The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-04-27
Mans Inhuumanity to Men.

From the Memphis Tenn) Commercial Appeal
In our day, when the world seems to
have reached it's ultimate in so many
things, when thought and science and the
arts have progressed 80 far that optimism
can scarcely dream of greater perfection,
we hear much talk of the advancement of
humanity and the evolution of character
into love and beauty. Truly, we have
grown to perceive, in religion, tnat love is |
the center and inspiration; in all political
hopes that justice is the goal of effort; that
that charity and helpfulness are the spirits
which all social organizations must embody
md that the gentleness of the teachings of
Jesus is the soul of civilization which is
durable and true. But it seems to us that
all art and literature still reminds US of the
savagery which our refinement veneers.
It seems to us that all the works of the
stage and the closest appeal to human
cruelty, just as much today as when the
gladiatorial shows in Rome pandered to the
lust Of blood centuries ago.
It has been said thas the reason the
novel is the most popular of all literary
forms is that mans greatest curiosity is
is biographical, and that the record of hui
man life is the one theme of enduring in
terest to all. In fact, however, the reason
of the novels great popularity is because
presents human sufferings SO wildly.
Through the whole of the book we gloat
with cruel JOY over the agonies of unhap-
py love, and pore with delight over all the
misfortunes and tragedies which come to
the characters. When finally the careers
of those whose sufferings concern US end
happily, we feel no more interest in them.
Their JOY is not fit matter to detain us, and
all authors are wise to quickly shut off the
spectacle.
It is the same on the stage. The inter-
esting portions of the play are those which
depict pain or danger or despair. As soon
as happiness makes its appearance, the
curtain is rung down.
The works of great and absolute genius
are those which do not permit the inartis-
tic element of happiness to mar them at all.
The greatest of the Greek dramatists
chose the endless sufferings of Prom
etheus for his theme. The interest of the
Iliad centers, not about the conquering
Greeks or the victorius Achilles, but over
the fated towers of Troy and about the de-
feat and agonies of Hector.
So down all the ages, genius, looking
into the soul of man and knowing what
chord to touch, has never appealed to JOY
udPPIuC0os OuV LOO AWAY 0OPAStOu WIG
and misery. Dante's He'll is the delight Of
all the world. The Paradise is seldom read.
Milton made sublime poem of Paradise
} Lost-but mis- Paradise Regained only lives
, in literature by sufferance. Shakespeare
comedies are full of sorrow and pathos, and
his grandest efforts are all given to terrible
tragedies. The laughing Mercutio, even
must be sacrificed, to glut the bloodthirsty
passions of posterity. Who will remember
Rosalind, TESTING in the forest of Arden
when they think of the dead Juliet falling
over the cold corpse of Romen? Who will
care for Touchstone, when he has thf
memory of Hamlet? It is also true in ART
3 that suffering is the eternal theme. There
are thousand masterpieces of the Cruel.
Q fixion, but only one Of the TRANSPORTATION
The world is essentially cruel.
/ We have ceased to find our pleasure ir
the rack and thumbscrew, truly; we art
prepared to unlearn the horrors Of war
but in painting, in marble and in literature
! we still love the culver of agony, and ",
: still paint human misery in all art, a.
Parrhasius tortured his slave to gain .
model for Prometheus.
sour sweetest songs are those that COM
of saddest thought as Shelley says, be
: cause Mercy and Love are not so stron,
q within US as their opposites.