The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-10-25

is great; but the poet Of life is Shak-
spearc. Thus the whole case Of 'real-
ism" falls to the ground. There being
no "facts," Zola's labOrOus series Is
futile; il may be true to art. but it Is
not true to life. His vision is incom-
plete. is incxhuastive; it lacks hum0r
and to the scientific novelist the lack
of humOr is fatal. lie Is the one nov.
elist who cannot succeed without it,
Leave out humor aud you may get art
and many other fine things, but yoJ
do not get the lights and shadows OF
the "valucs" Of life.
All novels are written from the
novelist's point of view. They are
his vision OF the world. They are not
life, but individual rcfractions of it,
The "ironical pessimism" of ThOs.
Hardy, as Grant Allen calls it, is as
false as the sentimental optimism OF
Walter Besant and the msoandrous
mcliorism of Sarah Grand. What
Hall Caine lin his essay prchxcd tC
Mr.. McEnzie Bells fascinating mono
graph on Whtcheadl happily calls tho
'sccnc view of life" of Dickens, is nc
more true than the philosophic view
of Mrs. Humphcy Ward. Each is ex
istencc viewing itself through single
medium. "Tcss of the D'Urbervillcs
is as false as "Loora Doonc" or "Plair
Tales from the Hills" Life, large
chaotic, incxprcssible, not to be bount
down by formula, peeps at itscl
through the brain Of each artist, but
eludeS photography. This is the tru,
inwardncss of the PrOteus myth. Tht
humorst alone, by presenting life il
its own contradictatorncss, by no
being tied down to one point of view
like his less gifted brother, comes
nearest to expressing its elusive es
scncc. The great novelists are Field
ing, Cervantes. Flaubert Thackeray
But all the noveiSts supplement on,
another, and relatively-true single
impressions of life 90 to make up ;
true picture of
Life. like dome OF many-colorcd glass.
1t is because there are all novels ant
every aspect Of existence in Shak
spcare that he sits supreme, th'
throned sovereign of the literature o
life.
All this is writ to console those whit
suffer too poignantly from the book
tragedies and pictures Of life.' Thu
artist selects, he studies tone an(
composition, whereas in real life trag
edies are often accompanied by "ex
tenuating circumstances. The un
loved girl temporarily forgets her sor
row in the last new novel, or a picni,
up the river the brOken-hcarted her,
betakcs himself to billiards ant
brandy and soda, or toys with ii beef
steak. Again, many pathetic tale
arc the outcome OF imperfect insight
The novelist iInagines how he woul(
feel in the shoes OF hs characters ant
cries out with the pain of bypothe.i
bunlons. This mistake better de
serves the name Of "thc pathetic fal
lacy" than the poetic misreading o
nature to which Ruskin was annexed
to. A good novel may be made out o
bad psychology; indeed, that is wha
most novels are made Of. Yet til,
gentle reader, misled by the simula
tiOn of life, makes himself miserabl,
over dabs of black ink on white paper
The failure of two imaginary beings
to unite their lives in wedlOck brings
unhappiness into myriad homes. How
delicious is that story OF the German
novelist who, failing to unite hi
leading couple at the conclusion Of ;
newspaper serial, saw no way of ap
peasing the grief and Indignation o
his vast audience save by inserting il
the advertisement columns Of q late
issue of the journal an announcement
of their union under the usual head 0
Marriages !"