New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-27
RECENT FICTION.
DISCUSSED BY \ WRITER oF IT

The Lucerne correspondent Of "Thc London
Chronicle sends to that journal on account Of Dr.
Conan Doyles lecture on Fiction Part Of
Literature" just delivered At Of Dr Lunn =
conferences in Christ church.
Or Doyle came down heavily on the critics who
whine forth pessimstic lamentations over the de-
cay OF literature. The pronencss OF the critic The
doctor held. was always to deprcciate the literary
talent OF the days in which he lived. but as fact
he maintained that the fiction OF the present cen
fury was the most certain and permanent part or
Engand's glory. and would last in the memory and
appreciation OF the people after the labors Of the
statesman and the soldier had crumblcd away one
very striking feature in regard 10 the present
fury fiction its breadth OF view The novelist
was growing ever more cosmopolitan. and In this
sense literary federation was preceding the feder-
alton Of the empire. As examples OF this thought
DR.. Doyle instanced Kpng. whose volcanic style
OF writing showed traits Of the glow of the East
Stevenson. who was gradually unfolding the ern
ture Of the South Seas. in which the beat Of the
waves and the rustic Of the palm leaves were Dis
tnctly recognizable Rider Iagpnr1. who had
shown a romance which overhung the frontier line
of civilization, and revealed something Of the de-
batable land where the white impineed the
black human subject: olive Schrener. and others.
And on these grounds the doctor ventured the rca-
sonabe hope that the Hight literature OF the future
would not be less brilliant II 1t did not exceed.
the literature OF the past Indeed his personal ex-
pectations went further for he hoped the present
day talent would develop the tropical tree whose
branches downward. Till. reaching the ground.
they take fresh root and unite the parent stem
with many others az strong and as thick as itself.
Narrowing the view to fcton writer's of very
cent times, Dr. Doyle held that the present gener
alton OF authors are largely tinged with Robert
Louis Stcvenson-a man who ranked high among
the few English writer's who possessed the dual
capacity Of writing IA book and II taking short
tba hold 70 la. ,uit.I
tinct-Thackeray, Scott Reade and George Eliot
to wit none of whom had made any mark with
the short story order OF literature. And while so
many writer's were thus tinged with Stevenson.
Stevenson himself in the genesis OF his author
ship largely Influenced by George Meredith. BY the
way, in the outset of the lecture. Dr. Doyle had
remarked that George Meredith and Thomas Hardy
powers who, notwithstanding. had failed to hold
the public like OF their predecessors. Return
had shown "A greater power OF selecting exact lam
giage for the expression OF exact ideas For exam
pie. His eyes chung coastng round to me" showed
admirably the furtlye glance OF the guilty man the
expression 'cOasting beng there invested with quite
like a taut rope" and his blows resounded on the
grave as thick as sohs were other instances Of
schrener. j. NJ. Barrie (whom DR. Doyle thought
was destined to live in the memories of Scotsmer
ali all given their need Of panegyric and then Dr.
Doyle came down 10 Rudyard Klpling-a man whose
who evidently lacked the faculty OF Judging his
own work, but who, Notwithstanding all this. stood
roses; who had made himself great political pow
err whose literary imagination had done to
unite ENGLAND and India than t.. the snez Canal and
to those OF Scott, Theckeray, and others at nearly
double his age. At the close there wes probably
With DR. Doyle's own deduction that the literature
what they think. and what they think is embodied
in what they, DO.