DUNEDIN D.L.F. LITERARY AND DEBATING CLUB.

Otago Witness, Issue 2861, 13 January 1909, Page 84

DUNEDIN D.L.F. LITERARY AND DEBATING CLUB.

Motto: "Union is Strength." The first weekly meeting- for 1909 of the above chib was held on Tuesday, sth January, when Hoxana presided otsi » meeting of 12, Dot beins with us in person. The minutes being read and confirmed, Roxana extended a hearty welcome to Ploughboy, our visitor for the evening. Before the debate proceeded Dot, in a few happily-chosen words, exhorted all present to start the new year by paying good attention during the reading of the papers, and to try -to say at least a few words on one side or the other. Roxana then called on Indian Chief to lead for the affirmative side, the subject being, "J-3 the Present Tendency to Novel-reading Detiimental to our Intellectual Development?" A very great deal of this question depends on what class of novel one takes as a standard to debate on. ... Dickens and Scott, write novels, but no one can say that reading "Nicholas, Nickleby, ' "Ivanhoe," or any of the numerous works of these writers is at all detrimental to intellectual advancement. Works of their class are elevating to a vast degree. . . . The class of novel on which I base my arguments against tn« practice are the Nat Gould-Wilkie Collins type. Looking at them, with a moment's thought, one finds nothing- in them. The plot is common, and the embellishments too perfect to be natural. The hero always turns • out on "toj>; the villain gets a well-merited drubbing, and the -whole fiasco terminates with a happy marriage. . . . All Nat Gould's books axe the same in plot and embellishments. . . . He caters for the light-headed. who want something sensational. As this class of reader is very numerous, the game pays. ... It does not pay to write good books and educate people up to_ them. ... I ami sure ■•there is nothing intellectual in a horse -winning a race to the cheers of a crowd who •make' a big h.aul in gold by reason of his victory. . . . This is the class- of stuff we get served uj> to us at 6d a time. . . . Nine-tenths of the niss&age-boy^ in Dunedin have trashy novels stuffed under their coats, to read when the boss is not looking. Such is our intelJectual development. — Indian Chief. . . . A novel is a fictitious tale or romance. . . . We hold that reading of novels, especially a systematic reading of them, will, and does, in the first place, educate, and, in the second, broaden the mind, not to speak of the wonderful effect in arousing one's sympathies and interests. .- . . Think of Kipling's Indian tales: it must be • a very unreceptive mind that can read any one of them through without learning a little more of the soldier's life in that country. Think of the novels of Rider Haggard : is there anyone here who can truthfully say that they have learned nothing of the habit* and customs of the Zulu people from reading his boolcs? ... In the course of our reading we come across an almost infinite variety of tastes, opinions, creeds, and temperaments. As the plot unfolds some particular creed is thrown into various lights according as ihe different characters come into play with or against the holder of that creed. . . . Who, when they frrat read "'Oncle Tom's Cabin," did not feel _ almost ready to cry at the death of little Eva] and to boil over with anger at the description of the .treatment of some of the slaves? . . . If a man wishes to teach a faot now he will write a novel to teach that fact, knowing that people will read a novel when they will not listen to a sermon. — Roxana.. A novel-reader, when asked what a novel was, defined it thus: "A book with plenty of love in it and no murder. Thai is what I call «. novel. The other day I lent a handsomely-bound book to a girl, and 1 on returning it she remarked that it wa« a lovely story. Another girl asked me what it was, and I replied, "A novel by So-and-so." On hearing this the first girl said, "If I had. known it was a novel I should never have read it." She thought because it was well bound it was quite safe to read. — Larkspur. Dot spoke impromptu in favour ci the affirmative side, and put her arguments' in a few clear and concise sentences, which carried a good deal of weight. Matty, also, had a paper for the affirmative side, which I was unable to procure for quoting purposes, but her arguments were to the point, and put in very well-thought terms. Kippiehce, Corpoial 111. Ploughboy, and Roxana 's brother supported the negative side. Black Watch se.it in a splendidly-thought-out paper, which I am sending to Dot for insertion in full. The voting of the meeting on the result cf the debate accorded an overwhelming win for the negative ?ide. During- the meeting Dct wias untiring in her persuasion of members who vera a little backward to come to the fore and give their views. A letter was received from Black Watch, in which he drew our attention to Kendall's posms, ■which he has been reading. He gave some very beautiful examples of the poems, and uTged any of us who had: a chance to read them for ourselves. At the conclusion of his letter Dot moved tbat the secretary write to Black Watch and convey our best wishes to him, and to accord 1 him out warmest thanks and appreciation for his untiring efforts to keep in touch with us and for the splendid letters wihich he writes to us. This was unanimously agreed' to. Roxana then clced the meeting by announcing that next evening was Hum-crousi Readings Evening Country members, please note that the sufeV»ct fcr the 19th inst is "Your Favourita Chßrai_tT in Fiction." Please roll up in G^tdly iuinibsi«. INDIAN CHIEF, Hon Secretary.