The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-08
IT'S USE
AND
ABUSE.
THE HISTORICAL
NOVEL,,
BY JOHN
Author of "HeIen's Babies" "AH He Knew" Etc.

scribes the position Of the troops, tells of
the hopes of the army and the Nation. puts
some brave words and rapid orders into the
generals mouth, and then just as the fine
old soldier is about to reproduce the scene
which made him famous, up dashes a
young woman in tears and a c~arryall, and
the reader learns TO his disappointment
that the hero of the scene is not to be the
renowned general, but a young officer who
is detached from the staff to give the young
woman safe conduct from the field, and
who, OF course, is the only man she ever
really loved, though two or three others
had hopes. The disappointment of the
reader might be modified were the young
woman specially charming. but by some
mysterious chain of coincidence the hero
ines of the more famous of the new histor-
ical novels are very young and uncertain
creatures, who tax the patience of their
sweethearts greatly, and are endured by
the reader principally because of their
surroundings.
Why should not the historical novel break
with the old topic and avail itself of the
many great ones it has at hand? Why
should not great characters Of history be-
come the novelist's principals, instead Of
appearing merely as brilliant accessories?
Why should not their purposes be the mo-
tives Of at least d distinct class of the
novels of the future? Patriotism, ambition,
friendship, daring, Self-sacri1ce, courage,
honor, expediency. statesmanship-any of
them have done as much as love to make
the world go round" To say that a ro-
mantle story, or even an interesting one,
requires love is to beg the question:; the
imagination of any romancer worthy of the
name can place an honest atmosphere of
romance about any great character of
history.
Some such change will be necessary if the
historical novel is TO remain popular. for
readers of fiction, like all other readers,
are progressive. Most of them reach a
place where they demand something bet
ter than they have had; if they do not find
1t in fiction they look for it in other books.
Yet fondness for good stories is inherent
in human nature: men and women who
cannot tolerate a novel of the ordinary type
will listen eagerly 10 tales Of real people
whether great or simple. Many of the
worlds historic characters were great as
we'll as real; the setting Of a story Of
any of them need not be invented, for its
details may already be found in history or
. aAAO OElE lES SNTQDaInetlC
heart and skilled hand to make IL interest
ing to the eye of whoever may read. Stories
thus written would capture a class of
readers in which publishers delight be-
cause 1t is very large, yet at which TO-
mancers look askance-the class that reads
the purpose" novel. There is no class
more u~njustly abused, for most OF its con-
stituents read. not for the purpose which
a story is supposed to develop, but to be
on the higher plane and enjoy the origi-
nality of treatment which any such story
presupposes-and also for the rare pleas
ure OF reading a romance which IL not the
eternal love-story warmed over and served
with one or more OF the old sauces.
HUMANITY'S NOBLE TRAITS.
But this ia not the only class TO which
historical novels OF high quality would ap-
peal. In every grade Of human nature.
down TO the very worst, there is instructive
respect and admiration for nobility of char
! acter. The love OF man for woman and