| Title: | McMahon Glynn, Patrick to Glynn, James P., 1884 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4381 |
| Collection | Patrick McMahon Glynn: Letters to his family (1874-1927) [Gerald Glynn O'Collins] |
| File | glynn/31 |
| Year | 1884 |
| Sender | McMahon Glynn, Patrick |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | lawyer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Kapunda, South Australia, Australia |
| Destination | Gort, Co. Galway, Ireland |
| Recipient | Glynn, James P. |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 630 |
| Genre | politics, culture, literature |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Kapunda April 23rd 1884 My dear James This is election day here and consequently unusually stirring. Though asked to stand, I am not one of the candidates. My return would have been highly probable, but in my present unsettled and comparatively impecunious state the work would be too much. To work conscientiously for certain questions would require a lot of time, and I don't care to be a Parliamentary loafer. This Colony, unlike Victoria, does not pay its members £300 a year. As for Clancy, the fellow never entered my head for some time. Indeed, he wrote a second time admitting that he only lost some of the things, but never sent them on. I did not think it was worth while to set the detectives on the watch for him, so don't trouble yourself about him. I will try to find and forward to you the last chapters of the Sketches; they have been lent to a friend with whom I have not yet communicated. I hope you have succeeded in getting on the Sporting Paper you mention; but stick to the Bank nevertheless. You will find plenty of aftertime for your pen — what I do is after the harrass of long and wearing legal work. The recommendation to have Joseph taught shorthand is a good one. In fact I mentioned it before to my mother. He need not necessarily determine his avocation by the possession of it, but it will always turn up useful. One thing however I would like to mention. Don't let him nourish an idea that he has any special aptitude or ability for the literary profession. Their are hundreds of penurious fellows hovering round it who were thus deluded in the beginning. Moderate success is only attained by one in a million, and very few indeed understand what real taste and culture is. This observation applies as much to music as to literature. At one time I thought that the Irish had not only the passion for music but that in general society was displayed a highly cultivated taste. Of the passion I have no doubts, but of the taste I entertain some. How little do you hear the compositions of Beethoven played in Irish drawing rooms. Now as compared with Beethoven a song from Pinafore is as much music as what ordinarily passes for such is literature compared with the real stuff. The more I read the more I see of how much of what constitutes real culture I have been ignorant. There is one thing which I would recommend you to do. Buy Goethe's Wilhelm Meister and study it. If you want to see what poetry is you will find it in that touch of genius which created Mignon. Get Carlyle's translation, which is the most forcible. In that work you will see what Carlyle calls the "Everlasting No" and "everlasting Yea" more wonderfully told you than in any other I know of. Such a work is literature in the real sense of the word. I find I have been wandering away after my thoughts, but it may be of interest to you to know of some of my latter discoveries. Some day, perhaps, when I have time, I may mention some reading that I have found in my own case of advantage. There is a lot of puzzling office business waiting for me, and this is, as I said, a stirring day. I intended to write to Elizabeth this post, but must defer doing so. Give my love to them all however and send the enclosed photograph to Gort. I will send you and Elizabeth one each when some more are struck off. Hoping to hear from you soon, I remain Your affectionate brother P. McM. Glynn J. P. Glynn Esq. |
