The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-06-27
tics. Mr.. Mononr Is aprosporous young
business man hOro, and owns a large
livery stable IN this town.
SOME nEcENr FICTION.
Evil Tendencies Of some OF tho ropula
Novels of tho Dny,

that no VA corruptinc tho morals OF
tho youth Of Great Bri,ain with his
"dovilled kidneys aud punch" and, as
q consequence, no more stories OF tho
"Charlcs 0'Malley" aud TON Burke"
ordor were writton by that brilliant
and Versatile author.
Some Of the noyelis,s OF tho present
day would do vol to heed these words
Of warning. 1t ia doubtful, however,
that thoy could 10 persuaded 10 easily
to put atop to the lucrative profession
Of dealing oustho tales OF blood aud
thunder or worse. that take up 80 much
space on tho shelves OF our public
libraries. aided, as thoy arc, by tho
greed OF somo OF our best publishers
and by the thousands OF unthinking
roadors who devour their productions
with nj V increasing appetite for tho
blood.curdliug and sensational or tho
vicious in tnlo.,clling. 1t is tho
duty OF tho press TO give voic0 to an
earnest protest against tho, prevalence
OF this dcmorNlizing influence in our
civilization, Tor this is tho surcst INC.
dium through which to roach tho masses
and to call their attention 10 tho worth.
lessncss OF the sen sational novel. II they
can, by this means, DO persuaded that
such literature (P) is hurtful and thus
induced to avoid it, the producer, find.
ing no market for his wares, will DO
forced to shut up shop.
1t Is not fair 10 condemn without
offering proof. Take some OF tho popu.
lar novels Of tho day and a,careiul and
unprecedented dissection OF their con
fonts can lead to but one conclusion
that they are not only not elovating in
tone. but positively tho reverse. The
word popular ia not used hero in tho
sense OF applying to only tho uncdu-
Gated masses but rs covering all classes
OF readers OF fiction. Persons OF refine
ment and cultivation admit these
daint:ly bound volumes, issued by pub
fishing houses OF established repu,a-
ton, into their homes without Qucs-
ton. although their contents NAV be
moro injurious than those Of the dime
novel which they would hurry to the
fire.
THE Prisoner OF Zenda" contains
sixteen murders and four attempts at
sncaking assassination, all on account
OF n drunken king. Its pages fairly
reek with oaths. Before God" an
Gods name;' "As God lives" God
knows;'"As God is my Witness" IN
the namo Of God" arc n few OF the
choice Undertakings OF ordinary CONVEX
sa,ion that s,artle the eye and disgust
tho intellect. Aa if this wcro not
enough, a bad woman is dragged in who
furnishes the immoral ingredient in
this seethSS; 8 cauldron OF rot. And yet
this book brought fame and fortune to
Anthony Hope Hawkins and maze him
q power in fiction. 4 power, fortu.
nately, that will not survive long, ii it
Is exerted in producing many such
dwelling inanitics as "The God in the
Car"
Stanley J. Woyman is another oil
these offenders and the enormous pop.
ularity OF his novels shows plainly that
the reading public takes kindly to hav.
ing its dime;novel dished up to it in an
improved style CT binding and typo
graphy. His workmanship is far ahead
OF Mr.. Hawkins dealing, as he does,
mainly with historical events, but there
is n great deal OF unnecessary balder-
dash and blood thirsty detail in his
stories that make them unwholesome'
reading. 1t is to his crcdi. that he
seems disinclined to use immortality as
q palate ticker.
Lack OF space prevents n further dis.
cussion Of the bloodthirstv in fiction,
but its immoral and depressing sides
should be noticed.
"The Mnnxman" has surely both. Tho
story hinges upon Philips fail and that
fall is described with n suggcstiveness
that ia positively indecent. Then fol.
lows page alter page, until they run into
the hundreds, Of the most poignant
mental agony with scarcely 4 relieving
ray OF sunshine and one closes the book
with n sigh OF relief. Such 4 long.
drawn-out horror cannot be wholesome.
Contrast "The Silence OF Dean Matt.
land" onI which "Tho ManxInan" is
evidently patterned, and which is an
incomparably superior work to many
minds.
''Toss Of the D'Urbcrvilles," consid.
cred to DO lIardy's masterpiece, and
which ID undoniably powerful in treat
mont, has, for tho handspring OF it's
plot. sin and its results. Tho atmos-
phcre OF the book is not bracing nor its
tone clean. Tho story Of Little Emily"
in david Coppcrlicld" ia handled just
M strongly without going into sucgclt-
i've and revolving dctaile.
Ii the reader, surfcitcd with blood
and corruption. turns to "Pcmbrolsc"
with tho certainty OF finding freshness
and purity, no is again doomed to dis.
appointment. Nearly every character
in tho novel is actuatOd by tho lowest
and most sordid motives, and tho hero
OF tho story is an impossible jackass.
To tho shame OF Miss Wilkins, ahc
brings in mn indecent situation and
treats it in tho most barotaced manner.
II tho village she describes in "rom.
broke" j, n fair typo OF tho New Eng.
land hamlet, lot rs thank our lucky stars
that we AFRO not Obliged to live thbrc.
Mira. Van %lRonnsolacr Crugcr Julien
Gordon) writes brilliantly, but nor
books arc decidedly fast and ara not
good reading for any ono. 'Dodo" is
100 iHhI pIu W w HloIt tHnH pToSoKo u
smiln and it is to tho shame Of our
reading public thatit was evcr tolerated
ut all. Tho same may he said OF Tho
Yellow Astcr" aud scores OF others Of u
similar nature.
Thoro are ut least two books on tho
shelves OF tho Wheeling library which
should DO retired from circulation.
They arc "Olvmpo do Cloves" and
'Tlio Circcn Carnation."
Just 80 long rs tho public raves over
these books, just so long will ,icy 10
produced. Tho only way to attack
ttom is to educate tho public. md nm