The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-03-18

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will bear many readings. Indeed,
few other writer's can hope TO have
their books read as merso said a
book ought TO be read three times
first for the story, second for the
language, and third for the style.
Some intensely interesting novels
have been written during the past
twenty years, but I doubt if one of
them will live wen during our own
lifetime. The great novelists quoted
above appeal to the intellectual as
strongly to-day as when they first
appeared. The style known as ''fne
writing is not o salable to pub
fishers. Is it the fault of themselves
or of their readers? A successful
writer now plunges into his story
and turns not TO the right nor the
left until it is told. He must not
even have the pleasure of describing
his heroine she must be guessed at
by what someone in the story says
of her. If Scott had left out all his
fine descriptic.- in "Kenilworth"
and "Ivanhoe," these books would
not now be the standards of excel
lence.
Some of the faults must lie at the
door of the publishers, because as a
proof that the public like the old
fashioned novels, every few years
the tide of favoritism flows back
to SCOTT, Dickens, Charlotte Bronte,
Jane Austen and Augusta Evans
Wilson. None of these writer's
plunged their readers into a story
as if it were a bath, and left them
swimming around, uncertain where
to land, like "The Lady or the
Tiger" for instance.
The realistic school of literature
has taken hold on the editors, at
least, and it will be a fortunate day
when it passes. The world is too
hurried and loses sight of the fact
that something else is necessary in a
book beside the story. One novelist
has said that he believed an editor of
today would not accept the novels
of those masters of romance of the
last century, should they be offered
80 him now. What q p~erversiOn of
taste someone has undergone!
This change of taste in the read
ing public has caused IN equally IN
desirable change in conversation.
It is a rare thing to hear a group of
women discussing anything but the
small talk of the day, and nowhere
do we hear the elegant language
in use a hundred years ago. Con-
versation seems as much a lost art as
the making of the ancient Damascus
blade.
The busy mother has time for only
a little fiction, so it should be selec.
ted with care. Fiction is romance,
but romance is not necessarily fo-
ton; there may be historical ro-
nance. One line of reading would
not cover both subjects.
Biography is usually interesting to
everyone, and is always of value, be-
cause it is the study of human ma.
ture. Is is remarkable that one of
the weakest and most ridiculous of
men should have written the great
est biography of all time. refer
TO Boswell's "Life of Johnson" In
minute detail, it stands unrivalled.
Perhaps one should not write in
such clooe connection with Boswell,
the name of the great Plutarch, who
was the most fascinating of all biog-
raphers: His "Lives' read like 70
nance, &C full of vivacity and spirit
are they. One forgets she is read
ing history. Every woman who
wishes to be we'll read should be
familiar with his works.
1t will be we'll to read some of the
great orations of American states
men. Many of them will rank with
those of the famous orators of an
cient times. Especially should Lin
coins Gettysburg speech be read
many times. Keen critics have pro.
nounced it the greatest classic in the
English language.
Customer-That was a splendid