The age-herald., 1900-03-05
EDITOR SHELDON
 DISCUSSES HIS NEW JOB
From the Chicago Record.

l 'In His Steps, who is soon to try the ex- 1 pertinent of running the Topeka Daily l Capitol for a week "as Jesus would" he
 talked freely of his coming experiment and 1 of his work as a religious novelist and l preacher of the gospel
 i The interview took place in a sleeping car 1 just as MT. Sheldon was leaving Chicago | for his home in Topeka, Kas. He was &C., 1 companied by his wife, a vivacious, charm l ing, brown-haired woman, who has doubt l less invented many of the scenes and char
 acters in his writings and inspired many l of his unique schemes. In appearance MT. l Sheldon is typical Celt-ruddy of coun- l tenance, tall, large, blue-eyed, brown | haired, gentle in manner, deliberate an i speech. After talking few moments about l the wonderful success of "In His Steps, which, 1t is estimated. has been read by l 20, 100000 people, I asked MT. Sheldon about l the origin and evolution of the religious
 novel, of which "In His Steps" is the most | conspicuous example.
 "It would be difficult" he said, "to tell l when and where this form of fiction was | born It is doubtless as old as any other kind of tory-telling-that Is. as old as man. l The folk tales of all primitive peoples were all more or less religious. Christ used the | short religious story in the shape of the parable as the chief vehicle for conveying | His ideas to the world. Why 1t has been so little used for advancing the kingdom since the dawn of Christianity 1t is hard to explain. Sir Walter Scott went so far as to say that fiction should have no moral mission-Sts chief function was to amuse, not to instruct or inspire. But Scott was- II. haoA of strictly religious fiction Is found in the writings of Mrs. Alden (Pansy). She mas done more than any other person to break down the prejudice against fiction, wnich was one of the hertages handed down from our Puritan forefathers."
 What would you say of The Christian by Hall Caine? Is that religious noVei! "Yes; suppose that would be called reig- ious fiction. But 1t Is not exactly the sort I am trying to construct. l do not con- slider it fam or true picture of the Chris tianity of today. It is not such DOCK as one would like to read from pulpit My books are built with two central ideas' which run through every line of them; they must be suitable for Sunday reading they must be suitable for reading from the pulpit. My books are built with two central
 'eas, which run through every line or
 m; they must be suitable for Sunday
 ing; they must be suitable for reading
 lr the pulpit"
 .y not MT. Caines books be valuable as religious fiction for weekday read ing?"
 "Yes, doubtless" said Mr. Sheldon T appreciate MT. Caine. I believe he is an earnest and sincere man. I bid him God speed in his efforts"
 And what would you say of Quo Vadis' as a religious novel;"
 "I should not call it ideal by any means. He has brought in a great mass of sensa- tional, blood-and-thunder material that might far better have been omitted. There are passages in the book that one would be ashamed to read before the family circle"
 "Then you think religious fiction has great future?'
 q am sure of it," said Mir. Sheldon. en- enthusiastically. "It is as yet in its infancy We are just on the edge of this unexplored land of incomparable richness. Every year will find more people using this agency. In the twentieth century I believe it will be one of the most powerful forces, next to the church, for promulgating the principles as given us by Christi
 "what training should one undergo to write successful religious fction?"
 "The twentieth century novelist will have to attend the school of life This is the novelists treasure chest The ideal trafn- ing should be this: He should study at first hand every class of people living upon the face of the earth. He should live among them, sympathize with them, find out what they think and how they feel. I do not mean that one should live with criminals or associate with evil-doers-for by the magic power of sympathy he can understand the hearts of these people, while uealy he will have little occasion to de- scribe their dongs in detail. But know the various classes of men one must" ex- claimed Mir. Sheldon, ''if he is going to achieve the largest and most lasting suc cess. The writer of fiction cannot travel too extensively. The man who wants an ideal training should study the habits of all peoples in all lands. Now that expan- sion is in the air, now that science. com merce and Christianity have opened the whole world to our gaze, there is no land to which the novelist may not transport his readers to their delight and interest,"
 
 that Tn His Steps written and preached on successive Sunday evenings, the various chapters of the novel taking the place of sermons. In regard to this daring innovation on his part MT. Sheldon said:
 'I may say, as part of my experience, that have enlarged my definition of ser mon to mean almost any conveyance by means of which whatever is Christian truth to me goes from me into the daily lives of my people,"
 DO you expect the sermon story to be largely adopted by the American pulpit?" l asked
 'I see no reason why 1t should not be- It offers an opportunity to apply Christs teachings to modern life in a practical man. ner that is denied by the ordinary sermon. If should attempt to deal with problems of business, economics and civics from the