The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-03-30
Realities in Fiction.

There is. from first Il last, i great
deal Of truth in fiction. Writer'S 10
not always draw solely Oh the mag
snation for incidents and characters.
Sometimes, al.I 10 4 much larger extent
than IS generally believed. they draw
on and from thtlF own and other per-
sons experiences.
Oliver Goldsmith certainly ID this
in two notable Instances. In 1906,
when h. was thifty-oight years oli, was
published his Wear 81 Wakefield. i
work which has been. aui still -. IN
ferioT III popui2rity only T. John Bun
yan's " Pilgrim Progress, AMI Daniel
De- Foe 5 j." Robinson Cfusoe.'
This is a work which every oae
roads-no, once, but several times in
his life thine, from boyhood - old age.
Only very few years after lis appear
ance, two German students. respectively
twenty and twenty live years oil. reai
that story at Strasburg, in translation
auu were charmed by it,
Over sixty years after tits. lleTder,
the elder student, told Guthe, the
OtUClt LbaA lt was i@ttiAby. tAi|
Vicar Of Wakefield" aud that It's ad-
mirable style had shown him. ere man
hood, how To write with mplicity, ele-
gancc aud force Gu,hc. thcn eighty
one. also Acknowledged lis obligation
to Goldsmith
The narrative. certainly not tedious,
Of George Priarose's persona! adven-
tures, in which his baps and mishaps
on the Continent and in England are
related in detail. j. but transcript of
Oliver Goldsmith's own waudarluss and
failures He could furcibiy describe
what, indeed, had been part Of MS own
bitter experience.
He made the tour Of Eurgpe. while
yet i very youn; man. with scarcely q
shilling in his pocket, lived Oh the
hospitalities of the iriars in moaasterics,
slept in barns, and picked a sort Of
mendicant livelihood by playing the
German flu;e in rural places, and light
hearted peasantry dancing to his music.
Six years after the " The Vicar was
published, Goldsmith produced She
Stoops 10 Conqncr.' one of the most
popular English comedies. which still
retains its place OF the stage a AL at
sractivc acting drama. The pivot on
which its plot turns is that very bash
ful young tnau, mistakiug a squires re-
sidcnce Tor country inn, orders people
about In a fvee-aud-ea manner, treats
the squire n il he were the landlord,
aud is covered with confusion. when,
next morning. he discovers how cgregi.
ously he had blnudcred
Had this Incident been simply III
vented. it might have appeared ua-
natural aud improbable but il was
honest fact. Goldsmith Dire " Tor this,
not OH his fancy. bnt his memory. Le.
me prove this by relating all authentic
unecaote.
When Goldsmith WAS only sixteen
years old indeed when he was yet a
schoolhoy somebody gave HIM q
guinea. Borrowing m aged steed from
friend, he set ont 10 take holiday.
aud becoming benighted. lost his way
Putting up III a little town called Ar
iagh, he inquired OF person passing
along, where was any decent house of
entertainment for man AMI beast .
He was shown the habtation Of Squire
Featherstone. the ma9uate Of the
place,
Goldsmith Justify rang the bell, got
admitted, ordered Ais horse Ia he taken
round tn the stable and fed. an,! WAS
Hospitality received by the squire. y h0
saw the mistake and humorcd It. 4
good supper was ordered, after which
Goldsmith invited his presumed land
lord" 10 drink a bottle ct vine with
him, and ere hc retired IL Test. ordered
good breakfast and q hot cake.
Next morning wien Goldsmith had
done Justice Ia that meal and was look
ing at his guinea which would 60 ii
great NY IA ireland Ia adred AID
thirty years ago-~tho squire. who kne "
h,s father. oyerN heinled him With cou-
fusion by telling bin the truth
Nv en,y eight years after lhis, Gold
smith happily av.iled himself ot his
own Llunder. wren he wanted "a plot
for his comedy.
other writers have turned their own
adventures II account. In TIE Dis
owned. one ot the earliest. best ard
least known ot LulNer's novels. tae
hero. one Clarence Linden, "A youth of
eighteen at the time. makes the ac-
ansintance. when he is iourEey.ng rs a
r.de.lriAn. IT iree-an,l easy person
named Cole, at that time verltable
gipsy King. and accepting his invitation,
passes u night very pleasantly IN 'he
gypsy camp,
The opening chapters relate what
happened there. Many readers Wen
dered hcw Balwer. the son ot es'sted
parents. and thea oaly twenty ioni
! wears old, could have ob:ainci hi-
knowledge Of gypsy life, msnners and
dialect.
learned from himself maus ycaF'
ago. that taking French leave al hi>
home. ere he hal got ont # hl- teens
he oiee had Spens some weeks u al
English Summer with - glpsy gang
su1 that he thus ha4 tersved h''
Auawlc3ga II the wandering ESy yIsiiaus
The Giaour whleh imme..ls'o',
followed Byron'> "lhsaJc iier.at, va
sivsn II the world as q iF}Cmer; ct !
Turkish Tale \ iraatlte} 'ensa.'
Slave was thrown. ia ,he m0ssulms'
manner. inte the ssa faF anfi}eli.y. at
avfuisv avenged - her .oyer, wae ~A
ua, Load Byron himself, A. care m
parted