The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-14

ARTOF NOVEL WRITING
TAINS AN AUDIENCE AT PEO-
PLIES CHURCH
THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL

| Authors of Short Stories Are Today
Writing It-F1etiOn, the Speaker
Declares to Be the Great Moral
Influence of the Times-The Re-
aIiStic Novel Is the Highest Type
of Fiction.
That much discussed subject in the
literary World-even the Phil.s Inc is not
ahoVe taking cursory interest In spec
ulatonS concerning 1.-THE coming great
American novel, was succinctly dealt
with last night by William Dean How
ellis at the Peoples church His opin-
ion was given apropos of some comments
on the short story which the
lecturer claimed had attained ex-
quisite proportions in America.
Authors Of Short STORIES" said
Mr.. Howels, ''ale to day writing colIater-
ally the great and long expected Ameri-
can novel. All who have read the stories
CT those writer's who nts ottenes. APP
pear in our magazines have read the
great American novel and are not apt to
read 1t in any other FORM
Mr.. Howells was greeted last night by
good sized audience, an audience re-
paid for facing disagreeable weather by
an interesting and modest monologue de-
livered by short, pIeasant-faced man,
whose quiet geniality produced a most
favorable impression.
MI. novels was introduced by DR..
oamuel u. Smith. The latter said, by
way OF introduction that while the Peo-
pie church was primarily a place of
worship, 1t was also devoted to the pro
motion Of everything that fostered the
;esthetic side of: life, music, literature
and art. In the years of its existence
1T had been instrumental in bringing to
St. Paul artists who represented the best
In these three branches. While 1t could
not be denied that pecuniary architecture
mad some weight in the matter the gen
eral culture of the people had really
been the chief consideration Mr.. Smith
then introduced Mr.. Howells The lat
ter frankly acknowledged that his lee
ture was to instruct: not to amuse II
was read from manuscript. Fiction"
said Mr.. HoWells, lis the great moral
influence of our times. 1t is ALWAYS the
moral that at some given moment is m TX
Ing the world talk, or think or think it Is
thinking AS writer of books I am
sometimes ashamed of the influence of
some Of the books written. but that tho
lnnuence is there, whether for good or
pad, all must admit. There Is no such
devoted reader of novels as novelfsts
Rather than read no novels at all ! would
read my own over and over again. The
novelist reads other peoples books to
enjoy the story; his own to study and
improve his methods"
The highest quality in fiction, Mr.. How
els asserted, was truth, the presentation
of life as it is.'Truth,'' he said. NAV
be indecent; it cannot be vicious do
not expect novel to be wholly true, but
expect 1t to be a continual effort to be
true. Tolstoi's novels are the only ones
l consider entirely true. What is in his
books exists. Imagination can work onlv
In the stuff Of experience. Anything writ
ten that has not been felt and lived &c
merest fancy"
Classifying realism and romanticism.
ne SAID: The esthetical difference be-
tween the two is that the former +akas
nature as 1t Is, the latter desires to make
nature over The realistic novel 10 tho
h1ghest type of fiction. If 1 could 7
would have novels subject to all prin-
ciples that guide an honest man"
Mr.. HoWells confessed that he did not
Know what 1t was that made novels both
~ NY anu eVeTldStngly interesting.
he admitted that 1t might, perhaps. he
lovers. In the earlier stages of tbeir
careers, he said, that he and Henry
James, in discussing the elements that
constituted the interesting novel speeu-
lated on the feasibility of leaving the
lovers out. But, concluded the speak
er, naively, Mr. James is still dealing
with the love affairs of the inevitable
young man and woman, and I'm doing
I
L thought 1T necessary that the heroine
should be rescued from some great neriI
by the hero in order that things might
progress smoothly, but 1 looked about
me and found it to be quite different an
reaE life. There were no great perils for
the hero to encounter, the heroine was
quite content with few calls, some
flowers, perhaps a dance or two and
things were settled, and consequently I
followed this plan in my novels"
Mr.. Howells confessed that a writer
never received enough praise. He said
that he frequently was sent letters crit
ieising his manner of pairing off charac-
tiers, though the harshest criticism came
when he refused to pair them off at all
Women, he said, were the most con-
slant novel readers; among men, law
yers, as rule, read most fiction
The lecturer asserted that the novel
should have no purpose, point no moral
beyond that which truthful delinea-
ton of life must Of necessity contain or
teach. The first purpose Of the novel is
to tell a story. But I cannot think
he said, 'of any great novel that has
not taught high moral lesson"
Mr.. Howells spoke enthusiastically of the
future of the novel. He saw the prophecy
of an ideal novel in the work of some Of
the younger men. In attempting to give
definite instructions as regards the writ
Ing of novel Mr.. Howels told some
thing of his own methods He writes In
the morning, often reviewing his work
two or three times. After telling this
much the lactIIra,. cn,,cl,,aod