The Portland daily press., 1898-02-22
RoMANTloIsM OR REALISM.
Mr.. Bellows Talks on Two schools of
Noveiists.


| MIR. Bellows was at his best in his
| lecture yesterday afternoon, and all those
who were valiant enough to brave the
storm were more than repaid for their
effort.
| The subject was "The Old Problem in
Fiction, Romanticism or Realism" and
in it's scope, gave great opportunity for
telling selections from the different
authors, whom Mr.. Bellows chose as ex.
amples of each school.
The lecturer began with general state
ment as to the peculiarities of the writers
of the so.called school of Liberalism or
Realism, with their clinical lecture
efforts and their Photographic nicely of
detail AS a suggestion from lola, the
great prophet of realism, certain selec-
lions from "Rome'' were read and COM
mented upon, which Mr.. Bellows said
had the Zolaesque light, some might
think the blight"-upon it, but were
certainly great in some measure. Realism
was surely. he said, one of the pregnant
forces of the 10Th century. From this
followed delightful comment upon
several of the books of Hall Game,
Thomas Hardy, Howells, James, Stephen
Crane and even "Chimmie Fadden'' was
brought In where fRealis,n get in all it's
work" In this review which was full of
witty touches, and much appreciation,
too, of certain qualities of these writer's,
OF their "clever technique" and SO on,
Mr.. Bellows is always particularly happy,
and always delightful to listen to.
| From the Realists, Mr.. Bellows spoke
of the healthy reaction to the Roman
ticists, in such writers as Stanley Wey-
man, Anthony Hope, and "our own
Robert Louis Stevenson" the master of
all the Romancers.
The contrast great indeed, he said, be-
tween the dashing scenes of the Hope and
& Weyman, the private experiences of
Stevenson, and the involutions and con-
vulations of Henry James. Mr.. Bellows
seemed to feel there was something more
of simple manliness in Anthony Hope g
heroes, that even in the immortal trio OF
tho "Three Musqueteers," because &C
cording to Tennyson's Sir Galahad. 'My
strength is as the strength of ten, be-
cause my heart is pure" Mention was
made of r. NJ. Steyens's Enemy to the
King" the wonderful and impossible adj
ventures of its hero; also of tTheSowers'
by Merriman, and of its almost too
beautiful heroine. These w7re examples
of rather too extreme roma =. while in
Stevenson stories, especially in "Ebb
Tide'' there seems to be happy combi-
nation of pure romance in plot and story.
enough realism to make the characters
true, wi6h tight grip on the essential
fact, added to dash of style and fineness
of form, 'sThe moment it is written, it
is classic"
In closing Mr.. Bellows made just and
appreciative parallel and contrast be-
tween Miss wilkins and Miss Jewett,
both such powerful portrayers of New
England life. And while not denying
the force of Miss wilkins, who was per-
haps, ''true to fact, if not always true to
man. Miss Jewett has back of her the
ldiyine light of the ideal, which in 'The
Country of the Pointed Firs" has made
her really great, and of which Kipling
said it was 'sthe greatest of little books.
In the romantic realists, or realistic
romanrists, where there is truth, beauty
and peace, portrayed with Photographic
ldistinctness, the identity of the human
soul is revealed, and belongs to all the
world. There will be three more lectures
and the subject of the one for next Mon
day will be symbolism and the De-
cadents.''