The Democratic advocate., 1878-07-20

! "Yes, and what admirable skill she dis
plays in character-drawing. Not char
acter is slighted. One could point to half
a dozen Of its lesser characters which stand
out in memory more real and lifelike than
the chief characters of many books do.
Mr.. Gordon, do you not think she is the
first of living English novelists2n
81 certainly do. In fact, | am not sure
that she does not surpass all other English
noyelists, the dead as we'll as the living.
Her works show prolonged concentration
of mind and careful study of the great
writer's who preceded her Almost the
peer of Dickens in the externals of char
acter-drawing, she has way of viewing
everp subject in its higher psychological
relations which Is not paralleled in his
works. With Thackeray's calm equipOise,
philosophic breadth, and artistic complete
ness, she surpasses him in depth Of insight
and sustained vigor. She is highly origi-
nal, but with wise discernment has used
the works of other great masters as so many
rounds in the ladder by which she has
scaled the height on which she stands"
"Have you ever written for the periodi-
Gals ?" asked Grace, somewhat abruptly.
-'Yes-in desultory way-a few pOliti-
cal articles and brief critiques l have,
however, acknowledge, constant yearn-
ing to give expression by my pen, which
talks better than my tongue, to my views
upon current events
"0h, Mr. Gordon, don't you remember
that that is the reason Harriet Martineau
gives for entering literature?
~ do remember it now, but it never
struck me with force before.
Grace now suggested their return to the
parlor, and when Basil had bid her good
night, she went up to her room. But her
mind was too excited for sleep. She
seated herself near window through which
came the cool breeze from the sea. Her
maid was in deep slumber, and she listeneda
moment or two to the family audible breath
ing of her mother in tue next room Then
her thoughts few back to Gordon. She
seemed to hear again his deep, earnest
voice, and vividly recalled the thoughtful
ness and manly dignity of his cOuntenance,
and the phases of his character which had
so prejudiced others against him, but which
hadproved singularly interesting to herself.
Having been reared in a small town many
miles distance from any large city, town
of narrow views and petty prejudices, of
overweening selfimportance and tyranni-
cal customs, and having been led by her
intellectual father to higher and wider
sphere of thought, to a perception of the
true relation of her native place to the
world at large, and to deep interest in
the important public events in which her
father was an actor, she could thoroughly
appreciate Basil Gordon's aspirations, his
chafng at his surroundings, and his en-
barrassments in seeking a congenial field
Of labor. She knew he was not an idler
by choice, in fact, not an idler at all, for
bis conversation gave evidence that, by the
study of the best authors, by eagerly read
ing the newspapers, which "gather and edit
each day the whole worlds history for the
preceding day." by mental concentration
and prolonged meditation, he was striving
to develop his powers for higher use than
any to which they had yet been put She
became anxious to help him to find the
way to his true vocation. When she had
hurriedly asked him if he had ever written
for the periodicals, it had flashed through
her mind that he might make such writing
a stepping-stone to regular authorship.
But as she thought of this again she felt
doubtful. Successful authorship is a goal
to be reached usually only after long pc
riOd of patient toll, and it occurred to her
that Gordons intense convictions and his
yearning to be heard in great crises could
not bear the slow process nor brook the
delay of book making.
In this train of thought she noticed "
ing on table near her the paper Cheston
had loaned her. She took it up 1t was
a Philadelphia weekly. In turning to the
book review, her eye fell upon this edito-
rial note
awe give this week, for the benefit of
aspiring and capable young men who do
not feel inclined to walk in the beaten
track Of any of the old professions, an es-
say entitled "The Journalist" by Parke
Goodwin, himself one of the brightest orna-
ments Of New York journalism
She saw the truth In an instant. She
read no further. She dropped the paper
II see it all now" she said; "that is his
true calling"
When Basil left Grace in the parlor
that evening it was with much excited
and curiOusly mingled thoughts and feel
ings. He had somehow been suddenly
convinced that by his pen he could win
his way to success. He saw that literary
work was that to which his training, hab-
its, and aspirations adopted him. With
his thoughts upon this subject he invol-
UNFAIRLY associated Grace Herbert. He
had never met lady SO delcately sym
pathetic and appreciative. He could not
help thinking of her as watching and en-
eOuraging him in his future career, and
the thought, he knew not why, was one to
which he clung.
He found Kennedy stretched out upon
the lounge, waiting for him, evidently ez-
pecting a chat, but, after exchanging a
few remarks with him about the pleasures
of the evening, he turned away. Talk
was rasping to his feelings, especially we're
any questions that seemed to raise the
slightest doubt as to the extraordinary
worth aud attractions of Grace Herbert.