The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-12-21
BEAUTIFUL EVIL.
The Typical Rascal Is Never the Splendid
Villain of Romonaa

Villain of Romance.
If the revulsion from romanticism to
realism which has taken place in the
higher class of fiction could descend al
SO to the lower, it would go far toward
the correction of an influence baleful in
the extreme to thousands of young lives.
But unhappily such reform is impos-
sible in the very nature of things, for in
proportion as fiction becomes true to
life it takes rank with the higher order,
and thus passes beyond the class of
readers by whom it is most needed.
For this evil influence of low sensa-
tional literature the newspaper must
share the responsibility with the cheap
novel. A splendid villain is always a
more interesting character than dis
gushing brute, so whatever nature or
fortune may have done to favor GRIM
inal is usually grossly exaggerated. If
he happens to possess comeliness of per-
son, grace of manner or intelligence
above the common in his class, the pub
lie is usually RECALLED with rhapsodical
descriptions of his beauty, refinement
and intellect, and even visitors to his
cell are apt to be SO hypnotized by their
reading and their own fancy that they
fail to discover the exaggeration.
The typical rascal is never the hero
that romance, whether in the dime nov
ell or the newspaper, pictures him. His
intelligence is, as rule, of very low
order, confined to keenness and cum
ming, which act in the marrow circle of
first preying upon his victims and then
trying to outwit justice. Compare it
with the intelligence which works for
good His courage is generally greatly
overestimated. He rarely fights except
when he has the overwhelming advan-
tage or when he is driven into cor
ner. His magnanimity and amiability
qualities especially credited to him
by writers and readers of the low ro-
mantle school-are myths. They are no
part of his business, save as they serve
to cloak his villainy. Pure selfshness
or at best physical temperament is at
the bottom of his good humor, apparent
generosity and even his family affec-
ton, for when the crucial test comes he
will sacrifice anybody and everybody to
self. The proverbial "honor among
thieves" holds good only to certain
point. The moment it becomes clear
that no advantage, direct or indirect,
remains to the individuals of the gang
the Wanted honor is thrown to the
winds, the gang disbands, each clutch
es what he can from the wreck of their
common fortunes and henceforth preys
upon his former pals with no more COM
Function than he feels in preying upon
the rest of the world Edward G.
jackson in North American Review.
Edward HIS Drum Corps.
Probably introduced from the east, it
is frequently mentioned in the accounts
of the first crusade When Edward III
and his queen made their triumphal en-
try into Calais, "tambours, - or drums,
were among the instruments which
were played in their honor. Another of
these was called maker" or kettle
drum, taken, together with it's name,
from the Arabs The poet Chaucer also
mentions this instrument in his descrip-
ton of the tournament in the "Knightes
Tale:''
Fyfes, trompes, nakeres and clariounes
That in the bataille blowen blody sounes
The king generally kept troop of
these bandsmen or minstrels in his en-
ploy, and we read that Edward II ON
one occasion gave sum Of so shillings
to Roger the Trumpeter, Janino the
Nakerer and others for their perform
ances.-Chambers Journal