman is the
prophet and seer of tie new movement
toward literature for the masses. His
method and his "Analytics" are being
adopted slowly but steadily and surely
by the leading universities of the coun
try. There can hardly be any question
that in few years more the ''Analytics'
will stand entirely indicated, and DIR
Sherman will have achieved triumph
rejecting glory and renown not only or
himself and on the university, but or
western scholarship and culture al
well.
In the meantime, there is very grave
danger unless all signs fail, that befor'
next fall DIR. Sherman will be himself
adopted" together with his book anC