THE "STRONG" BOOK OF THE ISHBOSHETH
There are two trite sayings in common use with
us all—one is: "Circumstances alter cases," which
is English; the other is: "Autres temps, autres
mœurs," which is French. But there lacks
any similar epigrammatic expression to convey
the complete and curious change of
meaning, which by a certain occult literary
process becomes gradually attached to quite
ordinary words of our daily speech. "Strong,"
for instance, used to mean strength. It means
it still, I believe, in the gymnasium. But
in very choice literary circles it means "unclean."
This is strange, but true. For some time past the
gentle and credulous public has remained in childlike
doubt as to what was really implied by a
"strong" book. The gentle and credulous public has
been under the impression that the word "strong"
used by the guides, philosophers, and friends who
review current fiction in the daily Press, meant a
powerful style, a vigorous grip, a brilliant way of
telling a captivating and noble story. But they
have, by slow and painful degrees, found out their
mistake in this direction, and they know now that
a "strong" book means a nasty subject indeli-
