Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1900-02-02
AN UNCANNY STORY.
ORIGIN OF THE "soULLEss MONSTER
OF FRANKENsTEIN."

Time Novel That II often Alluded
TO In Literature and at Times Quot
ed Incorrectly.
Everybody, or nearly everybody, has
heard Of the novel Of "Frankenstein. /"
though II is not probable that many
persons read II nowadays. There are
30 many illusions to it In our utera-
ture, however, that one absorbs some
sort OF a potion OF it so that he can.
not help knowing that 1t Is a weird and
| CHASTITY story about monster, but
whether or not Frankenstein is the
monster even we'll Informed people do
not always know. showing that they
never read the story.
Sometimes we hear allusions TO
"Frankenstein's monster" as in one of
Charles Summers oratloas, where he
speaks OF the ''soulless monster of
Frankenstein, the wretched creation
OF mortal science without God" and
sometimes the reference Is to Frank
enstein only. as IL he were the mon
ster. OF 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 say that christianity is a
Frankenstcin," she suffers the major
to talk nonsense
The story of this weird novel and the
circumstances under which It came to
be written are decidedly interesting
and may be told in n few words. The
facts are as follows:
In 1916 Mary Goodwin. afterward
Mrs. Shelley, eloped with Shelley, and
they took ip their residence near Ge-
neva. In Switzerland They had Lord
Byron for q neighbor, and the three
passed much time together Their con-
versation frequently ran on the occult
and the mysterious, and Byron one day
proposed that each should write g
ghost story. All agreed and went to
work, but 1t was not long before the
two poets gave 1t up as u hopeless
task. They could write poetry, but
they could not write stories.
Mary persevered and completed her
tale in the spring of 1917. When By
ron and Shelley heard It read, they
Were surprised and delighted. 1t was
bound TO be the novel of the century!
The name OF 1t was "Frankenstein; or.
The Modern Prometheus." 1t was i'm
mediateiy sent to London for publica-
ton and met with a great success.
Ftankenstein is Swiss youth. a
student at the University Of Ingol-
stadt, deeply Interested in the study of
chemistry and natural philosophy. He
resolves to penetrate the mysteries Of |
life and death and wrest from nature
the secret Of creation. After prolong- |
ed study he succeeds and discovers
how to impart movement and anima-
tion TO lifeless matter.
He then resolves to mold a colossal
man, making lin beautiful In form
and feature and imbue 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
is completed. There in the great room
lies the form and semblance Of q hu-
man being, perfect In all his proper
tlons. Frankenstein relates the story:
ut was on dready night In NOvem-
Der that | beheld the accomplishment
OF my tolls. With an anxiety that al
most amounted to agony | collected
the Instruments of life around me that
| might infuse a spark of being into
the lifeless thing that lay at my feet
at was already 1 o'clock in the
The rain pattered dismally
against the window panes, and my
candle was nearly burned out, when,
by the glimmer of the half extinguish-
ed light, saw the dull yellow eye of
the creature open. 1t breathed hard,
aud a convulsive motion sgitated its
limbs"
Slowly the immense creature arose,
and the artist, frightened at his own
work, 1ed away. Then he returns to
ind his creation possessed of life and
every attribute of humanity except a
soul Nowhere can 1t find human sym
pathy. II Is out OF harmony with all
things about 1t, and after searching
The world in pursuit of happiness 1t
returns again to Frankenstein and de-
nands that he make a companion with
whom It can live in sympathy and
ove.
Frankenstein declines, and thence {
'orth the monster pursues him with
hatred and revenge. II slays his broth
.rs and sister, his friend and his bride.
t follows him to Russia. to Siberia
Ind into the Arctic ocean. and there
creature and artist perish together. 1t
s a most uncanny story to read o.
lights.
Sir Walter Scott reviewed the novel !
n The Quarterly. but while admitting {
is power confessed he did not like 1t. I
Our taste and our judgment revolt at
his kind Of writing" All the critics
lgreed as to Its daring originality ,
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