Project Gutenberg's On the Vice of Novel Reading., by Young E. Allison

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Title: On the Vice of Novel Reading.
Being a brief in appeal, pointing out errors of the lower tribunal.

Author: Young E. Allison

Release Date: February 27, 2008 [EBook #24704]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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On the Vice of Novel-Reading.

_BEING A BRIEF IN APPEAL, POINTING OUT_

_ERRORS OF THE LOWER TRIBUNAL._

_Paper Read Before the Western Association of Writers at Winona_

_Park, Indiana, June 29, 1897._

By YOUNG E. ALLISON.

LOUISVILLE. KY.:

COURIER-JOURNAL JOB PRINTING COMPANY.

1897.

* * * * *

[Illustration: YOUNG E. ALLISON]

ON THE VICE OF NOVEL READING.

Ever since the Novel reached the stage of development where it was
demonstrated to be the most ingenious vehicle yet designed for
conveying the protean thought and fancy of man, there has stood in the
judgment book of Public Opinion the decree that novel-reading was a
vice. Of course, that judgment did not apply exclusively to the
reading of novels. It was a sort of supplementary decree in which the
name of this new invention was specifically added to the list of moral
beguilements against which that judgment had anciently stood. Poetry,
the Drama, even the virtuous History, had had their noses disjointed
by this tribunal. But their great age and the familiarity of their
presence had softened the decree in its enforcement. The Novel was a
young offender in aspect (though he had the nature and inheritance of
the other three), and was, besides, strong in masculinity and
virility. A certain sympathy thus sprung