The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-06-15
The A g 81 Gush.

s.
The Are s. Gush.
OF course we do not gush as spon-
and continuously as orr i'm
mediate forerathers and foremoth Tiers
did. The Laura Matilda Of a hundred
years ago no longer effuses 60 rapidly
in the evening circle or faints so charm.
ingly at the theater or sheds her tears
30 voluminously at the handsome young
What we now do is to or
ganize our gush by means Of gush syndi-
Gates and fearful trusts. We let them
work the business unrestrained. In.
fact, we gush by proxy. Any one who
will take the trouble to read over again
Macaulay's criticism Of Montgomery's
poems will not only clearly perceive
our condition there prophesied, but
will acknowledge that we have realized
it in literature and art. If we turn
from-that now antique piece of robust
criticism to the avalanches of eulogium
that sweep down upon us from all
quarters, we ehall become aware that
mediocrity has availed itself Of labor
saving machines and is covering the
earth with its own gush. Every thing
that is now done is not only the best
that ever was done, but it lie the best
that ever can be done. Every successive
tyro leaps full armed from the brain of
Jove. Development, patience, struggle,
slow recognition, are discarded fallacies.
Everybody who can get publisher is a
transcendent genius with ready. made
chorus under contract to sing his SUI
periority. Writers have become rockets
and nobody counts the descending
sticks. just think moment what
flashing parabolas were described by
Beatrice Harradan and Stephen Crane
and score more such clever people who
blazed over the armament with one
book. Read the fairy tales about the
author of the t'Choir Invisible or the
"War of Worlds" Milton and Balzac
and Dumas and Hugo paled their in
efectual fires when these comets ap-
peared. Gather up the eulogiums of
Hall Game and LIE Gallienne. Erasmus
and Dante look small indeed. Find the
prettiest woman in the theater, and
Shakespeare filings all his jewels into
her lap and is content to get away in
sackcloth and ashes because he was
born too early. We no longer do our
own gushing: We have erected factories
to do it for us. All we are expected to
do is to solemnly admit that everybody
is the truest and the brightest and the
best that the world every saw or ever
will See And that thought somehow
flatters our own mediocrity beyond
measure. ~: IT, ..
! Bishop Whittle of Virginia adds his
diocesan voice to the general complaint
that there is falling off in the com
munity of religious interest. The ap-
plicants for holy orders are SO few, he
declares, as to become an alarming fact.
It should be noted, however, that thu
bishops view is an ecclesiastical view
and has reference solely to the church.
I, In other domains such, for example, a!
literature there is sufficient evidence
that religion is more deeply engaging
the attention of the world than ever be
fore. The books of the past year writ
ten on religious subjects have beer
more numerous than ever before, ant
they have found an enormous sale. Re
ligious interest may be shifting itsel
from dogmatic teaching to liberal in
} vestigation, but there is no VALUABLE
evidence that man is ceasing to be in
tensely interested in his own destiny.
Il Mr. Honrv r Fn11or of ChicapO de