People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 May 1895 — Page 4 Advertisements Column 2 [ADVERTISEMENT]

Catholic Mete*. Tfce club room of the Stanislaus Literary Society is becoming more inviting and Attractive. A new carpet has been put down which gives the room a most cheerful appearance. About fifty new volumes have been added to the library, which will give a new stimulus to reading again. The members have all reasons to congratulate themselves upon the neat appearance of their club room which serves a double purpose, namely, that of sociable gatherings and of a reading room. Another feature which renders the room most desirable is the proximity of the Forester’s Hall in which the society gives its semi-monthly programs. This hall being more spacious affords parents an opportunity to attend the literary and musical numbers and to witness the work of the society. It is a matter of regret that quite a number of our young people are deriving no benefit from the society, especially from the library. The books are selected with a view of improving the youthful mind. Who is ignorant of the fact that in our days the modern novel is one of the greatest of educators? It has become a recognized force in society and not only for good, but also for evil. The power of the modern novel, exerted as it is often over young and immediate minds, gives occasion to the moralist to watch its prevailing spirit. The true novel is a word picture of human motive and action; a standard by which the quality and -tone of society may be gauged; a mirror in which we may find imaged the actual or the possible of self. The highest type of fiction is the pprtrajt both of real life and its attainable ideal. The measure of itfc accuracy, or truthfulness, is therefore the measure of its worth; and the frequent difficul-

ty of differentiating fact from fancy demands, in the reading of this class of books the exercise of a careful and judicial temper. One very misleading "situation’' we find common to all trashy novels: the existence of a hasty, informed, loveless marriage, contracted from varying, but equally inadequate and foolish reasons. Doubtless this is the type of a daily multiplied and much too common experience; but it is far from being so general as to justify such frequent recurrance in fiction. The average novelists picture for us certain consequences of these unfortunate relations, more momentus than the primary misfortune. And to what do these novels tend? Do we find the error and its retribution traced out in their natural and appointed sequence as cause and effect? No; the human nature of these novels cafinot contemplate so sad a consequence of its own sinning. The novelist seeks rather to provide some easy way of escape these self-forged fetters. A latter and stronger love appears upon the scene and fills two hearts with its haunting visions of a "lost and ruined paradise.” Seemingly careless of the honor of its object, it hovers continually on the confines of forbidden ground, and all but trespasses on one of the most sacred of human rights. Recklessly it plays upon the crater-edge of latent passion, whilst the story tends painfully toward its expected climax in some improbable dissolution of these irksome bonds, and the possible realization, in a refutable manner, of these secretly cherished hopes. Considering these novels it is difficult to accept as true portraitures these clouded pictures of the men and women of to-day. Too true is it, alas! that impurity of thought and life is common upon every hanfi. That homes are often ruined, and marriage

altars oftener still profaned by ruthless passion. But these are not the tragedies that fiction paints; not these the skeletons which our respectable novelists venture to uncloset. They deal with vices not less real because less apparent, with doubtful purpose, not outwardly matured; with evU intent, not yet blossomed into evil deed. Arranging the element, of a tragedy, they cunningly avert the catastrophe. Scattering the sparks of passion in the path of the powder train they call into play “a special providence” to interfere with the threatened result. Now such plots are offered to public as faithful types of our average domestic life. Should we not then be circumspect in the selection of our* books and decline to accept novels, as outlined above, because the effect of their dangerous tendency upon the young and susceptible minds is apparent?