The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-02-19
A KEEN ANALYSIS OF TIE MODERN
TASTE FOR FICTION.

against Mr.. Richard Harding Davis--he
is young and his stories have moral
tendency. Few complaints could be
more thoroughly typical of our time,
not only does the popular conception of
art demand that we Danish all thought
of its ethical relations, but the new
found realism insists on reducing life to
The tedious existence OF middle 3gc. Il
is not enough that books be devoid of
moral result and have only intellectual
value, they must also be written in the
cold light of disillusionized maturity.
So insistent is this claim that we are apt
to forget the bold assumption of the pre-
mise that middle age is the only stand
point from which to see life clearly and
see it whole. By what right does the
man of fOrty.tive say to the man of
twenty-five, "My view of life is the real;
yours the unreal; you must wait until
you have sOrrowed and lost raith in
yourself and your fellow-m men, then you,
too, shall write of the world as it is ~
Is 1t irrevocably decreed that the eyes
washed by tears see clearer than the
eyes laughing with the sunshine Is the
glory that youth sees in moonlight on
city streets unreal, because in time he
shall look upon the Alps as masses of
snow covered earth Such questions as
these come occasionally to all but the
confirmed realist, threatening to over
throw one of the most cherished strong
holds of modern literary faith.
1t is significant that an Opprobrious
epithet has of late been coined from
word formerly expressive of charm and
beauty. In the pdtOiS of undergraduates
freshness is the maximum of the I'M
desirable. A man may be ignorant, self
ish, even unprincipled and yet regarded
without disfavOr by the undergraduate
world; but by being fresh he fOrleits
respect. Were it not pathetic, it might
be amusing to witness the vehement
attempts of young gentlemen to avoid
the imputatiOn of this heinous quality.
George Du Maurier has protrayed them.
Those tall and stiff young men who lean
languidly against walls, or lounge luXu-
riOuSly on divans, are neither so stupid
nor so anRmic as they look, They are
merely wearied by struggling against
their natural tendency to youth and
freshness. The slang has so uSurped the
original meaning of the adjective that it
is no longer safe to apply it without eX-
pectatiOn of misunderstanding. Yet, if
we must sacrifice the pretty old word,
we need another to express that new, UNI
soiled, spontaneous attribute of youth
that is its finest charm.
Youth is a quality as well as a con-
dition. In spite of. popular fallacies, it
is something which not every one exper-
fences and from which not everyone re-
covers. For the first of these facts we
have to blame the complexities of mod
ern civilization; for the second let us
thank the Lord. The unknown critic of
1,xrt h,., Il hat 60. Il If
this quality, as well as from the
doubtedly be freed by person carrying
defect Father Time will inevitably
have influence. Fortunately, there
is no prophet at hand to tell
us whether the quality also will be cut
off; but it does not necessarily follow
that youth will end with its condition.
There are those who keep it beyond the
allotted three-score years and ten. AL
though his head is whitened by the
SHOWS of so winters, DR.. Holmes still
plucks from his heart-garden the flowers
of spring, and thus he remains per-
ehILanJ Vf a. r-"@".,t generation. Dick
ems kept untamed his youthful exuDGa-
ance; he was also fresh, individually
avowedly, scientifically fresh, and so he
moved the world. Miss Alcott-tO add
the less to the greater-retained this
quality through life of labor, weari-
ness and sacrifice, and the result was
that she charmed the children of two
hemispheres. 1t is of course too early
to know whether Mr.. Davis's youth will
withstand the change of condition. 1t
SEEMS now 10 give favorable promise.
| The rush and force of Gallagher" the
grace of "Walk Up the Avenue" the
mlngling of the notes of reporter and
the visions of poet in the description
| of Broadway seem to be the result OF
something other than the accident of
| years and to point to continuance OF
the power that in less than % months
has brought the author from obscurity
to the front rank of latter-day writers.
The anonymous critic is also appalled,
by certain slight but ominOus symp-
TOMS in Mr.. Davis's first book, and fears
an increase of the shadow of mOraliZ-
ing'' that has ''hitherto darkened OF
chilled a few of his stories. The cause
of this dire prognostication is the last
Van Bibber episode, the story OF Her
First Appearance" Even his warmest
admirers have to acknowledge that the
, author overreached himself in this am
|
quote again from the critic, he usel ''the
motif to which he needs to grow" Van
Bibber in that attitude was beyond his
author, unfortunately he was also beyond
himself; and in this lies the chief defect
of the story. The hero of the swan boats
and the impromptu wedding isnot the
hero of the stage and the midnight con.
ference. Had the story been called ivan
BibEer's Last Appearance" his friends
would have felt easier for the reputation
of that placid and pleasant young gen
tleman.
The Atlantic censor sneers at ANY
thing so uncomfortable and uncOm
promising as Broadway Sir Galahad.
Sir Galahads and Sir Philip Sidneys have
not been without artistic anC
vital value in former days; tina
our age should recognize no neeC
of their presence is either
tribute to its morality or proof of it
dulled perception. 1t is well to look oil
life with clear eyes; it is better to see i
with clean eyes. In an age aud countr.
fretted by realism falsely so called) anC
stained by sensualism, it is neither cas-.
nor common for brilliant and popula
author to err by an over balance of NOR
atty. That this should be the severes
censure brought by critics will seem t.
many highest praise.
There are many things that life and ex
: perience will inevitably teach Mr.. Davis
there are many others that the critic
will vigorously attempt to make hir
learn. that he NAV receive his lesson