Address on Literature and Arts. 121 



that the pursuit of gain, the struggle for existence, must not 

 be all-absoi'bing, lest, when the goal is attained, we find that 

 the hard- won rest is a joyless old age, an aimless ennui of 

 weary years. It is a physiological fact, that the bodily 

 powers will be the sooner worn out by toil if the intellect 

 meanwhile is rusting out, if its faculties are not stimulated 

 and exalted by what is at the same time a rest and a 

 refreshment, which " will keep a bower quiet for us, and a 

 sleep full of sweet dreams and health and quiet breathing." 

 We hope, therefore, to attract into our society some world- 

 weary toilers, who, as they accompany us on our pilgrimages 

 into regions of thought and imagination, may find a charm 

 and peace as of green pastures and still waters. 



Oar primary object being to arouse and foster an intelligent 

 and appreciativ^e interest in the best literature of the present 

 and the past, we have bound ourselves beforehand to no 

 stereotyped method of procedure. A series of papers, each 

 followed by such impromptu discussion as their subject- 

 matter and treatment may provoke, is a very common 

 feature of such meetings as ours ; but if it becomes the rule, 

 it has this disadvantage, that, as few will undertake the 

 trouble of preparing such papers, in process of time the work 

 falls into the hands of a small section of the society, the rest 

 becoming mere listeners, who, for want of previous acquaint- 

 ance with the subject-matter of a given essay, are generally 

 unprepared even to take part in a discussion of it. Hence 

 we must endeavour to contrive that sometimes papers shall 

 grow out of previous common readings and discussions. It 

 may be arranged, for instance, that on a given evening shall 

 be introduced to the society the latest work of some great 

 author. It is not too much to expect that the reading and 

 conversation of that meeting will secure for the next a 

 number of short papers on his style, on the growth of liis 

 genius, his place in literature, his influence, his "school," 

 and so forth. Again, we might have an occasional meeting 

 at which each member would be pledged to appear, armed 

 with a short criticism, or notice, though it be but half-a- 

 dozen lines, of a work recently read by him. We shall 

 shall thus furnish each other with suggestions and guidance 

 for reading, and be also cultivating a discriminating, critical 

 spirit in our reading. Bacon's aphorism will ever be true, 

 that " writing maketh an exact man," and if we from time 

 to time practise formulating our impressions, and recording 

 our judgments of our reading, we shall be cultivating that 



