The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-07-05
THE GLAMOUR OF ROMANCE.

What 10 there about the yellow river that
flows by the walls OF Rome TO- draw to Its
banks pilgrims from all lands? Are the
In themselves that travellers will cross the
Atlantic to see them? Why is Rob Roy'B
cave, a little hole on the side OF Ben Lamond,
an object OF deeper interest to Americana
than their own stnpeudous Mammouth Cave?
Are not the Mississippi and Missouri rivers
OF America better than all the waters OF Eu-
rope? And yet one tiny brook In the Scot.
tish Border, the clear winding YarroW, Wn,cn
the shepherd.iaddie. II he does not wade
thr rough clears at q bound. trenscends In hu-
man Interest even the Father OF Waters.
Wordsworth wrote three exquisite poems on
that little stream, that Border burn, and 10
them refer you. for the poet has therein ex-
planned this mystery.
SOUTHERN RENAISSANCE.
Bot the time ls surely coming when these
Southern scenes shall have their story, too,
and q voice that shall speak to the heart OF
msn-when southern Burns snail arise ana ana
streams. the birds and flowers, the honest
men and bonnie lassies OF the South. It has
been said that Sir Walter Scott discovered
SoDd Fs ssy ans be S Sessssd be waVe
his magic hand, and, 10! the Scotland OF ro-
nance arose. The time Ia surely coming
when wizard OF the South shall appear, and
casting hts spell. over Ibis lair lapd' shall
The time is surely coming when q daughter
OF Due West College will sing her praise as
sweetly as Gray sang OF Eton when South
maid VIII take t6e Place OF B1nne
Southern land tongues In her tree, sermons
in her stones. books In her running brooks,
and good In everything thatis hers.
You will hasten the coming that day by
engaging earnestly in the cultivation Of
Southern literature. To what worthier pur-
pose could you devote the time between Col
iege and Marriage than the writing offs book
or the making OF q song about this Southern
land you love 30 we'll? The coming OF the
man or the woman OF genius ls unheralded,
unforeseen, unexpected as the coming OF a
meteor. But az surely as meteor appears
among the stars. 80 surely does the man or
pie who have prepar ed themselves for their
coming by faithful and long continued cul.
tivation OF literature.
GOOD BOOK LIVES FOREVER.
Engage, then, in the great work. not for the
purpose Of making money by writing books.
but from pure love OF letters and strong
love OF country. Money you may gain by It,
bnt let that be a secondary consideration.
its intrinsic value, else would David Ha.
rum" be greater work than paradise Lost" |"
the ephemeral "Endy miop" OF Disraeli worth
more than the immortal "Endymion" OF
Keats, which is a thing Of beauty and JOY
Time song OF more value than "Home Sweet
Home" Cultivate native literature as q
labor Of love. Like Fletcher OF Saltoun. think
1t greater honor to make the songs OF your
people than 10 frame their laws. Thus will
you lay up for your country the only treas
urea upon earth which neither moth nor rust
doth corrupt and which no time can steal.
And thus will you confer upon your beloved
land greater honor andglory than It is In the
power OF warrior or statesmen TO bestow.
For the literature OF q country is its only i'm
mortal part. Cities may perish. republics
vanish, and Kingdoms pass away, but good
book lives forever. Classic Greece ana Rome
lie buried beneath the ruins of centuries, but
on their tombs burn brightly the twin lamps
oftheir literature; and their light is seen In
lands Alexander never reached and their
genial influence felt where Rome's eagles
never flew.
Communities are lost and empires die,
And things of holy use unhallowed lie.
They perish, but the intellect can raise.
From airy words alone, pile that ne'er
decays.