Telegram-herald., 1890-02-21

osasa@s1y D@aksr1as.
IA sz1s1s1E o. yslcl41 ea,e excla4zasd-
-s3od slsss rns 80FeEsz1. t1sy t2ks -
s9t u to csrss 1E1 Ii4-s tat bessE
sax zAlly paths 4n1 sPsa p nes 4n4
i4s@l 1eE--s y saioynsns - "a" s-rs-
~ kzsss s9r1s Esrs spoksa sofors Ia
G2Ys q 1sdsra realism. IN tie good cid
ezass .Esa people rs41 aosels f0r lnno-
e@as dlssrs1oa .ad haze seea EnosR -
Fs-d f.F iaso to small hours. ~lthogt
kaFing their soa-s stirred - t1ssr
1sprhs b. sozs qusstisa ~ aoctri GO Or
morality, iars1 ca - Fegsrdlsssnsss ot
~ elg1E % time ~ lhelF absorbing n
ssrsss IN Lsoyringl ns mislndsrsranc-
las between Dorsta and 81 Giles, Or
khs rslan.lsss EreArn az q loves young
tfs4z by soms stsrn Efeai o. guard an
n - aOh however. GA realism Il the
esadly da-l ssrt sAst a. s0aa tEeIi
sEat hAs airssay been talked about
more than sao9ga. s64 vii doubtless
w.sr iEssI oas Ia the hzn1s Of tns
naay less sxiiifuI wSiters Who are sa-
Essrori1z 70 foll0s t1s footsteps
~ its gifted high-priesss- An
othsr phase, saa one that threat
sns far greater sanger 70 hteraturs
sad - life. Is that zhieh comes from
tDreign schools and which, unwhole-
scms as it % IN g. native habitat 10
sttll more dangerous and disastre1s
when xznsplanssa 90 other soils. For
sous years ~s were almost solely de-
psndenE upon France Tor microscopic
studies OF morbid life, character and
situation; bat within short period the
sxsenslye tmportati0ns from Russia and
other northern countries have enlarged
the realistic horizon, and ssil more re-
Gently Spain has begun 10 send In her
rsturns May Of these novels, notably
those OF Toistoi. have IN them, with all
ths objections which may Do made TO
She scenes aud characters introduced, a
high moral purpose and teach valuable
and impressive lessons some OF our
n0velists however. with = strange fatal
fty. and as Il in defiance Of The charge
Of American seriousness IN literature,
have seized what may be looked upon
~ the outer she'll Of realism, carefully
avoiding its inner spirit Hence We
have in some Of our later fiction the dis
.orti0ns In life and situation that the
French realls,s delight in depicting,
united 70 a certain gross elaboration
that marks ths northern novelist with
the moral lessons ensrely left out-a
sort of literary stunning FOR IT'S own
sake, with no good end in view. that is
rot only aimless, but distinctly debas-
tng la its tendencies II we do not de-
nan1 high moral lesson 20 De taught by
what is called our best fiction, which too
apparent purpose seems 20 BE the ground
and front ci is offending IN tho eye Of
many oi is critics. let Us at least req uire
OF 10 a reasonable degree Of wholesome
ness that old-fashioned ideals Of good
ness be not entirely sacrificed 70 hne-
spun theories, and that there be enough
tdsaity left in IL - act as a corrective
60 the gross materialisTn OF tho age
George Eliot. in consequence OF the
fidelity and conscientious accuracy with
which she drew her characters and
scenes, deserves high place in the
temple OF realism. and yet how much
more was she than q reallst7-touching
always The life that she portrayed with
the nner touch o. spirituality. and treat
Ing her personalities, whatever their
faults and failures. and whatever she
herself nay have protcssed 70 believe or
- disbelieve,s as the children Of Father
who designed them all for the mob lest
uses. and would De satisfied with nothing
short Of she perfection Of sOnsAip. Why
else did sire Judge her characters with
such inexorAble severity, being satisfied
with no standard short OF the highest2
Anne II. Wharton. in Philadelphia
American.