The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-08-15
The Sedatiye Novel.

what IS the klnQ or mover DeSL Sulleu for sedative purposes, is difficult question, and one which cannot be fully answered on the present occasion. It is as much a question of men as of books. One man finds rest in the ten dencies novel," another in the tale of adventure third in the study of man ners. As a rule; we should say that the form of fiction best suited for the ptr- pose of keeping the mind occupied, but yet not actively at work. is the novel which is neither too clever or too stup- id-the book which is in fiction what the man of moderate views and moder- ate talents is in public life... If the story is too clever it may prove stimulant or a sedative. MT. Mere- dith's works, for example, are fur more | likely to tire than to rest the brain | The man who wants to tackle Lord | Ormont and his Aminta must sit up to a table and put himself mentally at at tention. Even MT. Stevenson and MT Kipling, though so alluring. are apt to stimulate too highly.
 | On the other hand the sedative novel must not be actively stupid. Foolish ness, irrelevance, lack of coherence, | bad grammar, are irritants which should have no place in the novel which is meant to give rest to the mind. The man who is made to grind | his teeth and mutter what internal | bosh," is not getting his sedative, nor is the woman soothed who is perpetual ly being forced to declare that she nev- | CT read such English. In truth, the se- dative novel ought to conform to the l immortal couplet:,
 Though deep. yet clear; though gen. tie, yet not dull;
 Strong without rage: without o'erfow- ing. full"
 In other words there must be a pleas ant flow of unimpassioned narrative, | along which the boat of mind must be carried without effort or fatigue A rapid in which careful steering is re- | quired, or a piece of slack water in which 1t is necessary to punt or row, is equally objectionable. 4 smooth current, yet With plenty of variety, is the desideratum. No doubt, plenty of people who indulge in the novel habit wil! protest against this view, and will declare that they like the strongest
 novels that they can get; and that
 if possible, they would. like new Mill
 On the Floss or a reincarnation of
 David Copperheld' or. 'Pendennis' ev-
 cry day. Such persons are, however
 either exceptions or else the victims of
 literary debauohery. They have so en.
 tlrely given themselves up to the use of
 the fiction fend as Ito be unable to an.
 preciate what is mild and soothing
 They are like the men who can only
 smoke cut Cavendish. who lace thei,
 champagne with cognac. and who have to put cayenne pepper with everythine
 they eat. Fortunately for them, how.
 ever, it is not easy to get perpetua,
 supply of the strong wines of fiction
 and whether they will or nc they have
 as rule to put up with the win ordan.
 aire which the libraries disseminate.
 In any case the circulating librarie:
 are secure. As long as the demand fol fiction as mental sedative continues and it will continue till we are all per
 fectly dull and virtuous, and never tir,
 ourselves by any form of over or under
 work.-they, will be required to supply it. You may publish at sixpence, ant still the real novel readers will 'prefe the circulating system. It is a dream this scheme of getting rid of Mudi, and Smith. The novelists' ideal eoult only be fulfilled in ai world in whicl the population was. according to Ed ward Lear's immortal phrase. reduced to a condition of "abjeet 'happineSss' AS long as worry ana soverwork an, nerves hold. their place in the world, s, long will those dispensers of sedatives the circulating libraries, flourish ant abound. .GLondon Spectator. .