Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-05-24
AMERICAN FICTION.
tts Tendencies at the Present Tune Are
Decidedly Dangerous.

tts Teadeactrs At the Present Time Are
Decidedly Dangerous.
An eminent physician once exclaimed:
'tiod bless the novelists, they take us
out OF the cares and trials that beset
our daily paths and open up new and
ideal worlds OF enjoyment 70 usT' sure
iy these words were spoken before the
days OF modern realism, In the good old
shines when people read novels for inno-
cent diversion and have been known 20
read far into the small hours. without
having their souls stirred 10 their
depths by some question Of doctrine or
morality, lured on 10 segardlessness OF
the flight OF time by their absorbing in.
terest in labyrinthine misunderstand
ing between Dorothea and 81. Giles. or
the relentless treatment OF loves young
dream by some stern parent or guardian.
IL is not however, upon realism OF the
deadly dull sort that We would dwell,
that has already been talked about
more than enough, and will doubtless
wear itself out In tho hands OF the
many less skillful writers who are en-
deavoring to follow the footsteps
OF its gifted high-priests. An
i 1Nhtt Bua-trs OHb tuAt tnft8t
ems far greater danger to literature
and to life. is that which comes from
foreign schools and which. unwhole-
some as IL Is in its native habitat, is
still more dangerous and disastrous
when transplanted 20 other soils. For
some years we were almost solely de-
pendent upon France for microscopic
studies of morbid life, character and
situation; but within q short period the
extensive importations from Russia and
other northern countries have enlarged
the realistic horizon, and still more re-
GENTLY Spain has begun to send in hel
returRs. Many Of these novels, notably
those OF Tolstoi have in them. with al
the objections which may b. made Il
the scenes and characters introduced,
i. high moral purpose and teach valuable
and impressive lessons Some of oui
novelists. however, with strange fatal
ity, and as IL In defiance of the eharg,
OF American seriousness In literature
have seized what may be looked upoI
{ rs the outer shell OF realism. carefully
avoiding its inner spirit Hence W,
have in some Of our later fiction the dis
y tortions in life and situation that tn
: French realists delight in depictins
4 united 10 certain gross elaboration
Z that marks the northern novelist, wit
the moral lessons entirely left out
sort OF literary Summing for its ow
: sake, with no good end In view, that
/" not only aimless, but distinctly debal
I ing in its tendencies. N we do not d.
mand high moral lesson to be taught b
what is called our best fiction. which ts
apparent purpose seems TO be the groun
and front Of It's offending in the eye
many Of itscritics. let US at least req uil
OF 1t a reasonable degree of wholesom
I, ness, that old-fashioned ideals Of goo
y ness be- not atirely sacrificed TO fin
y spun theories, and that there be enOup
ideality left In II To act as q correcti'
. to the gross materialism of the ag
! George Eliot. In consequence of n
= fidelity and conscientious accuracy wit
which she drew her characters al
scenes. deserves a high place in Il
temple of realism. and yet how mus
more was she than a realist2--touchir
always the life that she portrayed vii
~ the finer touch of spirituality, and trea
ing her personalities, whatever the
b faults and failures. and whatever sh
's herself may have professed TO believe
e TO disbelieve as the children OF Faths
who designed them all for the mob le
l. uses, and would be satisfied with nothiu
y short of the perfection OF sonship. WI
u else did she judge her characters wit
u such inexorable severity, being Statistic
.. with no standard short OF the highest
e Anne H. Wharton, in PHILADELPHIA
A Amarican