The times., 1901-03-22
Decent Reserve in Literature

There is q type OF modern book which,
~ types do. reached its perfection Of rep
resentation in the recent sensational vol
ume. An English Woman's Love Let
ters" Il is what may be called a pervert-
ed form Of realism. and it is about time
that some higher power should abolish it,
by special providence if need be.
Tho vogue which this kind Of book has
had rests on the assumption that because
truth is good. all truth is equally 50.
Realism is a fine thing, but there are
some things which are not worth r-alis-
tic description or any other kind. More
over. there are other things which no ra-
tional or refined person ought to wish to
have described.
The book above referred to assumes to
give with absolute tr7lthfulness. a trans
cription Of a series Of letters written by
a very sentimental woman TO her lover
from whom she is parted by some mys-
t4ious circumstance and who does not
appear TO care as much for her as she
does for him. Such letters as these could
be Of no possible legitimate interest 10
anybody except the writer and the person
to whom they were addressed. and the
interest which would lead a stranger to
read them would be simply and Identical
ly that which leads some people to pry
into other peoples writing desks and read
letters not addressed TO them. II is prob
able that iu such cases the motive of the
thief-lor the person who steals the
secrets Of another il as dishonest as one
who steals his purse-is often a morbid
wish To- read the thoughts and feelings OF
those who wrote and received the letters.
and NOT being able TO do this through
common sense and tact. the overmaster-
ing desire TO do it somehow leads to the
psrusal of words not intended for the
public 20 sec This morbid curiosity is
ANYTHING bust desirable quality 70 have.
aui fl is not wise TO pamper it. by means
Of literature.
There has been a disposition of late 10
publish the love letters and other private
correspondence Of distinguished people.
whose writings may be considered as in
some sort common property. But there
is really no more reason why the private
life Of the BrowHngs, OF Bismarck, or
Victor Hugo, OF Balzac should be pa
raded before the world, to be commented
and gossiped upon, than why the private
letters Of MI Smith or Mr Jones should
Be published in the newspapers. When d
newspaper, in connection with the trial OF
murderer, publishes column after col
umn. OF sentimental and sickly CORE
spondence between him and foolish
young girl. who happened 10 become at
tached 60 him after he was put ia jail,
that newspaper does what il can TO lower
the tone Of its public When a reputable
firm publishes a mass Of rubbish of "a
sentimental kind. like the book above
mentioned it does precisely the same
thing in a little moro refined way; and
when the son Of MT and Mrs. Robert
Browning, ia disregard of the views Of his
father. expressed in at least one poem.
and more than once in private life. pub
Ushed the love letters Of his father and
his mother he did a thing which the good
sense and delicacy Of most refined people
condemn. To read those letters would
be Ike penetrating into the inner sane
tuary Of some temple never intended for
any foot but that Of the pricst-a thing
which. by the way, a good many people
of the tourist type would be quite ready