Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-07-16
THE CHRISTIAN IDEAL IN LITER.
AZURE.

n Jake tne slIOuBeSI hOlu
on the people ARE WRITTEN
AROUND THE THEME OF CHRIST
IANTY.
The books most widely read have
been Hall Gaines The Christian
Lew waliace's Ben Hur," and Henry
sieDkiewicz's QUO Vadls," and they
have also been dramatized and pre-.
scented as plays very extensively.
Historical novels began in England
with Walter Scott, but none Of his fol
lowers and imitators have achieved the
success OF sienkiewicz, THE PRINCE
or POLISH PROSE.
In Quo Vadis this writer strove to
reproduce from one side ali the rich
ness, bestiallty. and political corrup-
ton of alta Rome, Rome at the highest
under the reign OF Nero, the archtype
OF paganism.
PRO CHRISTIE" FOR CHRIST, is
the motto OF this wonderful piece Of
fiction that sprang from a race very
much despised and misunderstood in
this country, and yet the race that
gave TO the world Koscuisko, and Cop
ernicus, who overthrow the Ptolemaic
theory and made the sun the center Of
the solar system.
II is not generally known that It was
the Polish nobility and their faithful
followers who saved Europe for Christ
ians and prevented the horjes of Mo
hammedanism from sweeping the
western part Of that continent.
The Polish noblemen, from whom
Seinldewicz was descended, fought
back the rowing armies of the Turks,
Kozaks. Tartars, and wolochs. and
FOR CENTURIES DEFENDED EU.
ROPE AGAINST lNVAsloNs OF
BARBARlsM.
They were the intrepid border ma.
tlon OF Christianity, and while they
fought the campaigns PRO Christie"
England. Germany AMI France made
material progress that left unfortun. .
nate Poland far in the background.
suT THE CHRISTIAN IDEAL
SURVIVED and in the fifteenth cen.
tury Poland was richer in literature
than any other European country ex.
cept Italy, where English culture
found It's main source OF inspiration,
through Chaucer. Milton and Shakes.
peare.
Greater than Walter Scott or Du.
mas, the PO,i5h writer, In this one
work at least Is the superior Of any
novelist now living In England. France
OF Germany.
II has been translated into every
Language and presented on every
stage, even that Of Russia, where an
tipathy TO anything OF Polish origin
Is hercer than any OF the national pre-.
JUDGES.
Tho novels OF the Polish writer's
are full OF wholesome food for think. I
ing minds. THEY HAVE MORE col.
or. MORE BACKGROUND, MORE
HISTORICAL EFFECT AND EcLAT. 4
than Ben Hur or The Christian. {
The fascinating Pole does not soil I
pages with spe%culations on how many
microbes are In a drop OF spoiled 1
blood drawn from the veins q. faint. s
cd wasted life, ALONG THE LINES d
OF THE FRENCH FALsE.REAL.
IsTs Z
The Christian ideal In fiction is
wholesome, PREFERRlNo sTRue. d
Giles FOR A GLORIOUS CAUSE IN
GREEN FIELDS, PERFUMEo WITH e
FLOWERS, HEALTH AND VIRTUE d
TO the putad cravings found In the
pages OF zola. q
VIA a supreme height Is attained
In historical fiction when In Ono d
Wallis, the vision OF the Christ an. d
pears ON tae hilltop to frightened b
feter who feels himself unable long
er to cope with the mighty Caesar n
'hirs'ing for the blood Of Christian a
martysl
That NIL ever remain one OF the
strongest passages In the lltemture
OF the whole world, There set ring b
In our ears The cry Of the Christians C.
murdered In the Roman clrcuses b.
PRO cHRiSroi"
What arc the lessons SGT forth in h
novels aud ON the Christ HI
siasee h.
The personal experiences as we'll h.
rs The studies OF these great writers Ia.
MAKE THEM WORSHIP cARIsr
declare rliglon Is eood for the nj
az large "a
iRoy do not admit even a shade oflu
'opet on a question touching SO close q,
y the human heart n,
They know that The cARlsriAN q,
DEAL ALONE Will SUSTAIN IN
ne presence % sorrow. tho %eonun. h,
% fate the uncertainties oil
'ie and The contradictions and short. IA
Omlnea ~ human h.stt..