Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-05-29
A DEAD NOVELIST.
So"e heh"rtions on the Death of the
Author Of Dark Days"

Original.
The death OF Hugh Conway, the novelist
recently, at Monaco, is u sharp reminder OF the
nnutabllIty Of all earthly plans AMI prospects
III recalls the legend of the wish angel. who
movers continually about mortals. hearing
thein express their most cherished desires
lie grants their wish sooner or later. but
uhder conditions which strip it of all joy
ne humbies human beings by giving them
what they long for, and thereby proving the
hilsiveness OF all dreams of happiness.
very little Is known of Hugh Conway.
whose name IN private life was Frederick
John Fargus. He lived, aspire1. strove. and
IN some measure achieved, then died lust as
HE seemed to open before him That much
Is known. The ellipsis in the shor: chapter
can be readily filed by the Imagination OF
any one who knows how steep and rugged is
the pathway that leads even to the boundaries
of SUCCESS
tie was only thirty-s seven wears old had
had his share OF struggle, self-ienial priya.
ton and baffisd hope, of course. since non,
who strive are strangers to these dragons
that crouch by the road to eminence. Two
years ago MIR. Fargus. who was an auctioneer
IN Bristol, wrote Called Back - n story now
known to two or three hundred Thousand
readers here and abroad. II was published
In Arrowsmiih's Annual, and lay unnoticed
on the London book stalls for weeks. and per
maps months. One day Henry Labouchare.
going on journey, picked it I'D TO
begulle the tediouSneSS of travel He read
IL, W pleased with it, and afterwari spoke
of 1t IN Truth as very clever story. Then
all London wanted TO read it, anu did real
IT. The Annual was soon exhausted. and
Called Back was brought out in ney, form.
a hundred thousand copies were soon sold.
IL was repubiiShed in this country, and had
an enormous sale. Ii WIS dramatizel and
ii,id a long run III LJnion aui also n New
York
As work Il art Called Back had its
defects, but II also hal what offset the de-
fects-an in1e;inable charm IL had fore,
and feeling, the germ and life of all art.
One iet that Its author had a stronr per
sonality. 1t depicted no new phase of life.
revealed no hidden things. 1t sirnply -rour..i
some old. old figures of fiction in more
striking way. There was a flavor OF p;ycbo-
5eic mystery about it. and a surprise at the
end Of it. TIE characters which fig,,rei in
1t, and whose fate had such a po.elt clarm
for 50 many thousands Of readers were: \
BIN man who RECEIVERS his sigh; by the
usual surgical opera ton a beautiful mad
woman, two very daring and successful
villains. with Il faithful nursa AMI on. ar
two other ciphers in the shaps Of obscure
servitors- Yet the adventures aud entancle.
ments Of these percentages commanded the
public's warmest attention
Anew months later Dark DAYS" appeared.
This lad still greater success than its pre.ie /
ccSsor. Its beroins vas also a beautiful mad
woman, and II had n captivating surprise in /
tie las chapter. IL was steady. unnlitiyate,i
tra-eiy from the first Ia the last word IL /
was serious - the point Of depres sion. never ,
teviating INTO the slightest approach to the .
comic or fipPant 1t was an intense story. I
dramatically told in the first person. 1t had :
hot line oi philosophy. Indeed, there was 1
not word III II unnecessary t. til, simple !
telling OF powerful tale It, author had .
acted upon the old idea that story shouH !
simply IT, a Story-no;hiuS more nothing /
ess. He demonstrated that 1t needed moth
M but power and feeling TO make /; ,ak.
hold ON its readers
These two books brought gold AMI L1nor
% thelE author, ami opened the way for fu-
.urc achievements In the field he had long
10 enter. Then. Just =. L., hal
larry begun TO breathe the air Of rs !reaIus
he died. tlo-e attention u hi work Ieit
lim exhausted. S,-ekIa- recreation and rest
be- went 10 Rome. AMI there probably en-
rac;ei the malaria which cillr1i..a,eI in
Uphold fever al Monaco. sni ..u.i hs .ife
Ne, VINO see only that TART Of T.. which
o.-inS ami ends here look I'D n sudden
uppIng of Ike this with sadneSS II strike,
l. with mOurnful Isrplcxity. Yet; II has
,een said. that some time shall know that
very lite L complete The symmetry ami
sarfection Of human enieavor ar hidden
rom cur finite eyes but they NAV t.s thor,
:. 10 hat oil -, 9
mptv and unrewariei. Even what l,.1zs :,
o Us may elsewhere have It's full fruition. is
onC day Of loy. The soul that rnyS-erlyas 7
tar Of our life which ''comaih from afnr~
urns it, hack upon tn, prizes Of the world
ha; II may win greater ones IN better c0un-
ries-
Death. the ancient mystery. biics many a
srfectei dream beneath a coffin id In
e,sl. We NAV one day learn that h : ki:st-
Il 20 rho>e who's eyes he closes while life i
TIL bright 20 them. They who pass cat Of
b. contest before they are wognd.4 are
cub;leSs the most bless Il Yet we are =
ntaught in wisdom that We t.aSrow ur.o-,
hem pify ami lamentations instea O. felici
sfionS We speak u: the Sad1e-Ss q a life
nisi when il desires were tss-Iri-izlz 20 b.
sali1ei- We forge. that ell honors are
bort lived. that fame 4 breath which an
diverse wind may dls~Iraie; that fair yry,>-
Gets may end IN tierCe storms; thai JOY nav
nme with the morning ami SORROW intr7sie
! night; thai hope. health. happsnsss. all
az sweet -voics>d ANGELS who walk with u
ere from time 20 time. have wings AID hv
way fitfuly, whispering never a word *
leir return
Rememherin. bow difficult it is TO live, ~e
lould Law flower upon the grave q Hugh
Ouvav with 4 smile The y.aa Dropped
-crn h. hand when il had bar b.aSun 70
low is power; vet. who shall da-s 20 Sav
has lost by ;Re ch4nZei Nan l. inieei.
few DAYS upon the earth and thosa 6ays
e filed with y "a. sem vain imaciuinrs.
tile sVrsy inSs:
Here ats hs, shaping Wings TO sy,
His heart fo-eboies uiys-erv:
he names the name eternity
Erz----r