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Letters From Michigan: Number XIII

Letters From Michigan: Number XIII image
Parent Issue
Day
29
Month
April
Year
1844
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A few Sabbaths since.I attcnded cburch, vhere the minister took occasion to denounce works of fiction in the strongest possible terms. As illustrativeof what he meant, he referred to the stories that abound in the Satur üay Courier, the New World, and other publications of a kindred stamp, which may be found spread out on the parlor tables of professors of godliness, and which the speaker considered as so many devices of the Devil, to keep mankind from ex ercising sober reflection, and coming to a knowledge of themselves. I have since seen an article in the Baptist paper at Detroit, taking ground against all fictitious stories of the day, as decidedly injurious in their tendency. This has led me to institute the inquiry why it is that the passion for fictitious narrations is so universal, andwhether its gratificaron must necsssarily be injurious to the reader. On examination, we find narrations real or imaginary, to be popular in all countries, tobe pleasing to both sexesand all ages-- to men, women, and children - to the fcavage and the philosopher. - This universal inclination for narralions on every subject demonstrates that they appeal to some of the strongest faculties of our nature. But all are not equally pleased with the saaie kind of stories. - Those vvhich will suit one class of miüds may be highly distasleful to another. tho' the appeiite Tor narrations may be the Bame in both. For instance, some are pleased with stories oí' war, murders, piracy, &c. Others delight in marvellous tales, like those contained in the Arabian Nights Entertainment. Devout people love to hearof Christian martyrs, anda class of abolitionists are vastly interested with details of escap ing fugitive slaves. - The public daily presses generally understand these several propensites of men, and endeavor to turn them to their pecuniary account. When the trial of Vanzandt took place for the seduction of a young lady, a member of his church, certain papers took especial pains toobtain, as early as possible, all the minute particulars of that seduction, well knowing they would be sought after in community with the greatest avidity. At the pugilistic fight in which McCoy was killed, the N. Y. Herald had an express run for the special information of the Herald, by which all the particulars of the beastly combat might be made know, through an extra Herald, to the waiting thousands.Now concering these and all other kinds of narratives & stories,it may be remarked, that so far as their effect on the mind is involved, it makes some, though not very much difference, whether they are believed to be true or not. Local causes may give a more vivid interest to some narratives than to others; but whether real or imaginary, if read, they will have some effect on the reader. He delights in that kind of narrative to which he is predisposed; and except in matters of historical truth, fiction, for the time being, answers every purpose of truth. - The mind is interested, pleased, impressed, and perhaps excited by the story, whatsoever it may be, and it will have some effect on the feelings, intellect and moráis, and thus become an element in shaping the immortal destiny of the reader. The extent to which fictitious narratives may if-ïïuence the mind is determined chiefiy by its capacity and susceptibility. On some of a lymphatic temperment, the most vivid narratives make but little impression. They take up such a work merely for amusement, look it over with comparative listlessness, and lay it aside vith only a vague impression resting upon the mind, which helps to constitute the character for a brief period, and then is swallowed up in the ocean of forgetfulness. Far different is it with those of sus ceptible temperamento, especially when they are young. For the time being they regard the narrative as real - they lauo-h - they weep - they rejoice - they sympathize with the actors which pass beforethcm in their various destines, and know not how to pause till they have read the story to the end. The recollection of it rernains vivid and forcible, and though the incidents become dim or extinct in the memory by the lapse of years, and the crowding of other ideas and feelings, yet it has au abiding influenceon the charactcr. Women are more susceptible than men, and are guided more by their feelings: henee they have a greater passion for works of fiction of every kind. Many a young lady spends the midnight hour in wading through some story of love, voven into a novel or romance, with all its concomitants of trouble, grief, perplexity, and danger, and at last lies down with eyes steeped in tears for the distressed hero or heroine. Novéis and remances Iesteem to be far worse in their effects than the shorter stories of magazines and newspapers, for the following