The evening times., 1898-10-20
Harold Frederic.

The sudden death of Harold Frederic
is one of the shocking and bewildering
blows fate sometimes infiicts on the
human race in pitiless contempt
Of wEat appear to be its dearest needs.
OF nearly all men Of whose qualities
the world has sufficient proof TO expect
something OF surprising value, he was,
at the moment Of his death, the par
ticular one who should have been
spared. He was but just entering into
the fun enjoyment and employment of
his long-trained genius, but just ready
to realize the hope of a century in a
/ field where he could contribute both 10
the education and to the delight Of his
fellow-men. He had already written a
really great American novel, the most
artistic and the strongest product of
American letters in half a century, and,
in the quality of perception. the great
est novel ever written by an American.
The world has many writers of fiction
which has come 10 have a value be-
sides the power to entertain; which,
under the insprati ton of genius, in
structs even better than our own living
and our contact with the world; which
aids in that education Of circumstances
that Wordsworth regarded as the best
education-the world has many, and
some are good and others are promis-
ing. But among the good are not any
who are better than Harold Frederic.
estimated by his best work. and among
both good and promising not any who
have given such assurance of great
future
His first great novel. the product of
wholesome literary Information, came
as a revelation to those who thought
Mr. Frederic had reached his highest
point in The Lawton Girl and The
Copperhead," and would be satisfied
with the measure of success they
marked. The Damnation of Theron
Ware" is depres ssing in tone and belongs
to the literature of disiIlusion, yet such
is its realism that the cheerful, opti-
mistic and romantic Scotch preacher
and writer, Ian Maclaren," declared it
was the strongest book of the year."
and he spoke for all of critical England
In estimating the value of this judg-
ment we must consider that the scenes
and life of the novel are unfamiliar to
readers in England. being peculiar to
the small communities of this country
All his stories, with two exceptions,
are taken from American life, and in
spite of Mr.. Frederic's long residence
abroad the local color is perfect. His
training for his work was ideal. He
spent his boyhood on a farm. in getting
out of bed at five in the morning to
look after the cattle, and until he was
fourteen he drove a milk wagon as a
side issue" in his farm duties. Later
he was retoucher of negatives for a
country photographer. At eighteen he
was a proof-reader for Utica paper,
of which he became first a reporter
and then the editor. In 1882 he was
made the editor of the Albany Journal
and two years later he was sent to
London by the New York Times He
had his first real start in fiction in
Scribner's Magazine. which selected
one of his tales for its first serial. Be
fore his best novel, he wrote "Seth's
Brothers Wife" I'm the Valley" THE
Lawton Girl THE Return of O'Maho-
ney,' 'The Copperhead" and a number
of shorter stories.
There has been no difference of opin-
ion among critics about THE Damna-
ton of Theron Ware" They agree that
it is distinctly great. They see it in a
proof that Harold Frederic, alone
among American writers, had the
quality of self-criticism and refused to
be satisfied with a moderate success.
knowing himself capable of something
higher. They see in it the originality,
strength, insight and sureness of touch
of a master. Here there is nothing
lacking. He had the patience to sup
port himself by his journalistic work
while his artistic power slowly ripened
He had just come into the reward he
had so richly earned, sturdy, master
full man of forty-two; had reached
that stage of his career where he could
devote all his time to his proper work;
had just been recognized as the incom-
parable portrayer of whatever is dis