The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-12-11
Prom Chamber Journal
The NoveI-Writer's WorId.

The NoNet-WFrter's Worlds
There is point Of view from which fc-
ton may be studied with advantage, but
from which never had the pleasure Of see
ing it contemplated. There might, think,
be derived from this department Of literature
a great sense Of thankfulness, that the &C
tual world was not, as the fictitious one is, OF
the novelist's creation. Ii is very true that
the fcuonlst makes d number Of much
more entirely vIrtuOuS men and women than
the author Of nature has done; but then
comes in the sad drawback that they are
thInly sOwn, and mixed up with such set
Of horld people Of all kinds, that they are
Of no manner Of use but to be married at
last or al least to live happily all the rest of
their days after the novel is concluded
The question is, if a weird composed of a
few MIR. Allworthys, and Lady BOuntifuls
and Lord TTueloves, in connection with a
hos; OF such Indifferent characters as the
novelist deals in, would answer. | say not
The villain Of the piece would, to a GER
tslnty, nave Us murdered, or at least cast in
q ruinous lawsuit, before MIR. Allworthy
could come TO the rescue or hear of our case.
VIrtUOUs innocence would have no chance,
for il would be found that, that system Of
making a heroic peasant Of the name of
William Hawthorn spring out Of the wood,
70 play of an irresistible sapling cut from
the last hedge, would not work in real LIFE
Ii would always be ten to one against the
worthy fellow coming at the proper time
| have. great doubts, moreover, if those sd-
mirsble reduced widows, who live in cot
tsges OF fifth floors, with paragons Of daugh-
tiers, would find themselves saved, in any
considerable number Of instances, from exc
cutions, by the happy return Of long lost
sons with fortunes from India. The unparal-
leled inhumaniy Of the landlords Of all
poor widows houses, in novels, would be
too much for that set Of amable characters,
and the consequences would be extremely
distressing.
One great result Of our having the novel
writer's creation established, would be q
putting down Of that vast class, the "good
enough people" Now | much fear that
we should not do nearly so well in this
world if We wanted that class. They serve
an immense number OF useful purposes
those good enough people. The most Of
the new generation are brought into the
world and educated by them-they raise
the corn, furnish the butcher meat, and i'm
port all the groceries required by mankind,
not to speak Of many other professional ser
vices. don't know but they pay nearly
the whole Of the taxes. What We should
do without such serviceable, albeit common
place citizens, | cannot pretend to imagine
The novelIsts, indeed, would take care to
provide US with set Of most romantic, ano
far more sinned against than shining male
factors, who might be supposed to make up
in some degree for the absence o. the good
folks but | have doubts if few amiable
house-breakers and high-minded assassins
would quite come to be the same thing
There could not fail TO be some inconveni-
ence felt from this great blank in society,"
Who knows but it might be fatal to the en-
tire machine!
Another result would be very general
separation Of the inclination from the ability
TO be liberal and generous. In the actual
world, Of the people who are able to be
generous, there must be a very considera-
bic number who are likewise disposed to be
50; for how otherwise should our public
charities be supported, not to speak Of pri-
vate benelactons, which we may also pre-
sumo to be numerous But if the novelist's
world were established, all who had any
money in their pockets would Immediately
become to the last degree selfish and hard
hearted, and there would be no Iiberality
except amongst the coinless. 1t would OBJ
viously serve poor purpose if we only found
we could get names to bills from persons
who had no credit at the bank, or invita-
tons to dinner from individuals forced TO
live upon potatoes and point. 1t would
help marvellOusly i'll to get us over diff
Guilty, if every one we applied to were to
say, any dear friend, have all the wish
in the world to oblige you, but / am myself
at my wit's-end for half-a-crown." IL
would only be tsntalizing to find the desire
OF advancing our fortunes exclusive To-