New-York tribune., 1901-04-28
GyDe Ne,n12)ot1k gribno1e,
ILLUSTRATED SUPPLEMENT.
SUNDAY. APRIL 2S, 1901.

comes TO the support of Mr.. HOwclls in that |
protest of his against the arithmetical
standard III recent American fiction" to which |
we hav" Iltely had occasion to refer in this !
place. If the standard is arithmetical the !
lnrthCd of producing many Of the novels of the |
day is, in his opinion, mechanical. \ machine |
for writing historical novels of the latter day !,
pattern would surely not overtask the genius of !
an Ellison or n Tesla, he argues. adding. indeed.
that The machine exists. and it is none the less
machine because it is of flesh and blood.
Nothing ever turned out of Il lathe was more
purely mechanical than these works. They are
laborouS: they involve patient toll ut the desk;
they are, perhaps. conscientious in respect of
their documentary basis, and they are equally
remote from history and from fiction in any
trIe of either word Mr. Smalleys re-
mark aS 10 the touchStonc whereby the mere
trciOjlS quality of these books may be dscov-
cred Is especially apt Let any man read Il
chapter of kenilwOrth' or chapter of Henry
E>m0nl,'" he says. ''and he has all the appa-
TatuS he needs for Judging of the modern books
which masquerade under this title of historical
novel" The words are conclusive. But how is
the reader who is apparently content with the
rubbish to be made to read the masterpieces?
There i the rub However Mr. Smalley, like
Mr. H0WcIlS is moi unhopeful. For one thing
United States which is as loyal as ever to high
Ideals ana to great authors, the love of
good literature has hot died out of the land
Civilization has decreed that there shall be Il
"c!oSr season for wild animals ana birds that
the sportsman shall keep his blooIthirStineSS
under II least for Il certain number of weeks
ont of ;he year. 1t would he pleasant if some
such prohibitive system could be arranged with
Il view to Sparing poor humanity. at least for Il
little whln every year. the sufferings now in
fcted upon it by beasts of the literary fra
ternity. Mr.. kipling set fashion with his
jungle Books that has since become an al
most intOlerable burden. But for one author
Eho. like him or like Mr.. Seton THOMPSON
knows what he is talking about having really
studied animals at first hand there are. scores
who would seem from their stories To have OBJ
served only thoS" unhappy creatures of the for
cSt who blink laZily at one through the bars of
Il mcnagerie Fiction in which animals play
III" parts usually allotted TO human beings now
cCntrontS Us at every turn. III periodicals with
ont number and i'll books also beyond counting.
a good dog story such aS. for example Mr..
OllivInt's Bob. Son of Battle. is Il boon We
would not exchange the jungle Books" or
wild Animals Have Known" for half the
tales about men and women that see the light
III the course of Il year But the limit has been
rearhrd If authors and editors are not careful
thcy will lind the animal story. like the dialect |
story. Il source of grievouS disappointment
commentator on the literary conditions of
IN" time. writing in the current number of
"AlacWIllanS Magazine" makes the obServl-
ton thai The popular authors first work is al
most invariably his best. During the last dee
aie or tWo he says. I'VE have seen Il consid-
crahl" amount of promise mfoll0wcd by any
fuliilmen: the first book is generally not only I.
freSher and brighter than the second and the
twenty second but also less slipshod in con
Structon and less melSrc in design" The cX-
PLANTATION possibly lies in conception of the
writer's resources which may some day come To
have II recognized standing; the world NAV in
time reconcile itself the idea that Il man
may have one squirt of creative power ana ever
after remain without any literary ability what
ever. Perhaps some one will arise and place
himself on record willing witness 10 the
virtue of this hypothesis. cOnfcSSing that he is |
conscious of his inability to repeat his success.
ana resolving that he viii make no further ef- |
forts 20 do Men have done things far more,
heroic than This. But il is safe to say that sue
cesSful writers viii refrain from the self -S1cri-
nee required for this deed long as their con-
lemlorIricS do everything in their power to
thais n 70, ~