The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-08
FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER.
Something About an old Time Novel
That is Often Referred To-Its

Something About an old Time Novel
That is Often Referred To-Its
Author.
Everybody, or nearly everybody. has
heard OF the novel of "FrankensteIn,"
says the Chicago Post. thought It Is not
probable that many persons read 1t now
adays. There are SO many illusions to II
in our literature. however, that one alb
Serbs some sort OF a notion OF Il SO that
he cannot help knowing that 1t is q
weird and chastity story about a mon
ster, but whether or not Frankensteln
is the monster even well informed peo-
pie DO not always know. showing that
they never read the story. Sometimes
We hear illusions to "Frankensteln's
monster as In one Of Charles Sum-
ney's orations. where he speaks Of the
Southern Confederacy as '.the souless
monster Of Frankenstein, the wretched
creation OF mortal SCIENCE without
God" and sometimes Interference is. to
FrlnkeIste!a only. as II he were the
monster. or course Sumner, who was
very particular In his use OF figures Of
speech. was right. When Mrs. Deland,
In her fine novel Of Sidney" makes
Major Lee sag that christianity is a
Frankensteih." she suffers the major to
talk nonsense. &.
In 1916. Mary Goodwin, afterward
Mrs. Shelley. eloped with Shelley, and
they took up their residence. near
Geneva. in Switzerland. They had Lord
Byron for q neishbor, and the three
passed much time together. Their con-
versatlon frequently ran on the occult
and the mysterious. and Byron one day
proposed that each should write ghost
story. All agreed and went to work,
but 1t was not long before the two poets
gave 1t up as hopeless task. They
write stories. Mary perseyered and
completed her tale in the spring OF 1917.
When Byron and Shelley heard 1t read
they were surprised and delighted. It
was bound to be the novel Of the CEN
fury! The name OF 1t was s"Franken-
stein: or The Modern Prometheus." II
was Immediately sent to London for
publication and met with great success.
Frankenstein Is Swiss youth, q stu
dent at the University OF Ingolstadt,
deeply interested In the study of chem
istry and natural philosophy. He re-
solves 10 penetrate the mysteries Of life
and death and wrest from nature the
secret OF creation. After prolonged
study he succeeds and discovers how
to impart movement and animation 10
iifeiess matter. He then resolves to
mold n colossal man. making him beau
tiful In form and feature, and Undue
him with life. He carries on his work In
studio far from the habItatIons OF
man, labors long and secretly. and at
last the work Ia completed. There In tho
great room lies the form and semblance
OF human being, perfect IN oil his
proportions. Frankenstein relates the
story: 5# H@ ..,t
1T was on a dreary night In Novem-
Der that beheld the accomplishment
of my tolls. With m anxiety that al
most amounted to agoay.I collected the
instruments OF life around me that /
might infuse a spark OF being Into the
lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It
was already o'cloci: In the morning:
the rain pnttered dIsmaly against the
window panes. and NY candle was near
~ burnt out. when, blythe BlImmer Of
the halt-cxNnGu!shed light, saw the
dull yellow eye Of the creature open; It
bt'hlHtu ilult anu IL GOnVulSlVe motion
agltated its limbs
Slowly the immense creature arose,
and the artist. frightened at his own
work, fed away. Then he returns to
find his creation possessed OF life and
every attribute OF humanity except
soul. Nowhere can It find human SYM
pathy. 1t IL out OF harmony with nil
things about It. and after searching the
world In pursuit Of happiness It returns
again 10 Frankcnstcin and demands
that he make a companion with whom
Il can live In sympathy and love.
Frankensteir declines and thencefor,h
the monster pursucs him with hatred
and revenge. II Stays his brothers and
sister. his friend and his bride. It fol-
lows him to Rnssin. TO Siberia. and Into
the Arctic ocean. and there creature and
artist perish together. 1t ls most un-
canrF story 20 read o. nights Sir Wnl-
ter Scott reviewed the novel In the
Quarterly. but while admitting It's pow
or. confessed he did not like IT, "Our
taste and cur Judgment revolt at thIs
kind OF writing" All the critics agreed
as to Its daring originality.
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