The record-union., 1897-05-12
THREE SCENES: POSTSCRIPT.

first place, l don't think that's the way
TO portray life"
And yet it is the common SUPPOSE
ton of a misguided public that that is
the movers precise mission" | sug-
gested, without enthusiasm, for the
subject did not excite me.
The common supposition is a ready
made article not always TO be taken
without investigation, returned Hill
lard eheerfully II hold that the short
story is to literature what the snap
shot is to photography. Either, at the
hands of man with seeing eye, gives
glimpse of something definite, strate-
gle, living; something that impresses
you by its vividness and by the force
of its actuality."
'Impressiveness and force are good
enough in their way" 1 conceded, lean
! ing back comfortably, and taking in
with a satisfied glance the effect OF
harmony and beauty for which Hill
iard's rooms are noted, even in house
Astounding in elegant and luxurious
apartments; but there are other con-
siderations sometimes, you know. Char
] acterdrawing and the narration OF IN
cident, for example, we are not quite
willing TO part with in our fiction.
Hilliard laughed. Il must be very
unfortunate in my endeavor to explain
myself" he said good temperedly;
these are exactly the things that l
claim can be done best through the
medium of the short sketch. Throwing
| aside the extended intricacy of plot that
rarely belongs to life as we see it, where
can you find in the world of fact or
| fancy a life that can't be- Adequately
presented in two or three scenes? Look
| at your own existence; in a sweeping
glance doubtless all its multitudinous
incidents and events recede into hazy
| if not obscure background, and you
have a distinct impression of but two
or three more or less vivid hours, stand
| ing out from all the rest. To tell those
would be to tell all that is Of artistic
value in your history; if they were told
we'll. your individuality, your PERSONAL
ity, at the different chosen points of
| development, ought to be fOrcefully ev-
ident. They are the mountain peaks;
| they should cast their own shadows,
unaided AS for the reader, if he isn't
able to fill in the details of the valley
| line of growth between these different
levels, he isn't the kind to be catered
| TO. But for that matter, who is really
| interested in the intervals? What all
men care about is life, living, the eVolu-
ton of that most mysterious and potent
force in the universe, the human soul;
and a word beyond what is absolutely
essential is literary offense."
! Well" l said. rising, for / felt that
my friend might as well be headed off
at this point as at any other, I'm for
tunately not a novelist myself; so if
you should accidentally convince me of
anything in this line it wouldn't make
a radical change in the wbrlds history.
I, for my part, prefer the short tale for
the same reason, I'm inclined to think,
the other fellow does the kodak-be-
cause it is less trouble than setting up
the time-exposure tripod. But, to agree
with an eminent authority on all mat
| tiers of discussion, doubtless there's a
good deal to be said on both sides"
L wish" said Hilliard, paying as US
ual no attention to my instructive re-
marks, but opening a rather orderly
desk and pulling out a pile Of freshly
written manuscript, that you would
take this home and glance it through
when you have time; l wrote it in il
lustration of what I've been saying to
you. Not long ago there came into my
possession an unusually full and COM
plete record of the events of a certain
life. 1t was a life that appealed to me
| strongly, and none of the matter of
the record is on the order of trash.
But it seemed to me that in three
slight scenes the whole life and the
main personal characteristics might be
sufficiently suggested. l have indicat-
ed this minimum amount here-my part
has been only that of selection, you I'M
derstand, and of course the supplying
of details-and I wish you would tell
me, after you've read it, whether / am
right; whether you get any sort of
completed whole from these three brief
ly told Incidents"
| Il confess to a greater readiness to
read it, since you assure me it is short,
than I should feel were it the novel
you decry. thus far corroborating your
opinion, 1 said, smiling.
And by the way" added my friend.
again with only passing half -smile in
acknowledgment of this compliment as
he turned absently to his desk and
scrubbed a few words on a scrap of
paper, which he then handed to me:
You might as we'll read this slip af-
terward-after you've read the article,
you know. 1t really doesn't concern the
literature of the thing, but it will do no
harm. 1t simply answers a question
which may occur to you, possibly"
At my own rooms. few evenings
later, l casually took up Hilliard s
manuscript and read it, bearing his
thought in mind
SCENE l.
They were three light-hearted COM
rades sitting out of doors in the June
sunshine, the two girls in a hammock
and the boy on a bench opposite them.
They We're young; at that time before
twenty when people think; fact which
they invariably fail to remember in
later days when dealing with young
persons of the next generation.
Il envy that young fellow his
chance" the boy was saying at does
not come to every one. the opportunity
of giving ones life up for another like
that, and proving ones mettle.'
Indeed, it was glorious" assented
one of the girls; but you know, Theo-
dore, that one can prove ones self he
role quite as we'll by the little, daily
acts of ones life
II have often wondered" interrupted
Sylvia Wayne. with her chin propped
upon her hand ignoring the preceding
remarks, how I'd act If such chance
ever came TO me-like the one you were
telling us about Teddy. of the fire at
sea- I'm not bit sure l should give up
my place in the lifeboat TO some one
eSei"
why, Sylvia." came from both lis