Drift Of Modern Fiction

Tlio libraries of the laud bear witnoss to the fuct that tlie books read by the inasses of the people are works of lietion, novéis, love-stories. The people are of necessity influenced by what they read, influenced not only mentally but morally. Knowing these things to be so, and that light literature reaches ten people where the church reaches one, any fur-thinking, keen-sighted Christian philosopher inquires into this influence, what it is and what its effect will be. To give moral power and vigor, wisdom must be inculcated, not man's, but God's wisdom, the wisdom that is given by direct revelation from hearen. Modern fiction is full of moralizing, freethinkers' theories. Their sentiments aro dangerous. There is an insidious poison of rationalism - though for the most part sugar-coated- lurking in thousands of volumes on our library shelves, and in culturcd homes, and it is even found in many of the pulpits of the land. By a simple weakening of the grand old faith of the martyrs, the faith that has wrought rovolutions in church and state, the faith that bade Martin Luther stand up alone against the word, the simple taking away one tithe of its purity is sufficient to gradually undermine our Christian civilization and help to drift our nation toward the rapids and whirlpool of revolution. Tliero is safety in one direction only: That is in conforming to the highest standard, the drift of modern fiction is in a direction opposite to this. Ingersoll's endeavor is to take from human souls all stay and comfort and to give nothing in return. The light literature of the present day performs much the same office. -