The record-union., 1896-08-17
FICTION AND CHEERFULNESS

We are glad to know that a protest
has at last been made against the dole
full tone in modern fiction. A writer in
the New York Evening POST has had
the courage to register protest. He
declares that modern fiction has long
crime, carnage, disease, lust and human
misery, to say nothing of sin. doubt and
the "hypos." He says:
From the prodigal and splendid gore
that drips from THE Red Badge Of
Courage" to the Christening and sancti-
fled visitations of pneumonia, smallpox,
and measeis which give the color to the
most diluted religious stories for the
young, the inevitable resource of the
professional tear-makers is some form
of woe, want, or sin. Unwind the silken
measures of modern poetry, and at it's
core you will seldom fail TO find grin
ming death's-head! Seen through the
soft outer meshes it may seem a smile,
but the grim reminder of mortality is
ever hid within soft cerements of song!
There was time when the editor Of
perhaps the leading literary journal in
his day dared despise the lachrymose
possibilities of these doleful agencies,
now universally recognized as para
mount necessities in the literary busi-
ness, and tempt fate by blazoning upon
the head of his journal this ridiculously
cheerful motto: ITO assist the inquir-
ing, animate the struggling, and sympa-
thize with ALL He had the delicious
audacity to dedicate his opening ad-
dress to poor rich men and rich poor
men," and to make, In his opening para
graph, the following declarations:
Pleasure is the business Of this journal;
we own it; we love to begin 1t with the
word; 1t is like commencing the day las
we are now commencing it) with sunshine
in the room. Pleasure for all who can re-
ceive pleasure; consolation and encourage
ment for the rest; this is our device. But
then it is pleasure like that implied in our
simile innocent kindly, we dare to add,
Instructive and elevating. AS the sun
shine floods the sky and ocean, and yet
nurses the baby buds of the roses on the
wall, so we would fain open the largest
and the very least sources of pleasure, the
noblest that expand above US into the
heavens. and the most familiar that
catches our glance in the homestead. We
would break open the surfaces of habit
and indifference, of objects that are sup
commonplace utility. and show, what
treasures they conceal We would make
adversely hopeful, prosperity sympathetic.
all kinder, richer and happier. And we
have some right to assist in the endeavor,
for there is scarcely a single JOY or sorrow
within the experience or our felloW-
creatures which we have not tasted: and
the belief in the good and beautiful has
never forsaken US. 1t has been medicine
to us in sickness. riches in poverty and the
best part of all that ever delighted US In
health and success"
| 1t was Leigh Hunt whom the Post
writer thus quotes-would that that
lover Of his kind, the hopeful and joy
Gus man of much sympathy and many
smiles, were oftener quoted. But COM
| ing down to the plain level of everyday
fiction in the magazines and press gen.
orally of this day, and notably in the
newspaper press, we do need fiction
reform. We want more Of the sweet
ness and good Of life injected into it.
We want 1t to be no less human, but tc
be ever 50 much less woeful, and greatly