New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-12
DT1LECT N FICTION

There has Of late been quite burst OF
dialect stories, and it is not surprising that
apprehensions should have arisen lest the new
vein be overworked. In fact, something III
the nature Of reaction is already appearing ana
II has even been stated with an emphasis as
Of relief and satisfaction, that dialect is rapidly
disappearing in the United States. and that
the regions in which it most rankly ilouishcd
few years ago will soon know it no more
The question whether this, if true, IS really
matter for rejoicing, is rather too large to be
adequately considered here Doubtless the
substitution of good English for dialect, IN so
far as the change signifies an advance OF use
full knowledge, may be held to indicate prog
ress. But there are other aspects OF the case
which must be studied. and first Of all 1t must
be remembered that the central issue in con-
trovcrsy is the use of dialect in fiction.
The desire for fiction is shared by nineteen
twentieths of all people whose minds are de-
yeloped TO a certain extent. Tastes differ with
conditions and intellectual grades, but one or
two broad rules or laws may be poStulated as
appearing to govern The general reader choice
in novels OF these rules the most lmporlan6
to the present discussion is that which lmpelS
the reader to seek descriptions Of life rs differ
ent as possible from that with which he or she
| is familiar This is the law which springs from
the evcr-active Idcalism Of Humanity. The
work at hand is always drearily realistic to
the worker Experience disilusionizes. Man
never is. but always to be, best" who reads
Marryatt and Russell and Tom Cringe and all
the nautical novelists? Not those who them
selves go down to the deep in ships. The sail
or never wants to read about the sea. lie pre-
fers stories of pastoral life, of that life on land
which is generally so unfamiliar to him that his
fancy ranges unchecked all about it. The
nautical novel fascnates the youth to whom
the ocean is a great mystery. Who, again,
cares to read those artificial tales of pseudo
fashionable life which are so regularly supplied
to the patrons Of certain widely circulated
story papers? Not the people who know what
fashionable life is; they would not look at the
stuff. The eager readers Of these novels arc
poor working girls and boys, people who never
have had the least opportunity OF knowing
anything about the gay, frivolous. cxtrayagan
world supposed TO be photographed for theil
delectation. 1t is always the law Of the mag
NATIVE life which controls selection in sucl
cases.
If this be So however, the levelling process
now in operation is liable to produce results
upon fiction which both the writers and thu
publishers may regard with some uneasincss
For what is really involved in the curren
talk about the disappearance Of dialect i
the outgrowing and casting off of great mum
Der of dirfcrentiating characteristics and trait
which hitherto have furnished the elements o
the picturesque and the romantic in literature
What fiction will become when we all occup
y dead level Of commonplace; when individ
uality, eccentricity, primitiveness, navete
have been done to death by universal inocula
ton with certain rather low grade Of culture
we can indeed picture to ourselves in some dir
way by rejecting on the few examples OF ad