The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1902-12-03
FORTNIGHTLY CLUB.
Meets on Friday Night in Regu-
lar Session.

of The Evening Read BY Prof.
Charles A. Chcllett Committees APP
pointed and Other Events Of the
Evening.
The Fortnightly Clcb was enter
tanned Friday night at the home of
Professor and Mrs James Scott
Stewart. As this meeting was the
beginning OF a new "Olympiad"
various reports OF standing commit
tees and officers we're given. The
secretary of the club, Miss Martha
Brock in veryconcise nd literary |
sly lie, referred to the previous success
of the club and fittingly mentioned |
the distributor of the parselv, the
laurel, etc. to the competitors in it's |
games. The report of the treasurer,
Mrs. Hoffman, showed that during
the past year one hundred and TWEEN
ty-three dollars had been collected
(23) OF which still remains in the
treasury of the club. Miss Clara
Hough chairman of the committee
on membership reported that ten
new members had been elected dur
ing the year and that there are at
present four names on the waiting
list. The membership of the club
is limited to ninety members and at
present there are no vacancies. At
ter these reports the President of the
Club, Professor Charles Henry Pat
terson preached the question as to
whether the Club should return to
previous custom Of discussing the
paper of the evening. Various mem
bers of the club spoke to the ques
ton but no definite action was ia
ken. The sentiment seemed to pre-
vail, however, that is not expedient
at this time to open the subject of
the evening to general discussion
The subject for the evening was
lola. The discussion took the form
of paper, prepared by Professor
Charles Chollet, who in a mastery
way analysed the life and works of
lola and laid bare his strength and
his weaknesses. He emphasized the
| Rait shQU W OnC NAV luluh VI
the moral or immoral influence of
Zola's books, there is no question as
to the purity and wholesome life of
the author. Not one of his bitterest
foes, whether in the highest or low
est ranks of society, ever ,mpeached
his integrity or pointed TO spot in
his character. Not a breath of scan
dial attaches itself to him or to his
family throughout his desperate
struggle with poverty and in his bit
ter potential strifes, whether prais-
ed or maligned, he preserved always
his high ideals of truth and purity.
In his literary productions lola
adopted the scientific method. The
scientist observes facts, experiments
with things and modifies his theory
acco rdingly as the truth or the
falsity of his position becomes evil
dent. His thesis is preconceived
but not fixed. With lola it was dit
ferent. His thesis was not only pre-
conceived but fixed. He too is an
experimenter, but in the realm of
imagination. His facts he observes
in the life around him but in his ma
nipulation OF them there can never
be negative result. His conclusion
is always positive and in accordance
with his previous fixed thesis As
a result of this method, he produces
individuals, not types. His French
laborer is French laborer not the
French laborer. His bourgeois is a
bourgeois not the bourgeois, etc.
| Therefore the view of life which he
offers is true in special cases, but it
is not true of lite as a whole. His
method has eliminated large num-
Der OF the facts and this elimination
vitiates his conclusion.
The chief literary fame of lola,
rests upon tile Rougon- Maeguare, a
a series of twenty volumes which
portrays the development of family
under the second Empire. In these
volumes be demonstrates the laws
of heredity and shows wildly the
savage and brute instincts of man
which after all lie so near the sur
face in the best of us. 1t is because
he tells US the truth about our lusts
etc, that he is so cordially hated by
all ranks of people. Vary the condi
tions but little and we should be
what his characters are. This is The
truth that hurts.
His second great undertaking was
to establish new religion. He saw
no possibility for the amelioration
of the race under the Roman Catho-
lie religion which he thought ire
trievably corrupt at it's fountain
head. His first great work complet-
ed he began his second, based upon
four principles, Fecundity. Purity,
Truth and Justice. The first three
of these he had finished, but Death
overlook him while at work on the
last. But his fame was lready es-
tablished and perhaps his later work
added nothing to it.
His literary style is heavy to the
last degree Burden alter burden
Of detail wearies the reader and hut
seldom does he rise to poetic flights
nf imagination His method de-
stroyed his literary style and one
does not rca him for pleasure hut
as seeker for ruth. He must ne
followed patiently and lahoriousl,
in his arralgnne of Society as he
saw it.
The musical part of the D. ogram
was furnished by Mr.. Ross Spence
accompanied by Miss McMurphv,
who generously responded TO an en-
core
The following committees we e
announced:
Program = President Patterson,
Elk Officer, Mrs. Frazer, Miss
Boughner.
Meeting places-Mrs. Barbe, Mrs.
Deahl, Mrs. Ohern.
MEMBERSHIPS. Purinton, Mrs.
Marley, Mrs. Brock.
The latter part of the entertain
ment consisted of social hour during
which substantial collation. was
served, the club recognizes it's indebt-
edness to Professor and Mrs Stew
art for their hospitable reception.