Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-06-26
DRIFT.

American fiction | don't think So. A
: the same time 1t is pretty certain that tn,
short story has come to stay. Without IL
any wise supplnnting tho novel proper, 1
has made tor iisol and admirably fills a dis
tinct and important place In literature. And
rs such 1t demands and deserves particular
attention In the history ot literature th,
moro so rs 1t IL unique and distinctive out
| growth of the american character. 1t Is the
most original and notable contribution our
country thus FAR has made to the realm of let
ters wholly product of our peculiar ma
tionalty, and every way characteristic o
our whole thought aud life.
| THE American short story il the egitimats
child of the American magazine, and begot-
ten OF the American spirit of restless hurry,
and demand for something which |" he that
runneth may read" oar English cousins
may be able to sit down in their easy-chairs
and take lite leisurely while they doze over
their regulation three volume novel Hut
| life Is deemed too short for tina, over here.
We rush through 1t ON an express train. II
| we read at all, II must be something we can
carry in our pockets or snatch up on the
| tram, ana can finish in an hour or day.
| rms ieNerish demand our magazines set
| themselves to supply by creating the short
|
novel put up in convenient shape for rapid
swallowing and quick digestion, something
| like the attempted concentration of the es-
| sence OF a full meal into a little pill, to be
| carried in the vest pocket and swallowed
| whole TO save the valuable time now spent
| in eating.
| lr must be confessed that the coucentra.
| ton Of our literary nourishment has been,
comparatively at least, more of success
| than that of our bodily. Somehow or other
| people persistenty refuse, even for the sake
OF making more money, 10 forego the rest
and pleasure of eating three square meals q
day. 1t Is, however, well nigh the only
time and pleasure We don't begrudge and
wholly deny ourselves, the only thing we
have so far refused entirely to sacrifice to the
interest and needs of trade and money-get-
ting. In fact, good many have cut down
even this little margin so closely that dys-
pepsia is killing them.
THERE are also a few, even in mercantile
America who refuse TO be robbed of the re-
creation and oniuyments OF their mental
meal by the substitution of any literary con-
centrated.essence-pi And l agree with
them. ] believe there are enough of them
IN the country, and more are coming, to
make 1t sure that the deliberate, artistic pro.
ductions OF literature will never be sup
planted by anything else. There are still
good many, and their number is growing,
who believe that life is given us To live, not
only to spend in exchange for money. They
can and do take time every day for the en-
Joyment OF square meal OF spiritual, intel
lectual, wsthetic, literary nourishment-and
they don't begrudge it either. Their real
life, their manhood and womauhood. gets
more genuine and substantial profit and gain
from it than the body does from its physical
food, or than ten times the money value of
that same time would be equivalent to. No,
let others swallow their food. pills on the run
II they please, we prefer to sit down to our
properly.set table and take our time, as hon.
est folks should, TO the full and deliberate
discussion and thorough enjoyment and d-
gestion of the whole and unconcentrated
oeefsteak, potatoes, vegetables, de-dishes,
desserts and all. The time so spent may lose
us little money, perhaps but it won't give
us dyspepsia, anyhow
Do l, therefore, disapprove of the short
story? Not bit of it am proud OF il a.
an American production, and rel oice in it as
the most original and characteristic feature
of our national literature. But want 1t to
stay in its place aud not try to crowd out any
other equally legitimate feature. | tho
roughly believe in it as happy invention
Tor our mental luncheon, TO take along on |
plcnlcs and in the cars yes, and to enjoy at |
home between meals. But | don't want it |
to become in any wise substitute for those |
meals themselves. That's all.
There is danger of this For example, |
only few days ago very intelligent young |
friend of mine, who has probably read every |
short story that has appeared in recent years,
astonshed me with the confession that out
side OF the Scarlet Letter he had never read
anything OF Hawthorne Further inquiry
revealed the humiliating fact that of about |
every ten young men and women who read
all the short stories that are printed, scarcely
one has read enough of Hawthorne Lowell, |
Holmes, Emerson, to have become really ac.
quainted with these classics. l could |
scarcely believe it Yet it is a fsct-s most
deplorablc fact 1t is as bad as trying to live
on cream and berries alone and refusing to
eat of the juicy roast and steak the bread
and solid food on the table.
II had my way no \ N erican should read
a single novel or romance until a thorough
course OF Hawthorne had been gone through
Few who have not read all the works of this |
greatest writer and most perfect literary ar.
tist OF our land have any idea of the compre-
hensiveness and versatility of his work. 1t
- pet theory OF mine that the careful and |
Intelligent reading of his various writings
alone would be one OF the most profitable
courses that could be taken, would furnish |
nearly all that Is needed for the foundations |
OF thorough literary education, The boy |
or girl beginning with his Wonder Book,
Told Tales and Moses from an Old Manse,
and his English Note Books and American
Note Book, to train up to the stud V of The Mar
ble Faun, The Scarlet Letter, Sepiimius Fell
ton and the rest-the reader who had gone
through such a course would, / firmly be.
lieve, have acquired more solid foundation
OF the best literary culture, would have a |
more correct taste formed, and become DOS |
sessed of a certain inialiible and pure literary
than could bs obtained from the |
study OF double the number of volumes of |
any other or of any dozen other authors / |
go on the principle in this that the first
books we read are the ones that as a rule |
form our literary tastes and give us uncon-
sciOusly our standards and criteria, according |
to which we Judge all others afterwards.
Therefore, the first ought by all means to be
the very best. And hence Hawthorne ought
to be the first
BUT don't take just any edition of Haw-
thorne. Get only the best, the only one
worthy of this wonderful "Artist of the
Beautiful" l refer, OF course, to the River
side Edition, complete In twelve beautiful
octave volumes, with paper, Typography, il
and binding such as Hawthorne
himself would have chosen--one of the hand
sets OF books for use know Of And
IL has more than its beauty to commend it. 1t
Is conscientiously, sympathetically edited by
the great writer's son-in-law, George Parsons
himself one OF our most refined lit
erary scholars and artists. His study of
Lille, the best biography Of him
extant, together with the different prefaces,
and copious notes TO each vol