The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-05-09

look, free of charge. at a cage OF monkeys
hired from the nearest bird-and- animal
store. and kept on exhibition after the ex-
ercises? Could not graduated prizes be Of
fered for attendance on a certain number
os consecutive Sundays, and these prizes
b. advertised in a large print poster?
Tb=se inducements need not be costly-not
eTen as costly as Bible, which was the
primitive reward for child who had at
tended Sunday school for year without
missing a Sunday OId-fashioned people
may think that goat is not quite as ap-
propriate reward of merit as Bible,
but there are probably few persons OF that
scrt among the communicates Of the New
Tabernacle Church In Chicago
American Historical Fiction
writer in the London Academy
seems to be exercised in mind over the
vogue of historical novels in America He
cites the popularity of Richard Carvel"
and Janice Meredith" as proof that
America has become tired Of democratic
hunting and ancestor worship Then he
goes on to say that "Rieha-d Carvel'' is
fragrant imitation of Thsckeray by man
in whom is no originality, and he gives
Mr.. Paul Leicester Ford's book a still
worse reputation.
As to the latter. the English critics
opinion may not be much amiss. Janice
Meredith" has been aptly described as a
novel Of colonial society in which there IS
not a single lady or gentleman. II has
achieved large sale chiefly through the
skillful advertising OF the publishers and
the authors reputation as a writer of
rather clever novels. When a man who
has achieved some prominence as a nov
elist attempts a new book much more am
bilious than any of his previous works,
and that book is persistently described By
the publishers as the greatest historical
novel America mas yet produced it would
have TO be very bad, indeed, not to have
something of a sale. Mr.. FOrd's book has
achieved its popularity solely on that prin-
ciple formulated by the late Mr.. Barnum,
that the American people like to be hum
bugged. The same thing could have been
done in England, or any other country. by
astute publishers.
But the popularity OF Richard CaryeI'
is simply that which is bound TO be
achieved by a good. clean. well-written
novel. dealing with the life OF a period in
which all Americans will take a natural
! interest. The scene is laid in England as
well as in this country and English celeb
| rites cut quite as great a figure in the
story as do the famous men of America.
II is hard to see why an Englishman
should object to story of this type, or to
its popularity in America.
The fact is that the present vogue Of
historical fiction in America is no greater
-hau that which il has had in the past, or.
Tor that matter. in England, France. or
az other civilized country There is real
ly no reason for accusing Americans Of
hankering after aristocratic ancestors sim
ply because they like novels founded on
true Incidents. in which titled personages
may or may not have been concerned
Cooper. Hawthorne. Thackeray. Scott Vic
tor Hugo-aIl the great poets and novelists
OF history. Shakespeare and Homer in
cluded-have loved to weave an mag
NATIVE web Of incident and character
drawing around historical incidents, and
it would be most remarkable If this were
| not done in modern American literature.
and if il did not prove popular 50 long
as Englishmen still read ''Ivanhoe" and
go to see Richard III it is rather alb
| surd for any Briton to laugh at the Amer
l lean people for liking historical fiction
! dealing with colonial days.
| But. after all. this critics knowledge Of
| the American character and his taste in
| literature are indicated quite accurately
/ by subsequent comment made in this
same article. He calls the Ladies' Home
! Journal the most ably edited paper in
America The public can judge from this
how much his opinion is really worth in
| literary matters.