The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-11

time of danger to throw a new gown or
about Is years of age she fell in love
with man OF an agreeable temper and
equal fortune, and would certainly have
married him had not my grandfather:
Powered satin, upon which she set so i'm
moderate value upon herself that the
lover was condemned and discarded. In
the 10Th year of her age she was again
smitten. but very luckily transferred her
passion to tppet, which was presented
TO her by another relation who was in the
plot This with white sarcenet hood,
kept her safe in the family until 80 About
80. which generally produces a kind of
latter spring In amorous constitutions. my
Aunt Margery had again colts tooth in
her head, and would certainly have elop-
ed from the mansion house had not her
brother simon, who was wise man and
a scholar, advised to dress her in cherry
eolored ribbands, which was the only ex-
pedient that could have been found out
by the wit of man to preserve the $1,000
in our family, part of which | enjoy at
1t is customary among literary histor-
ians to treat the founders OF the eight
zenith century essay as a kind of con-
stellation revolving about its great CEN
ter. Joseph Addison. Steele, notwith-
standing that he originated the periodi-
cal essay and wrote the greater part of
THE Taller and nearly half THE Spec
tator, is often lost sight of in the ef-
fulgence that surrounds the central fg-
ure: There is no question that lin point
OF literary skill amy one OF Addison's pa
Pers rs worth All Steele's put together.
literature. Pope Is not superior to
Shakespeare.
Addison was as witty as Steele. perhaps
more So he was a craftsman OF exquisite
skill; he was restrained and accurate;
elegant and critical. One cannot help
picturing him as a man iawlessly dress
always anxious about the proprieties;
never caught on his guard or beneath his
dignity. But Addison had little of Steele's
heart and his intuitive knowledge Of hui
man nature. Addisons wit does not bowl
the victim in the dust like DR.. Johnson's.
or ~ him with caustic poison like
like Pope's, but 1t Is no less cruel Be-
cause. like Steele Addison attacked not
individuals but vices and follies. He has
but Notwithstanding this one may look
in vain in his books for a sympathetic
touch So gracefully. so elegantly. with
given that one may overlook the fact
that In reality was dealt in pure mahce.
Steele's little sketches breathe with life;
hdd,son s,.s are gay ana graceful carlea
careless and Incorrect: Addison Is arti-
ncial and studied Beneath every humor-
Gus sketch by Steele there is an under
strip the polite veneer from Addison and
there appear only insinuation and malev-
olence.
AS an example OF Addison's exquisite
wit read the well-known paper on "the
use of the fam" of which the following
Is a fragment:
women are armed with fans, as men
with swords, and sometimes do more exc
that ladies' may be entire mistresses Of the
weapon which they bear l have erected
an academy for the training up OF young
women In the exercise OF the fan ac-
cording to the most fashionable airs and
notions that are now practiced at court.
The ladies who carry fans under me are
where they are instructed in the use of
their arms and exercised by the follow
Ing words of command:
Handle your fans.
Unfurl your fans.
Discharge your fans
Ground your fans.
Recover your fans.
Flutter your fans
by the right observation OF these few
plain words OF command woman of a
tolerable genius who will apply herself
diligently to her exercise for the space
her fan all the graces than can possibly
enter that little modish machine.
The fiuttering of the fan is the last
exercise. . There Is an Infinite vari-
ETY. OF motions to be made use OF In
the hutter OF a fan There Ia the angry
fiutter. the merry fiutter. and the amorous
fiutter. Not to be tedious, there il scarce
any emotion in the mind which does not
produce a suitable agitation in the fan;
disciplined LADY / know very We'll wei whether
she laughs. frowns or bushes"
2 mis-. stripped of its dainty setting, is
cold satire Says Prof. Mimic: "a gallant
'good-hearted Dicks mock heroic humor.
Addison politely holds the sex up to
ridicule; steeleA sympathIzes with their
One can best compare the humor of the
two men by observing the part taken by
each In the characterization of Sir Roger
de Coverley, that most charming creation
In all the periodical era. Both Steele and
Addison contributed studies for this typi--
cal English gentleman, but IL was Steele
who added the little touches that make
him a living creation. Everything about
Sir Roger that is lovabe was added by
Steele. In Addson's papers he is simple
rural autocrat, good-uatured yet igno-
rant. affected. concoited. In steeles pa
pers he IL Jolly, whole-hearted, thor
ouehly lovabe man, whose sayings and
doing are humorous in the widest senre
Dick Steele was the humorlst of the
early eighteenth century even as Pope
adon maa 10 ana the s prase u, # ' iSe
ccntnry what Pope was 10 the poetry
His wit is brilliant, his satire Is graceful
an sr,s amusing fsr o Ma be = not great hui
No one has better expressed the situa-
tion than Thackoray;
III Steele Is not our friend he is moth
INK. tie Is by no means the most brilliant
OF wits. nor the deepest OF thinkers, but
he Is our friend we love him as children
love their love with an A. because he Is
amiable. Who likes a man hest because
he Is the cseyerest or the wisest OF man
kind. or woman because she Is the most
Nirtuous. or talks French or plays the
plano better than the rest OF her sexT I
own 10 liking Dick Steele the man and
Dick Steele tho author much better than
much better men and much better au-
thurs
II ~