The record-union., 1892-04-29
PATRIOTIC NOVEL.
Great Opportunity for Such Book I'm
Our Literature.

The flags were flying the other day on
all The high buildings in the city, TO
signify that il was the birthday of a
patriot. 1t was beautiful day, and as
The flags duttered against the blue, solid
citizens raised their eyes from the streets
ana felt little tremor in their hearts,
especially il they were over 40. and re-
called what intense emotions the flag
stood for when they were in their youth.
But the bulk Of the people on the
streets were under 80, and to them the
flag is symbol of merry -makings-a
fetch that clubs and hotels and theaters
display on days that are devoted To pleas
| ure. They associate it somehow with
plcnicS Of the John j. o. Malley Associa-
ton, which is organized for spoils; with
parades OF grizzled veterans who I'VE
have halt-belief1 are organized for pen
sion raids or, with the topmost girl in
the closing spectacle OF ballet or comic
opera.
The boy from the country has still an
other association for the hag-the rural
cemetery. where score or more OF
graves are marked with little weather
stained flags that set apart the resting
places of patriots. Even for him the flag
STANDS for a day Of fun, for an incongru-
Gus procession where marched all the odd
characters of the village. and hay wagon
covered with bunting, in which rode the
local beauties, gorgeous in white muslin
with red and blue sashes, and carrying
wreaths of flowers.
And ior old and young alike who read
the papers there is somewhere in Il
granny of the mind a weii-denned ideI
that the flag nowadays is symbol Of
/ political bluster and that the modern
t patriot is the man who goes 10 Congress
for the glory OF the ola llag and an APP
propriation.'
/ There is nothing in the fiction or gem
erai literature OF the decade to counteract
! this decay OF patriotism As II sentiment.
Indeed the men Of judgment ana e5uca-
ton are rather afraid of the sentimental
side OF tit has been associated with 50
much that is impractical, wrong headed
and hypOcrtical. " hen the patriot
creeps into our fiction at all, it is to hc
made fun OF, to be shown up rs a ludc-
rous person or a rather awk ward knaYe
/ Indeed we cannot recall single patriotic
novel since the period of war literature.
! Our novelists would rather analyze the
! perturbanous OF the heart OF an iulma-
! ture girl or the rasCaitieS of ''gilded
youth Than show us the development of
/ the character of really patriotic man,
| who stands in his community for ipteg-
rty, fidelity. enthusiasm in all things re-
! lating TO his country, his State, his own
! town, his own home. He is not dead by
/ any means, for almo t every hamlet has
I hlm in some stage of development. He
stands for the best Americanism, and the
encouraging thing is that he has the re-
Spect and often the admiration OF the
community in which he lives. That is
strong enough proof that the country at
large knows real patriotism when il sees
il.
But surely it ought to be in our fiction!
French, German and Italian novels are
permeated with it-for their novelists re-
alize that they are appealing to the strong
est passion, but one, in the breast of man.
/ Looked ut merely from the side of art we
ought TO have more of it, for it is inspir-
ing, elevating, often dramatic.
Or, to appeal to a lower motive, it is
apt to be very successful. Only few
days ago it was announced that new
edition of "Uncle Toms Cabin" had been
ordered to the extent of 100000 copies be-
fore the day of publication; and il is we'll
known that the "Biglow Papers are the
most popular of MIR. Lowel's writings.
And then it is clean, and decent and
maryland a big-brained man can tell
that he is not engaged in the work Of
woman novelist" it he writes a really
patriotic novel. ."-Droch, in Life