The Alaska daily empire., 1921-10-20
Eye, Ear, and Brain.
(LiterarY ReYieW.l

Our eyes are more civilized than our cars and much more civilized than our minds that is the fiat Ptruth and it accounts for good deal that puzzles worthy people who wish to reform literature. F. Consider the musical comedy of the kind that runs for year and costs the price of two books for q good seat. It's humor is either good horseplay or vulgar farce, and it's literary quality nil It's music is better less banal than the words and, sometimes, almost excellent But it's setting, the costumes the scenic effects, the painting and, all the color schemes always artistic and sometimes exquisite They intrigue the most sophisticated taste, which is not surprising; yet, at the time the multitude like them, pay for them, stay away if they are not right. Eye is aesthete, is, at least, cultivated, mind is gross barbarian, unwilling to think and desirous only of a tickle or a prod Or to locaze the scene and change the angle a trife, compare the New York for music with the New York taste for reading. The audiences who hear good concerts good good oratorios and thor oughy apprecite them far outrun in number the read CTS of equally artistic intellectual books Ear is more cultivated than mind musical appreciation first night in this metropolis of the arts, will get a round of applause, when not only often, but usually, perfection of lines poignancy of thought in the dialogue, will miss praise altogether Eye de- tects sheer beauty instantly mind lags dull to it
 This is a fact; the cause of it let psychologists explain, as they can of very readily. It is la rather encouraging fact. for it indicate that members educate themselves one at a time and yet parts of single body corporate help each others education. If grow critical of the sped-up background of a movie scene We may grow
  ear lift the mind to strenuous intellectual efforts.
 And, of course, it explains why the literary reformers have such difficulties with the multitude Why they say, do these women whose dress is adm- rahly designed and colored whose living rooms are proportoned and furnished in taste, who know good music from bad, and enjoy the former-why do they read novels without the least distinction without beauty truth, barely raised above vulgary? Why they say, does this who co-operates with his architect in the building of country house which would have been credit to any period, who is a connosseur in wine and cigars and unerring in his judgment of pictures why does he definitely prefer the commonplace in literature? Eye, ear and tongue are civilized; intellect remains a gross feeder still Good reading comes last among the arts oi taste This is not reforming editorial; it is content to be question mark; but bit of preaching may slip
 in at the end. Why give eye and all the fine ex- periences? Why not do something for poor slovenly mind? The truth is that lazy. In stage full of shimmering beauty, in concert of chamber music in fine building, admirable sketch others do the work We have only to gaze or listen in order to pluck some at least of the fruits of art But fine novels take fine reading fine essays take fine thinking; fine poetry takes fine feeling. We balk at the effort and ask like the audience at the movies eye to take an easier way for us And hence the American reader still faintly suggests the Fiji islander, who wears silk hat and patent feathers on tatooed naked body