The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-27
The Trend of Thought
 Along Paths Literary
By Aron Nosirrah'

Descriptive Writing.-In our hunt for descriptive work in the magazines for the month. we called a halt and cried At tention!'' when we came upon General Gordon's Cavalry Charge at Gettysburg. We saw that charge with the reading we felt tive heard 1t! Truly words may be made to burn. It Is an evidence of the unusual richness of description in English writing that this picture does not startle us with it's sincerity. We are accustomed to this art. or we should be loud in nraise of this instance. This Charge shows two cavalry hosts com- Ing together-'to the death." This Charge" reveals the animals leap'ng high. with anticipation of the onslaught This Charge" reveals the men with outv"rine nerve. heroic in the face of death. This charge reveals the wild orgies of war-and we shudder at the sacrifice.
 'The Charge."-A cavalry charge, met by countercharge of cavalry. ss still. perhaps the most terrible spectacle wit messed in war. If the reader has never seen such charge. he can form little conception of its awe-inspiring fury. Iu- Hgine yourself looking down from Get tysburg's Heights upon the open. wide spreading plain below where five thou sand horses are marsha1led in battle line. Standing beside them are five thousand riders armed. booted and spurred. and ready to mount. The bueles sound the mount" An instantly five thousand plumes rise above the horses as the riders spring into their saddles. Tn front of the respectiva suuadrons the daring leaders take their places. The fiuttering pen nants CT streaming gu'dons. ten ta each regiment mark the left of companies. On the opposite slone of the same plain are five thousand hostile horsemen clad fin different uniforms. ready to meet these , in countercharga. Under those ten thor- sand horses are the'r hoofs. iron-shod and pitiless beneath whose furious tread the plain ia soon to un'ver. Again on each slope of the open field the bug'es sound. Ten tn ,Isand sabres lean fro-1 scahbards and glisten in the sun. The trained horses chafe their restraining bits and a the bugie notes sound the charge. their nostr'ls dilate and tfei- Hanks swell in .svmpathetic impulse with the dashing riders 'tForward" shouts the command CT. The madlv flying horses thunder across the trembling field. As front against front these furious r'ders plunge their sweeping sabres siashing edge against edge. cuttino a way through op- posing ranks. gash'n~., fseas. breaking arms ana splitting heads. it Is scene of widest war wh'rlin~ tsmoest of bat tla short-'ived hut terrible"
 Descriptive writing has message. That fine description Is influential. we have but to refer to the lasting impress sion made bv Goldsmith's sweet pasto- rais. His message was. Content can spread a charm:'' and that there Is virtue in simplicity. Notwithstanding the fact that luxury and pride are set down to Goldsmith's aceount-it makes his mes sage all the more pertinent that having tried the reverse he claims that the toys of simplicity and contentment. as illus trated in "The Deserted Village 10 De the one great virtue? The picture Is un- rivalled in literature.
 ''The gentle hours that plenty made to
 bloom. .,, Those calm desires that askd but little
 room, . Those healthful sports that graced the
 peaceful scene. Yiv'd in each look and frightened all