Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-11-02
MODERN NOVELIST.
The Heroine of "a Little Journey In The
Wo-ld' meets "A Young Novelist.

There was a young novelist present
whose first story. The Girl ! Left Be.
hind Me-" had made a hi the last sea.
son. 1t was thought TO take a pro-
found hold upon life, because it was a
book that could not he read aloud in 3
mixed company. Mar Saret was very
much interested in him. although Mr..
Summers Bass was not her idea Of an
imaginative writer. He was a stout
young gentleman, with very black
hair and small black eyes. TO which it
was difficult TO give a melancholy cast
even 10y a habitual frown. Mr.. Bass
dressed himself scrupulously in the
fashion, was very exact in his pronun-
citation, careful about his manner, and
had the air of a little WEAKNESS, of the
responsibility of one looking at life.
1t was only at rare moments that his
face expressed intensity of feeling.
1t Is a very pretty ssene. l sup
pose, Mr.. Bass, that you are making
studies" said Margaret, by way Of
opening a conversation.
NO; hardly that. One must al
ways observe. Il gets to be IA habit.
The thing is to see reality under APP
~pearanceS."
Then you would call yourself a re.
alist?n
Mr.. Bass smiled. THAT is a slang
term, Mrs. Henderson. What YOU want
is nature, color, passion-to pierce the
artiiicialities."
but you must describe appearance
Certainly, TO an extent, form. action.
talk as it is seven triyialities-espccially
the trivialities, for life is made up of
the trivial
But suppose tina: does not interest
me?"
Pardon me, Mrs. Henderson, that is
because you are used to the conven-
tional, the selected. Nature is always
interesting"
Il do not find it So"
mo? Nature has been covered up.
1t has been idealized. Look yonder,"
and Mr.. Bass pointed across the lawn.
"See that young woman upon whom
the sunlight falls standing waiting her
turn. See the ~quiyering of the eyelids,
the heaying of the chest, the opening
lips; note the curve of her waist from
the shoulder, and the line rounding in
TO the fall of the folds of the Austrian
cashmere. l try to saturate myself
with that form, to impress myself with
her every attitude and gesture, her
color, her movement. and then | shall
imagine the form under the influence
OF passion. Every detai. will tell. ]
do not find unimportant the tie Of her
shoe. The picture will be life."
But suppose, Mr.. Bass. when you
come to speak with her, you find that
she has no ideas, and talks slang"
''All the better. 1t shows what we
are, what u society is. And besides,
Mrs. Henderson, nearly everybody has
the capacity of being wicked; that is TO
say, OF expressing emotion"
You take q gloomy view,Mr. Bass
II take no view, Mrs. Henderson.
My ambition is to record. 1t will not
help matters by pretending that people
are better than they are"
'Well, Mr.. Bass. You may be quite
right, but am not going to let you
spoil my enjoyment of this lovely
scene said Margaret, moving away.
Mr.. Bass watched her until she dis.
appeared, and then entered in his note.
book a phrase for future use-'.The
prosperous propriety of a pretty pluto.
crat." He was gathering materials
for his forthcoming book, THE Last
Sigh of the Prude. charles Dude,
Harser, ia Harper's Ma9dzine.