Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-09-10
'BAB ON A GOOD NOVEL
Chats Airily About the Books
Worth Possessing.
GLADSTONE'S WAY OF READING
Success of Romance as Popu-
lar Liter ature.
Woman's Aid in Making Book Popular
Bab's Friends between the Covers-George
Eiiot's ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Written Now
sdays tor Children Not Interesting.
speciaicorrespondencs sasetre sud journal

Special Correspondenceo Of Gazette sud Journal
Florida, Orange County, \. V, Sept. 4.
--In one corner Of the piazza is a large
table, and on il reposes the various work
baskets attached to the establishment, for
we are all very feminine, and either sew,
or knit when we gossip about the ltera-
ture which is approved of, at the present
time. When l say approved of at the
present time" ! mean that which is being
read just now. Aunt Maria, the busy
housekeeper, is devoted to what she calls
"a good novel;" she says she wants some
thing that will make her forget what was
cooked for dinned. The consequence is,
she does not choose for intellectual food.
either the problem novel, the analytical
novel, or the historical novel. hut she
takes instead an out-and-out love story,
and gloats over II. The fact that Aunt
Maria is nearly 60 does not prevent her
being interested in the pain suffered by
lovers separated, for the time, by harsh
parents, or the wiles of villains. hut united
at length in the perfume of orange bios
some, with white satin and black broad
cloth. diamonds, and five bridesmaids. to
make the scene picturesque.
Nanny is having the one great joy of her
life, from an intellectual standpoint. She
Is reading. for the first time, the immortal
works of the late Alexandra Dumas, pere.
The consequence is that Nanny is trans
ported to France. has forgotten entirely
about every day people. but only wakens
up 10 the life around her when young Jim
johnson appears on the scene; then she
tries her best to think that she is Louise
de la Valliere, and he is Louis the Four
tenth. Certainly, the famous Louis was
never shyer than is young Jim, and, after
all. is there much difference between a
king and an ordinary country boy when it
comes to the question of first love:
As for me, am reading old books over.
There are no new ones worth ANYTHING |
am pessimist enough TO think that no good
is to be gained by bothering with tiresome
books. have thought much more of Mr..
Gladstone since 1 heard that he advised
people never to read anything that did no,
interest them. There used to be an idea
that one should plough through certain
books whether they were stupid or not
and force ones self to enjoy them. That
is all wrong. That which does not interest
us, will do us no good. Then, too. it is
said the Grand Old Man is given over &c
books of all kinds, novels, poetry and
history. He keeps three going, and wher
he tires of one. takes refuge in the other
Mr.. Gladstone is reader after my owr
heart. Why don't the people who writ,
books remember their read rs? Why dom
they realize that the novels that hav,
lived have been so-called romantic books
Who will care for problem novels twent,
years from now? What is gained b,
drawing pictures of loathsome disease
that cannot be cured? Here, l meal
a A,,, =,
fancy, an abominable one, for picturin
people as i'll with real and very disgustin
maladies. Many book owes its con
demnation to its being nasty in its dc
scription.
Women make books successful. The
are the great readers of the day, and the
don't care to linger over descriptions o
physical horrors, especially when they ar
unnecessary.
don't care for my books to be too fin
in their covers, but must confess that
like to see them as do my friends. in
respectable dress. The paper bound boo
possesses no attraction for me: though
like all book lovers, really love boo
with pictures in it. / want TO see. wha
the people look like. Then they becom
real TO MS all. From my illustrated ed
tion of Thackeray know Becky Sharp,
know Henry Esmond, / know Georc
Warrington and love him. and | kno,
Philip: i know the doctor and hate hin
l know Amelia Osborn and have the u
most contempt for her; | know Georg
and realize from his appearance ho
necessary a good friend was to him:
know Rawdon Crawley, and feel sorry {,
him, and | know all the wicked LAWYER
and doctors and gloat over them. | al
just as well acquainted, from the nj
lures. with Lady Dedlock and the "boof,
lady" with Joe and with Dora. / ha,
laughed over Jip, and | have seen Dayt
and his aunt driving away the donkey
A good book well illustrated is the fine
thing in all the world.
Personally, / am glad not to ha,
known the people who wrote the books
love. ] think should care less for ther
/ remember knowing a girl who hf
met George Eliot. She told me. fro
that time on, she even hated "Mddl
march," She saw the great writer in Il
drawing room Of an intimate friend, al
she said that She was the most tircson
old woman she had ever met. -Snmebot
had to be closing door. or opening
window; giving her shawl, or findil
her footstOol; being certain that Il
thermometer was at such a point, al
equally certain that the water, Of WIFI
she wanted a drink. was pure. Atogethf
George Eliot was pictured to me al a tir
some old trump who annoyed everybo,
around her. This young girl announc
that the genius seemed unsatisfed unle
she was hothering somebody about som
thing! The same friend, who as We
young but bright girl, had rare opport
mites for seeing great people. describ
Ouida as being overdressed and peculif
She said that, in Florence. where she sa
her, Mademoisrlle de In Ramie usual
rode around on beautiful horse, weari
crimson velvet riding habit, with h
golden hair hanging loose below h
waist, while her steed. followed by aho
twenty dogs, various in their kind and
shrieking in different notes. Since tho
the books of Ouida have been less of
surprise to me.
But why doesn't somebody write re,
~ interesting book? What has become
the people with imaginations? Is tho
nobody to succeed Dumas or Dicket
Reade or Thackeray. Gaboriana or b
zac-this mingling may seem odd yet
covers a class of books that interes
everybody. Isn't there anybody W
knows how 10 write book that will c
one up TO such pitch of excitement III
ones heart beats quicker waiting for 7
denouement, and ones blood cours
through ones veins. while sympathy. ha
and love are played upon like the strin