The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-22
AMONG THE NEWER NOVELS
Recent Fiction Has No Lack of Origin
ality, Either in Thought or Style.
Three Stories Taken as Examples-Matrimo-
NAL Squabbles, Christian Socialism and
Gods Fool" as Their Several Themes.

IL it not something of On atfectation to
saying. that the novel of to-day lacks orig
Inality and many other features which
60 to make up readable fiction, ana that,
after all, only the old stand-bys-Dickens,
Thackeray and the rest-are worth spend
ing time ONT 1t is possible that readers,
surfelted with much fiction. are inca pable
of Judging fairly of what now offered
them and are like the man who finds no
pie such as his mother used to make.
not knowing that the fault Is with
his own jaded appetite. At all
events. In whatever else the modern
novel may fail it Is not In originality of
idea. or plot, OF character; whatever 1t lack ks
it is not variety. The range of subject is
wide, the phases of life touched upon in
finite in number, and the methods of hand
ling them surely diversified enough to suit
all tastes Here, for instance, are three
novels taken at random-the first. Bar
bara Dering." sequel TO THE Quick or the
Dead" The latter celebrated book. it will
be remembered was an account of the ex-
tremely ardent. but unsuccessful wooing
of the widow. Barbara Pomfret. by
one Jock Dering. cousin to and Giving
image" of the deceased Pomfret. Twoyesrs
are supposed to have elapsed between the
close of that story and the opening of this.
and in the interval the widow has learned
that the quick" has some charms above
those of the dead and to long for behring's
return. He comes while she is in the mood
and without loss of time persuades her to
throw away her old wedding ring and
take new one. The rest of the book is
taken up with the history of the quarrels
of this rather remarkable pair, ending. or
course, in q reconciliation, which they
promise each other shall be final. AS Bar
bara Dering, the heroine, is the same highly
emotional and intense person she was as
Barbara POmfret, and is hardly less crude,
she is also. of course, OF the same ample
and bouncing" physical proportions; her
hair. as before is sometimes duly gold"
sometimes vivid" and sometimes ''Iame-
like" she has the same charming freckles,
and 10 altogether more d8Zzllngly beautl-
full than formerly. with the result that all
male beings whom she meets. including the
husband OF her dearest friend, become en-
amOred of her. Now, it may not be edify-
ing or entertaining to all classes of readers
to have set before them. in detail, the hys-
young persons; to be told how.
after q "spat.u the thought
of the first husbands gentleness
came down upon Barbara with sudden:
elckenlng sw0Op." causing ner 10 ny ana
kiss frantically the bare space on the wall
where his portrait once hung, and how the
offending Dering apoloqized by crushing
her IN his arms" and addressing her as
You cruel, cruel. beautiful, wicked. devil
ish darlingw Quarrels between husband
and wife in real life are not as a rule. en-
terralDIng to spectators. but it must be adj
mitted that they do occur and since it is
assumed to he the duty of novelists to de-
pict life as they see it, Amelie Rives cannot
married life which presents itself most
forcibly to her. And. since the c0nven.
tional novel ends with marriage this has.
at least the merit of. novelty.