Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-05-26
DRIFT.

n high place among the female pools OF our
country. But she evidently was not con-
tent with this. Her smbl.ion--or is II her
genius 2 urged her on into new and other
fields and the result In that she has written
q novel, which not only has taken every
body by surprise, but which, feel positive
will win her . place among American
writer's OF fiction fully o. high as, or higher
than "The Old Garden " secured her
among our poe,a "Jobn Ward, Preacher,"
Ia tho name Of the novel and n anything
stronger in its way has been written In
American fiction since the appearance OF
Helen Jackson's Ramona" haven't seen
II certainly nothing has sppeared with .
more original plot and novel motif, nothing |
with more skilfully drawn characters moro |
skilfully managed, with . strength, assur-
ance and reserve that would bo admirable
novelist, but that In a "frst story" are |
wonderful, almost incredible.
"John Ward "isa CAlvinist preacher Of
the old Puritan stripe, who believe, with
all bis soul, not only In every tenet OF his
theology, but a. firmly that such belief is
essential to salvation. In this way he holds
10 the faith in = literal hell lie honestly,
sincerely believes that to doubt 1t is to be
everlastingly damned. His wife Helen, q
lovely young woman, who has never
learned the imporl eure of creeds, but was
brt ught mp In the o mo ,phere OF theological
indiffsrentisn, cannot DrinR herself to be-
lieve In her loving and beloved husbands
hell, much ~ she tries to do 10. His con-
gregatioD, q narrow, ignorant, phaIisaic
set, scent her heTeay," and bring all the
inquisitorial machinery OF ecclesiasticism
to bear against her and him. According to
bis faith she will be eternally lost II sbe
does not repent and be not converted to
his idea OF hell. He tries to convert her.
She tries to be converted. They fail.
Finally, 80 doth bis heart yearn for her
salvation that he drives her from him,
though II nearly kills him to do IT, think.
Ing that thus she may be converted, DC.
But Ill not 20 op. 1t sounds too unreal
and unnatural to tell II thus, while as elab-
GRATED In the story It Is all horribly, pathet..
icsliy, trsgically natural and real. That is
just where the authors skill seems most
marvellous to me. How she can keep us
not only from despising and hating John
| Ward rs q miserable fanatic, but can keep
| up our sympathy for him, make us pity
| him, almost as much an we pity his poor
wife, is almost inexplicsble TO me. But
| nevertheless she does It.
Nor is John Ward an impossible charac.
ter, a. from any attempted outline like the
above It might appear. He II, II anything,
more possible and real than Helen. l have
known fanatics Just az lovsble, tender,
noble, In their humanity, and Just as hate.
iul and diabolical In their theology. He is
thoroughly real and perfectly natural Z
| painful character but q fascin ating one, as
the hero OF q novel one OF the most diff
cult ones, Justly and adequately to depic
that can well be Imagined. l don't ret
how Mrs Dsland could do 1t no admirably
| we'll.
Nor are the other leading characters les,
skilfuily drawn. Not only the heroine
who wins the readers heart from the star
and keeps It to the end but especially he
q uncle, the easy going, comfortable Episco
!. | pal rector. who Is an typical OF his class a
Ward IL OF the other extreme. ! hav
known more than one just like him--s
have you. The old bachelor lawyer In ais
fine character, most amusing yet pstheti
q In the indecision and attempted imparti
= ality OF his life long attention to the two ds
. | lightful old epinster sisters He can
make up his mind which one he loves, o
rather ought to love most, and finally die
O | still trying impartisily and Justly to divid
. | his affections and attentions between them
, Take II all In all, the more think OF
| the more admire the skill Of the author
The novel IL work to be proud of. l dom
know OF a stronger one In recent America
fiction. Those who fan TO read II will mis-
D ono OF the best things Of tho kind that ha
3 been produced for many year.
: The publication by Messrs. Houghton
Nj Min & Co, almost simultaneously will
: their publication OF a. ohm w ard, Preacher,
3 of new edition OF Howells's "TheIr Wed
ding Journey" with an additional chapte
describing visit to Niagara by husband
wife and children 'twelve years after" let
> me to reread the whole book. i laid tn
volume aside when finished with not lttl
regret What a pity that an author VIII,
could write 30 charmingly, and who still
| can, as the Traditional chapter" ciearl,
shows,-wbat great pity that he has sban
y dOnod the field OF his early triumphs TO be
| come the champion, worshIpper an,
preacher OF mere realism For after al
MIR. HOwells has never since written any
o thing more genuinely enjoyable, NOR
o | truly charming In every Respect, than thos
|. | early stories like "rheir Wedding Jou
, | ney," "a Chance Acquaintance" "a Fore
= gone Conclusion" and the rest Of this
kind,-no; and II is certain that he neve
will 40 long ss he is joined to his Ffenc
and Russian idols, and tries to be- real 10
resiism's sake Let him repent" and do tn
/ uIat WOIkh Iltt nIulselI hgAIf
and his realism will be- real and natural an
). Of the very beat kind
q That Traditional chapter" by the way
Q you want to read. Henoeforth "The
= Wedding Journey" Is not complete with
;, out 1t.
While am talking about novels, wan
= to tell you about q project started by III
= fertile brain and untiring enterprise OF tn
n New York publisher, John Il. Alder
t While others have been holding meeting
a making speeches, petitioniDg Congress
a and what not, to protect and encoursg
!, | American authors, Mr. Alden has gone I
0 work and done something that will open
| field to American writer's, will secure then
9 against foreign competition, aud at tn
. | clean, pure, good literature, at a cost so tri
. fing M hardly to be called cost at oil.
z HIS project Is this He issues 4
d weekly numbers part OF move
't or entire short stories written OF
o clusively for him and exclusively b.
: American authors (no foreign writer's wor
i, | will be accepted and none IL reprinted
, paid for by him and copyrighted, whic
. numbers can be had by subscribers at on
. | dollar n yearl That is, for one dollar yo
get every week sbout fifty pages OF O
;, | original American story, ~ good as Ameri
y can writers can be an pied to producs; 8
= | that every four to eight weeks you have a
= . entire novel Of from 200 TO 400 pages, aud i
year you get from six to ten or more sue
. = complete novels, lsa't that sim My wonder
ful ? The pu blication Is called The Nopetis
IL printed on good paper, In large, ces
!, type and In neat and attractive form ap
Z cover. The completed novels, then, wi
!. be Iepublished separsteiy In handson
cloth binding, and In this form can be he