The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-02-10
ARE THE BEST
STORIES TRUE?
By Na:y r. wilkins

1t almost goes without saying that
the best stories must be true In the
highest sense. In them the two and
two of human emotion and experience
must always make the four of natural
result. The revelations of character
must have the lights and shades Of
their own circumstances and no others
upon them, or the story will be essen
TALLY false. But when 1t comes to the
question, Are the best stories true in
the ordinary sense Of the word?" 1
doubt it. 1t is seldom II ever that an
exact, or exact as possible rendering Of
an occurrence, or q faithful record Of
q life gives the most artistic and the
best results. 1t is not even as true as
untruth, though that sounds paradox
cal. 1t is eye and ear work, but not
soul work. The truth is that of the
surface only; there are no revelations
of depths, no retrospect and no fore
cast. 1t Is one dimension of truth and
no more. 1t is not even as reliable as
photography. 1t is more like the trac-
ing of the barest outlines of life as
seen against the wall of its own envi-
ronments, and of no more value than
q Siiiu chctCn upon lie 6CnOOAydAO
f,nce.
CT course a story which Is q story,
and not mere newspaper report. is
seldom, IL ever, told with such utter
rega:d for and stern adherence to the
actuali ies. They almost never are
true; it il impossible that they should
be. The. is the inevitable mark Of the
authors own individuality upon them;
the results of his own experiences on
similar lines, which give him points Of
comparison; lie exaggerates, uncon-
sciously often, simply because of some J.,
Unborn short o. far sightedness. Sim
pie statements can be made. One can
write that Bet, y Jones and William
Smith were boin and brought up in
the same village; Lat Betsey was soft
and gentle and ia ; that William was
proud and reserved and dark; that ear
ly friendship ripened into love: that
they finally married ard lived in peace
and happiness ever after. But when
'ne tries to develop bare and unadorned
facts like those into a story the mac
'uracy of necessity begins.
Who is going to be sure that one
1nows Betsey's and Williams inner
most motives for their matrimonial I'M
1t was because Betsey
ould not succeed in winning the affec-
ions of John Smith and William had
,een Tilted by Mary Jones, or because
'etsey was afraid of being an old maid
nd William wanted somebody to keep
is house for nothing, or because they
eally loved each other with all that
1yllic affection of simple and artless
lovers TO- no
to know about the resulting peace
happiness, though the neighbors
ave never overheard a harsh word
ass between them, even with sharp
ars for listening? The chances are
1at the story as an actual chronicle
facts Will not be true in any case
nd all the better for that, provided ,
lity.
How many historical novels, which =
he might naturally conclude would
and the test of actual truth in detail.
anything can, are true in that sense? d
ven the greatest histories owe much ?
their value to the light or glamor t
st upon them by the individuality $
the historian, and by the atmosphere d
hich his imagination has projected "
0und the bare records of facts. IL
or course this may not apply to
etches of real characters picturesque Fl
ough In themselves, even If as liter II
" presented as may be, or a record RI
life written in the first person. ir
Ill, In the latter case may 1t not be VI
untruth under the semb!ance of the II
most candor which adds to its In m
est? Take, for instance, the Journal
Cotton Mather, which seems to pre- b.
NJ with no reserve whatever a self bl
Ielation SO pitiless as to be almost CT
oulsive Who knows of what falla- w
8, due to his own defects of intro. w
sctlve vision, the.old divine was gull. 81
VINO knows that he did not unwit- is
gly cater to his own self-love and ST
1sry his own sense of dramatic stu tn
on even In his own self-condemna- tri
n! Who knows whether he was as or
% or as bad as he painted himself ar
! whether, had he been drawn with no
'olute accuracy, his journal would tu
We been half as interesting or his I'M
Iracter given out such stern chords an
racter given out in such stern chords
Ing into consideration all this tenn in
ing and intensifying by the m, nd Of off
writer, was strictly faithful rec of
OF the happenings and Characters col
some community, say UP and down co,
he village street, 1t would undoubt- the
be interesting, appealing as it a
his
the