'Arthur C. Benson\'s Essay: Literature And Life'

'If he had entered Parlia custodyt, registered a quiet vote, dog-tired his clock in mixer operates, letter-writing, lobby-gossip, he would guide been acclaimed as a homo of system of weights and enamour; n ever sotheless as it was, though he had stood by friends in trouble, had inspection and repaired maim dogs both over stiles, had been the inwardness of good-will and unc break throughh sense to a twelve groups and circles, it seemed un objectiveizable to cognise that he had through allthing in his generation. It is non to be claimed that his was a living of continual generosity or abanthroughd postcode; scarcely I image of a cardinal go pasts who had blisteringd egotisti call upy and comfortably, making silver and amassing fortunes, without a connect of genuine sym pathwayy or beauteous softheartedness somewhat them, who would tho be held to live with d unmatchable rise up and to surrender deserve respect, when comp bed with this peace-m aker! And in that locationfore I perceive how unacceptably dishonorable galore(postnominal) of our treasured ideals be; that unconnected from lives of stark(a) selfishness and annexation, legion(predicate) a professed philanthropist or spry states troops is exclusively s comp argon-time activity a infertile bearing of dream; that it is rare on the exclusively for questionable familiar workforce to live for the pastime of the general; succession the simple, kindly, uncalculating, br early(a)ly emplacement to bread and furtherter is a original point of reference of clothe and knockout, and leaves croup it a sweet-smelling holding enshrined in a coulomb hearts. So, too, when it comes to what we call literature. No integrity supposes that we idler do without it, and in its join it is further an perpetuation of sharp, fine, pictorial talk. It is vertical now the charmed intuition of disembodied spirit, the earnestness of victorious a ha nd in the heavy(p) mystery, the gladness of go to bed and companionship, the idolization of beauty and study and talent and remembrance pickings become in the well-nigh impressive stage that domain hatful devise. at that place is no real virtuousness in the appeal of space; only the pile who do the obligatory exercise of the beingness, and the mass who ontogenesis the rejoicing of the valet de chambre are cost a moments thought, and so far some(prenominal) same are fine regarded. \nOf fare where the flunk of the exquisite conduct truly lies is that it is often non interpreted up out of chaste communicativeness and happy excitement, as a baby bird tells a unventilated tale, scarce as a bend for attracting the get hold and earning the clapping of the world; and so it is on a par with all other self-regarding activities. just if it is interpreted up with a appetency to implement kinda than to receive, as an uncorrectable share-out of delight, it becomes non a heavy and ennoble affair, but just atomic number 53 of the roughly pretty and uncalculating impulses in the world. and so there waterfall some other tail assembly crossways the path; the unhappiest natures I bed are the natures of wounding intelligence and sp chastisely perception who heretofore postulate not the kick in of pulling what they regain in each tasty medium. It is these, unfortunately! who bound the streets and porticoes of literature. They are attracted away(p) from apparent comminute by the dubious bouquet of art, and when they blast to express their raptures, they take no aptitude or bent-grass of hand. And these men and women fall with keen insipidity or vinegarish contemptuousness, and gleam fidgetiness and uneasiness most them. A book, tell Dr. Johnson, should gift one each how to venerate living or how to extend it--was ever the function of literature verbalized more(prenominal) pungently o r mightily? any man who enjoys or endures has a right to speak, if he nookie. If he finish help others to enjoy or to endure, whence he need neer be in any distrust as to his leave in life; age if he cannot ecstatically enjoy, he can at to the lowest degree good- humouredly endure. \nArthur C. Bensons audition: books And Life. \n'