Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1920-12-16
WASHINGTON IRVING
Marie Gauer, (Senior)

When l am tired, dreary, and blue
1 go to a shelf in my library and
take down a volume from the shelf.
Perhaps 1 read in it several hours
or perhaps several minutes, but
the results are the same. When l
finish reading I feel cheerful, the
good old world presents once more
to me a sunny funny face, and 1
find the lines of care have been re-
placed with smiles. The reason is
easy to solve. When l took that vol
ume from the shelf it was one of
Washington Irving's, bubbling over
with eheerfulness and humor.
Many biographers tell us of Irv-
ing's scant education, but shall we
say he received scant education
when we realize that while he was
not studying from books, he was
scampering over the hills, exploring
every nook and corner, and pro
ducing writings, which produce the
smiles that make the old world go
round. Irying's education was not
carried on in the school room under
the eyes of a harsh New England
schoolmaster, but out in the open
under the smiling eyes of Mother
Nature-the worlds best teacher.
To this early period of his life be-
long his famous Knickerbocker His
tory, full of rollicking good nature
and humor, and his Salmagundi, full
Of dry wit and keen humor beginning
and ending with a jest.
The scope of Irying's writings is
one of the broadest of those enjoy
ed by any writer By no means did
he confine himself to little narrow
New York. He wrote for us the
charming natural stories of English
country life, the harmonious, atmos-
pheric stories of the romance and
sentiment of Spain, and the adven-
turous, joyous, wild stories of the
big West 1t is from this period of
his writing, we have the celebrated
Sketch Book, which one reads and
enjoys bat never criticises. Brace
bridge Hall, full of the charm of
country life, his Alhambra, and
other Spanish stories, which probe
deep into the romance, sentiment.
and the old fires of Spain, giving us
the best from that old romantic coun
cry. From this period we have also
the Adventures of Captain Bonnie
vile. full of exploration, fights and
thrills.
Then, like the close of perfect
day, we have his last writings, full
of delicate humor and tenderness.
These are mostly biographies Of men
who had strongly influenced Irv-
ing's life.
All through the writings of Iry-
ing we have clear evidence Of his
refinement, culture, and the words
of a widely and well-read man, a |
gift which was as natural as the !
singing of a happy bird. It is appar-
ent to the reader that Irving could
find without seeking the suggestive
word or the most expressive meta
phor, that he could always secure
harmony between the color and the
theme. that his sentences have
certain balance and melody, and
that his writings are as clear to the
little child as they are to the grown
nan and woman.
His theory, which Is the greatest
.ver expounded, Is that Of CHEEKY
vord and sunny smile, always look
ng on the bright and joyous side of
lie. This great theory is tucked away
n the writings Of Irving, the father
4 American literature and humor,
rho bridged the wide gap between
america and England, by his writ
ngs written only to please and
Assr.