The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-17
THE sTRANGENEss OF FACT.

Readers of rovels go to fiction for enter
tainment, and when they fail to be enter
tanned they grumble at the quality of the
literary wares served up to them. Many
complaints of this sort are heard in regard
to the novel of the period. For some reason
most of the stories produced by contem-
porary writer's fail to satisfy the fiction
reading public, which has become exacting
through familiarity with works of &C
knowledged masters of the romance-weav-
monplace efforts. They are not always able
to formulate their objections, and would
probably hesitate TO declare a preference
for one variety of tale over another-for
story Of adventure as opposed to a sub
jective or psychological study for instance.
But, whether they recognize the drift OF
their taste or not, it is comment enough on
current discussions over the respective
merits of different classes of novels to
note that they invariably turn with relief
to the works of past generation of writ
Eliot, Wilkie Collins and a host of minor
lights. They are novels of incident, all of
them, Of adventure. of tragedy, of passion.
Over them is thrown the glamour of i'm
agination and interviewer in the narratives
are threads of humor and philosophy and
pathos-all the elements that enter into the
modern realistic novel, yet with results
far different from the bold commonplace
of the latter. But when the criticism is
made that the novelist of to-day is too
retrospective or treats of daily life without
the imaginative power to redeem its dull
ness, the answer comes from the authors
themselves that modern life, accurately
pictured. cannot show adventure and Incl
dent, but must be a representation of the
concerned. Existence to-day is tame, they
say; there are no wars wherein
men can distinguish themselves; there
are no lances to break for king,
or for ladies fair; all is sordid or of petty
significance. They must give what they
see- And yet in the face of this argu-
ment people who do not write novels be-
lieve they discern in the daily events of
this commercial age all the elements of
thrilling romance Take. for example, the
occurrences Of a week as chronicled in
the Journal. There is the case of Dr.
Meyer. in which the unfolding of villainy
and crime shows a daring beyond any
thing ventured by the fancy of Gaboriau
and which would offer a wonderful field
for the skill of Sherlock Holmes"
There is the amazing career of Rev. George
Frederick Burgoyne Howard. who for
years lived double life-that of pious
shepherd and a beguiling confidence man
Of a society romance Of high degree may
easily be evolved from the marriage of
the American beauty, Adele Grant, to the
Earl of Essex after an earlier engagement
to Earl Cairns, whom she subsequently
threw over because, even though a lord,
he was too intellectually feeble to be en-
dured. Nearer home is the Wagner case,
where a web of circumstantial evidence
has been woven that may convict girl
Of one of the most terrible crimes on
local records. There is the story reported
from Charlottesville of woman who per-
secuted her divorced husband for years by
burning his houses and barns, poisoning
his stock, killing his poultry and wreaking
her malignant hatred in other secret but
ingenious ways. These are not all the
suggestive happenings, but they are enough
to show that it is not necessary to go to
the last century for incident nor to resort
to character study exclusively. Real life
of whatever period has in it action and
adventure beyond the power of the most
sldllful fiction writer to evolve from his
inner consciousness.