The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-06-25
A TRUE STORY.
IN Wicked Woman, Who, Out
wardly, Went UNPUBLISHED.

"The fiction of the present day lacks
Ehe essence of romance; it is all hard
Eact; there is plenty of clever character
drawing, bold and striking, but there
isno soft, vague background of poetic
shadow in which fanciful natures de-
ight."
The speaker was man of middle age
with whom / had been conversing on
Gle shady piazza of a country tavern.
He was known throughout the region
as a scholarly person Of somewhat I'M
reliable habits, who boarded either at
the aforesaid tavern or at the houses Of
some of the farming folk where he oc-
cAsionally gave lessons. 1t was ru-
mored that he was under some social
Punishment, and that he was closely
related to a certain city millionaire;
kut of that knew nothing, and cared
less. All that I did know was that he
was familiar with all the ms and outs
of the woods, that he was a successful
angler and pleasant companion, eager
co read all the magazines and newspa-
pers l had with me, and to Critieise
them freely, which of course interested
me as an occasional contributor thereof.
lie had Just finished reading what /
considered a typical New England
story, full of odd humor and provincial
peeuliarities, and as he handed the
book TO me made the above remark.
I suggested that the romance of our
Cav consisted in the wonderful per-
G0Fmances Of electricity and steam, far
outrivaling the deeds of the past, with
even supernatural accessories; but he
shook his head as If 1 had not caught
lis meaning.
''That is Just where the trouble lies;
The age is materialistic; so is its litera-
ture. How else do you account for the
success Of lola and his tribeP Iremem-
Der, when a boy, hearing my mother
sRlk of the Juror occasioned by Waiver
ioy-the mystery of its authorship, the
profound secrecy Scott maintained
imagine how absurd a man would be
considered who should act thus now
Adays. But how much more absurd, if
Ne should undertake to depict the Joys
and sorrows of a chivalric time or
tTRnscribe the lays of troubadour."
81 am not so sure"
''But 1 am. / speak somewhat from
experience. 1 have written for this
aud that periodical; the higher its level,
She more prOsaio its demands. Study
from life,' they tell me; paint from
nature forgetting with what different
eyes we look on nature; how our own
aabit of mind cOlors all we see. Shall
tell you a storyP Not to illustrate
nv theory exactly, but because am
The mood, you are lazy, and there is
al hing else to do just now"
gladly acquiesced.
fsMy mother was q remarkable
S-yoman-everybody' mother is that,
you know; she had a clear head, re-
aontive memory, and a wide expert
gnce. She was the daughter of q New
London shipping merchant, who came,
when she was quite young, to live in
New York, that his children might
nave the advantages not procurable in
provincial town. But New York
t.Nlf was not much more than that
'ton compared with European cities.
IL. il did have several good schools,
j0g's College, and, 1 believe, some
ther endowed Institutions. Nv grand
,ther had made money, and he was
Iesirous that his children should not
only be well educated, but should Rd-
vance socially.
There was then considerable sristo-
cratic feeling prevailing against people
in trade, but my grandfather Seized
The bull by the horns, took a house in
Pine street, furnished it according 70
sSe taste of the day, sent his children
~ school and dsnoing-school (the lat
q was taught by a French refugee Of
good birth), patrOniEed the theater
ard the School of Fine Arts, and enter
.siued the notabilities who came 70 this
y estern wild in search of health or
wealth, or both. He succeeded admir-
ably, was considered public-spirited
ard generous. and made many friends.