The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-05

delightful literary letters bring to the
home the best interpretations OF latter
day literature. AS professor Of liter
ature at Smith college, and as for many
years literary lecturer before the
choicest drawing room audiences in
New York, Boston and many western
cities, she has acquired an intuitive
knowledge Of just what people want to
hear about, and her discussions of the
newest books are simply charming. A
more fascinating feature of press cor
respondence could not be imagined
Lillian Whiting, Hotel Brunswick, Bos-
ton.
In Gordon we have an example of So
cial responsibility very highly devel-
oped. Combined with the largeness
/ that can overlook an affront is the pen
etration to see the, insult in it's gen
erai bearings and the force of character
to translate what many would consider
a breach of etiquette<nto the region of
ethics and to deal with it according to
the moral sense. In the second story
the issues are more complex, but again
we have hero who declines to asso-
! ctate himself with people who have
snubbed three Jewesses, only in this
case it is public dance that the ladies
have not been allowed to purchase
| tickets for. Campbell made a little
scene at dinner party in his eager
ness to have the snub righted, and af-
/ terward gives himself a peculiarly I'M
J pleasant half hour endeavoring to give
| the snubbed ones a good time at the
! dance. That is the way his sense of
! responsibility shows itself. Quite by
chance. the next day, he falls in with
a young woman-they are at Hamburg
with whom he holds long, strenuous
| talks. and in whom he becomes much
| interested.
DO you know what I think one of
the most irrational and mischievous
causes of misery to oneself and Of dis
comfort to others?"
She looked up inquiringly, and he con-
tinued:
! "Sensitiveness. 1t has done less good
and more harm than any other human
| attribute with name that has a ring
of virtue in it's sound. Its implication
| of refined organism as opposed to
| coarseness or bluntness of nervous fibre,
| its kinship to that petty old world sem
| sibility, have deceived people ruled or
enslaved by it into the belief that they
are possessed of virtue. AS mat
ter of fact, they are really suffering
| ly might lead to a chronic mental dis
ease, undermining the whole of their
happy Intercourse with others, and
often their own sanity of their own
mind. If you must fight, fight;
but do not see enemies where there are
none, or mere windmills. Do not waste
the sacred fame of beneficent wrath
upon unworthy objects or in lf-tor-
ture. and fritter away the passionate
forces that make for heroism upon
petty sentiments that become vulgar in
their pettiness, until your soul and all
that Is lOvable in 1t, is frittered away in
impotent and sterile vanity and dis
appointment. Parry and thrust home,
but don't mouth or grimace about fight
ing before you fight, or try to brighten
your enemy by passes au muir, before
the minor of your wounded vanities"
And when Margaret has replied and
he has answered and so on and so on
finally Campbell sums UP the discus
sion in paragraph that gives the key
note of the story: II still hold that in
social matters, we must not encourage
sensitiveness and pride. The person
offended cannot fight for his social
rights with effect upon others or with
out loss of dignity and grace
of demeanor to himself. But we 9TH
ers, those who see the wrong and are
not affected by it. must stand up and
fight. That's what mean to do wher-
ever I have an opportunity; that is the
sphere where chivalry in modern times
can manifest ITSELF
Does this not strike you as a fresh,
strong note in fiction? Does it not claim
your attention and stimulate your
thought and feeling? To me this is a
profoundly interesting book 1t is not
what is known as entertaining
summum bonum in a book nowadays;
he who runs may not read; but it is
book worth while. all the same.
The Handicraft Society of Central
church will hold a sale today The
society is to offer articles in various
departments, painting, linen and color
ed embroidery, fine needlework, knit
ting and crocheting, drawn work, |
burnt wood and metal work, besides a
candy table and a childrens table. |
There will be an entertainment espe-
cially for the children in the afternoon,
and supper will be served in the eve
ming.
Big fire sale at Sawyer's 532 Main ST. |
The biggest bargains in the city