Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-11-10
The Tendency OF the American
Novel.
Boston journal,

Owe
Boston Journal.
Among the tour or FIVE noteworthy
novels which have recently appeared
in our prominent magazines, three
By q somewhat singular coincidence
have dealt with the subject OF domes-
tic infelicity. Although the style,
conception and execution OF these
novels have been different, each
strikes the same keynote Celebrates the
same idea, treats of the same phase
of human existence. Faithlessness TO
marriage VOWS is portrayed by ~
Modern Instance" and Through One
Administration" in The Century;
faithlessness to marriage VOWS is de
picted BY An Echo of Passion" in
The Atlantic Monthly, and the de
scription of INCONSISTENCY, selhshness
and cruelty to a necessary accompanl-
ment to the theme.
In "a Modern Instance" family
sutferings and trials are represented
with a cool cynicism that is almost
aggressiyely irritating. The mysteries
of married life are pIobed and revealed
as though they were material for
scientific investigation; and the pro-
cess, however skilliul, is as repelling
as the result Of the experiment Is
painful. Here are husband and wife
emhittering their lives with petty
duarrels, until the one begins to
question whether he had not made
a great mistake to get married. aud
the other, perceiving that her young
dream has not been realized, tries to
iorbear aud use patience And the
story goes on to the inevitable de-
structiOn Of the household, with the
complete degradation Of the husband
and the moral stSgnation Of the wife.
To complete this picture "ot a state
OfsOciety Of which divorce laws are
the index" there is added the inat-
uatOn Of an unmarried man with a
married woman, and the reader is
edited with their conscience priekings
ana soul tormeniS, until the misery
and EretehedneSS Of this wonderful
psychological study end.
Through Ohe Administration pre-
ssnts s phase Of lite not in the least
more cheering, although the oharSc.
bsrs move IN a round Of gSyeV and
are blessed with the brightest and
hRgpi6si surroundings here again
human passions play the mischief
and the human heart is groand'
uuUl the hopes Of 3 trner and better
existence are Turned % sSheS and the
fire on the domestic hearth dies cut
Again We see an unmarried man
infatuated with 3 mGrne3 woman, snC
although the fact for . time, Is kept
As secret as possible. the readers
throughout arc made 70 witness ana
70 sympathiEs with the unfortunate
characters. And the story goes OF
with slow tread, while the author will
delicaoy and refinement analyses anC
tears to pieces the feelings and senti
ments.
The motif of "An Echo Of Passion
may be seen in this chance reflection
abodt the hero. Fem had yet ID
learn that the man who persuadei
himself that he loves his wife at tbt
same time that he is yielding to an
other woman's destinations, stands il
even more seductive peril than hC
who wholly loses his attachmeu
to the one, while aware of tn
! pitfall prepared for him" Ant
in the unfolding of thI
plot the reader accompanies tn
author in solving the pi Oblem. given
a man and two women-to find Wheth
er the man can love both equally wei
at the same time. With a cooInes
almost repulsive the hero, in theoriz
ing!Gf his feelings, concludes that b
has lost his affection for his wife. an,
at the same time acknowledges hi
enthralment to another. BY som
, special providence this story has
happy ending. But what matters tn
! ending to this or any other novel O
the anne character The plan is Their
= and the meaning is there in all I'm
wkolesomeness. As the author O
Through One Administration" trul
says: "One may call it what one Likes
and make it as pathetic, and as tragic
and as hopeless as words can paint il
but it is only the old, miserable, IN
; digni6ed story Of a woman who j
q. married and who cares for a man wh
) is not her husband. Nothing can b
worse than that" And yet thes
stories than which nothing can b
worse are read and admired and sloat
ed over by thousands Of readers ever
month; these stories, pitures of in
morality as they are, are carried int
respectable homes for the pleasure an
/, edification Of the old, aud still more {
the young, Who can tell the inhuenc
&. over innocent, unframed minds Whic
A is exerted by these powerful novel
3 where the feeling Of symprthy is al
I pealed to for acts which in the
nature are criminal
Q Novels, they say, are the best hi
. tories Of the time. Novels like the!
are pictures of society of which d
vorce laws are the index" They al
: modern instances, mirrors of Wasl
= lngton society, representations
American life. While we talk of CO..
ruption in politics, we are priding ouI
= selves of the advancement in liter
ture. We say we are now yielding q
American product from America
! soil. While We are delighted with Il
signs OF growing strength, while "
are charmed with the graceful, faciI
pen, wa are closing our eyes to Il
tendency Of the American novel.
r is not national, because it is not pc.
d meated with the spirit OF h%opefulne
q and courage that animates the Amer
can people. 1t is, instead, Europea
. and French European in its immoral
ty. One is tempted to CRY to Il
IS American novelist, D flesh, how a
thou F~renehifedl The pruden
- gnileless days Of our novel are owe
We sing no longer to the tune:
Il was a lover and his lass,
x Win hey, and a ho. n q hey nonino.
The American Indian is zoo tame
'e subject tor our romances, and II
G. Western p~rairies have been despoil,
= OF the buffalo. We write instead
homes, desolated and marriage bon,
i broken, and treating the theme In ,
VI It's manifold variations, we send