reasons: 1. They consume more time. 2. They relate almost exclusively to the passion of love, thus begetting in the readers mind a continual excitement of that feeling.3. They represent the world m a false light. Young persons of vivid imagination, are apt to try to imilate or act out their favorite characters; and when a young lady hasspent the night in readihg of her beloved heroine, arrayed insplendid dresses, attended by knighís and lords, and perchance admitted to royal circles, she dreads to get Jip in the mom ing to skim the milk.to take a place at the washtub, or assist her mother in making soap. Y et in this practical world "of ours, all these things must be done. Butter must be made, clothes washed, and soap manufactured. But the habitual novel reader invariably acquires a disrelish for doraestic duties justin proportion as her appetite for novéis increases. 4. They are seldom or never so written as to leave a valuable and permanent moral impression on the reader. The greater part of them tend to lessen the distinctions between vice and virtue, and to teach the reader to be content wilh following the heartless conventionalities of life. The forty volumes of novéis written by Sir Walter Scolt, which have been read, perhaps, by millions, do not present favorably to the admiration or imitation of the reader, a single character remarkable for philanthropic heroism, or exalted moral energy. The same is true substantially of most novéis. Men born to elévate and bless mankind are not usually novel-writers, nor are they fit subjects for the héroes of modern romance. These productions, then, and all of a similar character, should be discountenanced by the clergy. But when they make war upon all fictitious narratives, merely because they are fictitious, they takeuntenable grounds. Such narrations and stories have leen employed from the earliest 9g&i to'conVey the lessons of truth and virtue. He who "spoke as never man spake," was notörious for employing this medium of instruction. He was a great story-teller. He told tales about thesheepand thegoats, the hens and the chickens, about reaping and sowing,about leasing land and letting money.about selling goods,about mixingdough,and borrow ing loaves of bread. & sweepingthe house, and about the sports of little children. - Those ministers who are afraid of desecrating "the dignity of the pulpit," might do well to make a catalogue of the topics of oratory employed by their Master. That children love stories, is proverbial; and the necessity of having something beyond a dry compilation of facls, has filled our Sabbath School Libraries with works of fiction, which yet are adapted to convey the strongest impressions of truth. It should be remembered that by far the greater portion of mankind, however mature in stature, are but children in intellect, and need the instruction adapted to minors. Henee the popularity of those works which have been written on that plan. BunyanVPilgrim'sProgress," with no literary merit, has attained a circulation second to no book in the English language, except the Bibls. Abbott's "Young Christian," "Corner Stone," &c. which have been translated into foreign languages, are far more useful than if they contained the same truths, arranged as a mere compend of divinity. I notice that religious papers, like the "Morning Star," the organ of the Free Will Baptists, and the "True Wesleyan," publish stories from time to time. The latter paper seems to have a story department as much as a doctrinal one. I wrote you lately that every county paper in this State is expected by its readers to furnish them with stories. I think that while an examination of these will show that the appetite for that kind of writing is becoming more general, the character of these productions is changing essentially for the better. Stories of lovesick swains and damsels, who talk and act all kinds of fooleries, is giving place to narratives of the every day transactions of the farmer,the mechanic, the shopkeeper, and the laborer, conveying, and designed to convey, important moral truths. That there is much in these that is trashy and absurd, I admit. But they are a great improvement on the former kind.There are passages in the life of cvery person, however humble his situation, which, if writtenout in detail, with at true description of incident and character, vvould be highly instr active, and have all the interest of romance. The siory-writers have turned their nttention to this field of common life; and are presenting various sections of it as it really is. On the whole, we may safely conclude, tbat if Fiction, instead of being sent out through the earth to follovv her own wild vagaries; and thus mislead the ignorant and pervert the simple, could be enlisted as the companion of Truih, she would be an agreeable, sprightly and useful fellow travellerto her cornrade, and prove one of her most efficiënt helpers.

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Subjects
Old News
Signal of Liberty