The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-28
THE MEMPHISAPPEAL
THURSDAY. -, MARCH ae. 1870
"MoRALlrY IN NoYELS.n


We publish In another column, from The
Ner York Herald, a symposium to which
several Of The leading writers Of the coun.
try are parties, aud In which they express
themselves rs to tho limitations OF the
novelist Some Of them are very conscry.
alive in what they say, some Of them take
middle ground aud some Of them, like
Julian Hawthorne, Mrs. Anterior and
Mrs. Wilcox, are inclined TO be radical.
But what they say Is interesting rs an
expression Of opinion upon a phase
Of literature which. compared 10 the
newspaper is very limited indeed. The
discussion is, for this reason, 10 our mind
narrow and restricted. What effect, for
instance, could $1,000 copies Of any Of the
obiectcd-to novels have compared 10 the
striking advertisements one meets with
in every daily newspaper and even in
tomc Of the religious wceklics that tell Of
the dc,clcrous effects Of cro,ic cxcesscs?
These 20 broadcast into millions Of homes
every day and there Is no protest. There
are also the bald, bare stories Of the
crimes against sell. no longer confined
10 medical treatise, tho illustrations
Of which leave noihlngsconccalcd. 10.
side these and the influence aud effect
they may possibly have on girls a.
well a. boys who have not the advantage
Of wa,chiul mother training, the woni
novels We have recently heard oi-as
'Tho Quick or the Dcadg' the author OF
which was specially pulled by The Hcoahi
s tho promise Of great things aud "a
Transaction In Hcars"-would be- as a
mero passing breeze too daily hurricane.
Then look at tho stage. Since the day
when "Thc Black Crook" was dst ''pu,
on" the nude drama as ithas boon called,
has been going from bad 10 worse, the
lowest degree being reached when n com.
pany Of pretty girls were manhallcd
aud Unanswered as birds In "Tho Devil,
Auction and the Twelve Temptations
Wherever these plays have cnproduccd
especially In small places whore our "coun
Try cousins have free access to the Thestcr
the managers have bccn encouraged b,
crowded houses, full half the audience
bcing composed Of the fair sex. who won
not offended 10y the degradation Of som
Of their less fortunate sisters. The ncws
papou have inyclghed against This sort q
dramatic performance, bat the Managers
smariing under tie adverse aud some
times severe criticism, say the publ
prefer II TO what Is classihc
astho Legitimate drama. And thus IN
stage Is made 70 body forth the spirit q
the time and hold as 'twcrc the mirror u
10 nature. As with the drama 20 wit
the novel, TO which Il h 70 closely allie,
The people will read what IA scnzauonI
in preference 10 anything that deals wit
the philosophy Of life. The moro pc.
sonal the new the more the newspap,
n lkcly 10 b. read, and ,lcc ycrsa. m
scandal and Grim. con. are read an
remembered when thing Of vital conocr
20 O community are forgotten. The ain
lcs Quick or the Dcadg' every pa,
Of Il rocking with desire, was al
plauded by many Of tho critics, ai
wa largely read. and there was q
immediate demand for the Likeness an
the biography Of the writer. whose pc
sonaiiiy was identified as that Of n
heroine In spite Of the purity Of her III
Not 20 with Hernia suydam," by Mfr