Evening star., 1901-11-09


what of exception, so marked has been
the tendency of late years to put pictures
in such books. Yet certain publishers per-
sist in their refusal to deal at all in Illus
trations. They rely wholly upon the merits
of the text and the strength of the authors
name. Their method is distinctly opposed
to that of their competitors who hold that
even the best work of literature can be i'm
proved by attractive drawings. The issue
is somewhat like that to the gliding of
the lily. The opponents of illustration
argue that the temptation is always pres
ent to bolster up weak effort with dash
ing pictures. and that eventually the public
taste is in danger of demoraliza ton. Orna-
mentatiOn leads insdOusly, they aver, to
imitation and conCealment. The question
is one rather of temperament than of taste,
after all The reader usually prefers an
occasional illustration to aid him in his
conception of characters and scenes, yet he
wants that aid to be distinct and not
mere pretense. He wishes for pictures for
the worth they acquire by virtue of their
relation to the text, not because they are
pretty in themselves Therefore the intel
Hgent reader demands a high standard OF
cooperation between author and artist,
which is not always to be had even in some
of the best works Instances are numer-
Gus of absolute divergence from the text
on the part of pictures. Action is miSin
terpreted dress is changed, and when
number of artists collaborate in the prep
aration of the Illustrations there are some
times differences between the covers even
in the depletion of the same parsonage.
The novel will probably never degenerate
into a mere vehicle for the conveyance of a
series of drawings. Yet stress is laid at
times by publishers upon the paramount
excellence of the artist. who may even be
of greater reputation in his art than the
author is in his. This is unfair to the
writer and destructive of the readers con-
I'll. =
happy combination which will satisfy ali
SIDES is difficult of attainment, al
though there are more competent il
Illustrators in the field today than ever
before and the facilities for repro
ductiOn such that picture printing
is easier and more satisfactory. The wash
drawing. in which many have become
proficient, lends itself happily to the half
tone process. and the result is an illustra-
tiOn superior to the average of even a
decade ago. Photography at one time prom
ised to cut deeply into the business of the
illustrator. and several books were put
the market a few seasons back with the
scenes of the stories portrayed solely from
real life. But there was something lacking
The human element was too much in eYi-
deECe. The difference between the idealism
of the story and the realism of the set scene,
though minimized by the art of the pho
tographer was nevertheless too pronounced
for the absolute comfort of the dscrirli-
mating reader. And yet these Illustrations
Were superior in at least the point of filcli-
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other, and they were absolutely true in
drawing. which, in too many cases, the ar
lists work is not. The reader seemed to
think that the departure might, If encour-
aged. be followed by similar abandon ncnt
of the line of fiction in favor of abs )luJe
reproduction of life stories.
And there was raised at once the old
question Of art in realism which has
plagued writers and painters from the be-
ginning of mans works. The novel be-
speaks attention because of its character
as fiction. 1t is well recognized among
publishers that ii is no commendaton of 4
story to declare that it is drawn from life.
Many young writers plead for acceptance
with the publishers readers on the score
of the truth of their stories. They are not
aware, perhaps, that they are prejudicing
their case at the outset. The old adage Of
the law. The greater the truth the greater
the libel holds true in this line. The
story must appeal. on the score of its real
ism. not from its source, but in its own
qualities.
Apropos Of illustration, an interesting n
cidgnt has just occurred in the matter of
the use OF the portrait of the author of
book to advertise the work itself The pub
fishers Of certain pleasant bit of light
fiction just out, desired to place the like
ness of the writer before the public. Their
purpose, OF course, was to facilitate the
sale OF her book She however has scru-
pies against this of her features and
refused to grant the request. The question
arises whether she is not Straining a point
Inc Reader OF story is entitled TO some
measure OF intimacy with the appearance
OF the writer But her refusal in this case
may perhaps be as effective in its way for
the publishers design as the presentation
OF the portrait would be. II is at least de-
perture. and as such is certain to be ex-
plotted.
1t is strange how circumstances will in
crease public interest in a book from oppo-
site directions. a few weeks ago while
the preparations for the New York munich
m ma. i'm tR-nra
claimed as a biography of Richard Croker
made its appearance from metropolitan
press 1t was read with some amazement
ana much amusement Since the publica-
tiOn the announcement has come that the
author of the remarkable volume in ques-
ton had quarreled with Croker on account
or the telling of some truths which Croker
considered 10 be helpful to the cause of
the opposition rather than his own Now
that Tammany has been utterly routed in
the fight interest centers once more in the
Work 10 seek the ugly facts which Croker
feared This is not the first time that a
blographer has proved too faithful to his
task for his principals comfort The OH
Vlous moral Is that II is unwise for a man
20 write the story of a living subject or
for the subject 10 negotiate with even his
pest friend 10 present him before the public
In book during life.
Anecdotes Of EIeazar Williams. the orig
mai OF "Lazarre, have been revived in
number since the publication of that novel
and the store OF tradition and history is
Hkefy To be greatly enriched thereby. IL is
perhaps not widely understood that the au-
thor of the story based it upon a founda-
tlon or actuality and that parsonage who
believed himself TO be the French dauphin
did live In this country years ago. He was
recognized as such by some royalists but
ne engaged in no serious effort to trace his
royal ancestry or to claim his status in
France He was satisfied to live and die
an American and was highly honored by his
neighbOrS.
Prosaic subjects are becoming rather fire.
quent OF late among the sources of literary
inspiration Mr. Norris Epic of the
wheat, the first book of which, ."The Oc-
topus, has already scored a success is di-
rectiy derived from the soil and the people
who live by the soil Somewhat similar i'm
source is a forthcoming book Calumet
Il, which is to tell the story of the
building of grain elevator
Another book by Maxim Gorlly the Rus
sian realist, is soon TO appear under the
title of "Orloff and His Wife" COMPRISING
several short stories which belong To the