The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-10-13
Nh. WeStcops " ~
y y 1.-The Teller Z

THE Teller" by Edward Moves westcott,
ls good story, what there Is Of " II Is
scarcely a novelette,. but rather a short
story that Is made to arrenr novelette,
by the letters aud life OF the authdf bound
Up in tho hack OF the voirme.
Short though Il Is, the sixty-scven small
pages OF 'rhe Teller" make up a good
story with the vital strength that comes
Of close realism when practiccd by an
artist. No one can read the story and not
be sure, even II not Informed OF the au-
thor's business career, that the man who
wrote the tale evidently knew great
dcal about the practical running Of bank.
Il would be to revive an old dispute,
which can never be settled TO go Into the
question Of the realism OF the story and
contrast II with stories Of the romantic
school. short cut out OF the realistic
romantic controversy is that which is az
forded by Prof. Saintisbury's favorite meas
uring rule for literature. The distinguished
British critic, In estimating any piece OF
literature OF whatever sort, concerns him
SELF with but one thing, and that thing
every rlght.minded person who stops to
think will agree Is the kernel of the nut.
The sole query that the critic must pro-
critics dictum. Is laying aside all bal
aneng Of theories rules OF rhetoric aud
suchllke paper outlets OF the brain, us
the work goodT' IL aye can be said to
this crucial question the criterion is met
and it matters not the theory or the school.
II the work Is had no theory or school can
save 1t. II the work is good II has full
filled the chief end OF literature.
And yet tho llttlo story, although by a
masterhand, ntlmcly stllled, alas by the
death, scarcely seems to deserve such clab-
crate weighing In the critics scales. A
teller In bank, an oldish young man, shy,
falls Ia love with tho directors daughter.
The lovers are cstrangcd by the directors
sons shortages being blamed on the teller,
who hcrClcally holds his tongue and gets
him another Job AZ some sort Of hard labor
at which he has to wcar oyeralls. Finally
tho truth comes out, The son contesses
and there IS a grand reconciliation and
wedding aud the old man takes the ex-
teller into partnership.
In the hands Of less capable artist such
a story might read when written as alb
surdly MS It does when summarized rs
above. Yet MIR, Wcscott has told the story
as II It had really happened. The art DIS
| played, 0lthough the picture is small Is
sufficient FOR great canvas The sim
pliclty Of style is one great means to his
effect Of perfect Illusion, his rcsoute omis.
sion Of nnesseptlals another but most Of
all, tho success comes from the lmag M
ton that Ia able to create and believe in
the characters ond at the same time to
keep their words and actions close upon
reality Indeed, the work is akin TO good
painting from The Hive model
There Is nothing Of the humor OF David
Iinrum III the story, Only To quietness OF
tho style and the art OF tho writer set
forth above makes the reader aware that
the same hand ponned the great book and
thia ltttlc story
There Is little value In the mcager let
tors and extracts Of letters and perfunctory
life bound up In the back Of the book
"rhe Teller" Is published by the Apple
tons. b. n. f., Jr.