Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-01-11
DIR. HENRY AUSTIN ADAMS,

DIR. HENRY AUSTIN ADAMS,
OF Brooklyn, NJ y, lcctured on Tues
day evening at the city hall. His
subject was, "Novels and Novel
Reading" which he handled In such
n mastery way, that he held his large
audience to the close. There was no
Impotence on the part OF the audience,
and the expression OF faces indicated
general desire that the lecturer
would go on, rather than stop. He
opened his lecture by saying that the
novel was one of the most powerful
Instruments, for good or bad, In the
world. There was no use In decrying
It. Men and women would read
works of fiction, and the wisdom Of
such reading was In It's due and
proper regulation. He showed this In
reference to the Impressions we daily
receive through the eye and ear.
We are interested In the lives of our
fellowmen. We want to know what
our fellowmcn are thinking, say
ing and doing not when we meet
them on state occasions. This Is
what the novel does. 1t introduces us
to them. Through 1t we arc taken
into their confidence. Thus we see
life reproduced, all the loves, hat
reds, and icalousies, suspicious, high
and low impulses, are here portrayed
These are the things which appeal to
the imagination, for they are images
of the real life around us. SO, when
Philosophy or Science knocks ut the
door of our intellect, and we may be
tired with days work, we refuse nd
mittancc. Or even when Religion and
Devotion ask admttance into our
hearts, our ruling mood may shut
them out, but these works of fiction
come right into our life aud sympa-
thy. We see here, on the printed page,
pictures of our followmen. For this
reason, and others which he gave, the
novel Is ~ power which no wise man
will ignore.
The lecturer went into the history of
the novel, and showed how long, be-
fore printing, the story teller was not
only general fayorite, but kings be-
slowed their fair daughters upon the
one who could tell the longest tale.
These early tales were wildly eXtrava-
CANT, absurd In their romanccs, but
they appealed to the romantic spirit
of tho age. Passing over many
names and years, the lecturer said
that Samuel Richardson was the real
founder OF the romance of private
life, In English literature. He de-
serves the place which he holds, for
no one can read his Clarissa llnr-
lowe without seeing, in these remark
able letters, some picture or descrip-
tion of some one whom he has met
From this, tho speaker passed ON to
speak Of the degeneracy of the novel
under Sternc, aud its recovery under
the writings of Sir Walter Scott IN
his Wavorly Novels masterpieces In
English literature, Soon, however,
the sontimentalist was at the front
and tho beautiful romance, that was
SO real and natural in Sir Waite,
SCOTS writings, became artificial and
unnatural under the writings O,
those novelists that mar and degrade
In their absurd description Of some
of the most tender and sympathetic
relations OF human life. The lecture,
at this point was very telling, AM
gave N wholesomely amusing descrip
tion OF some OF the love scenes which
make up the beginning and the end o
these trashy works, Thanks t
Thackeray, he said for his rcgcncra
tion of the novel; and we had the tru,
and wholesome pictures OF life in hi
" Henry Esmond, /" {" Vanity Fair,
and The Nccomes.
In closing, he commended for sucl
revelations of life, in their natura
and real aspects, the works of Dick
ems, George Eliot, and others of thi
stamp. What revelations Of huma,
wholesome and true are foun,
within the covers of such books.
The lecturer gave this sound nd
vice: The child. the young and TIN
inexperienced should seek advice il
regard TO what books they shoul,