The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-20
TIREsOME FICTION.

1t is announced that Mrs. Steele, author
of a recent much advertised novel contain
ing descriptions of the horrors of the Sepoy
terial for new tale which will treat of
India under stress Of plague and famine.
We have not yet had a novel detailing the
miseries of the Armenians during the re-
cent Turkish prosecutions, nor has any one
of the numerous writers on Japanese sub
jects yet dished up the late war with China
in fiction, but these literary works will
doubtless come in time. Richard Harding
Davis has given us a short story with the
starvation of Cubans as its theme, and,
although he has been accustomed to deal
with comparatively cheerful topics, there is
reason to fear that, he will go still further,
his hand once in, and offer yet other tales
full of realistic horrors great deal is
said in these days about literary art
and there was probably never a time when
more attention was paid by the writers of
fiction to the literary workmanship, but APP
parently they do not consider the character
of their subjects matter in which art is
involved. Or, If they do take it into con-
sideration, they hold that the woes of man
kind offer them the best opportuni-
ties; that a large measure of misery over
laid by thin veil of romance gives room
for the most striking literary effects How
ever this may be, the propensity of many of
the most talented writer's of fiction to set
forth gloomy pictures Of life, to portray
misery in the mass or to present as lead
ing characters individuals of abnormal type
is marked characteristic. A novel that is
at once well written and cheerful in tone
is the exception, and condemnation lies in
the fact that wAatever the excellence of
their literary construction no one is tempted
to read them the second time. No one cares
to read Hardy's Tess the second time,
powerful tale though it is, and rereading
of Jude the Obscure would lead to sus-
picions of the readers sanity. Was any one
ever known to take up one of Mrs. Ward
tales for a second reading? How many who
painfully struggled through "Quo Vadis''
would be willing to repeat the dose? And
there is Hall Gaines Christian" - would
any sane person who has read it once read
it again save by way of bitter penance?
Even the books that do not treat of I'M
pleasant themes are singularly apt to be
depressing in their influence. Aliens Choir
Invisible" admirable in its workmanship,
is far-fetched and tiresome. Howells, ar
are his subjects, is not inspiriting and in
that respect does not fulfill the whole duty
of a novelist His Landlord at Lions
Head like Miss Willxinss Jerome" does
not increase the confidence of the reader
in the virtues of his fellow-creatures. 1t
is because of the lack of cheer in the work
of leading novelists that such light tales
as Anthony Hopes "zenda" and Richard
Harding Daviss Soldiers of Fortune
were so warmly welcomed.
AS for the short stories they are little
better. In a recent essay on the short
story Frederick Wedmors says: "Pessim-
ism, as it seems to me, is only natural-can
only be excusable-to those who are still
bowed down by the immense responsibility
of youth. 1t was great poet who. writing
of one of his peers-a man OF mature life
declared of him, not he mopes picturesque
ly,' but he knows the world, firm, quiet and
gay To such writer-only to such
writer-is possible happy comedy; and
possible. besides, true and an august Wis
ion of profounder things. And that is the
spirit to which the short story, at its best.
win certainly return" The short story
writer who conforms most nearly to this
ideal is Octave Thanet. Though she may
take such unpleasant and realistic themes
as 2 railroaders strike or the experiences
Of d country sheriff. she treats them in