The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-12-19
Twelve Pages-Second Section
is A DICKENS REVIVAL COMING


Intelligence from English literary
sources is to the effect that the pop
ularlty OF Charles Dickens novels Is
experiencing remarkable revival.
New editions Of his works are fire.
quently announced. and they find a
ready sale
Dickens easily maintains his place
among the most popular writer's OF
English fiction With Thacekeray,
Charles Reade and willSie Collins as
his nlustrious contemporaries and riv-
ais lie was vastly the greatest fav-
orite among the people of all classes.
According to the proportional mum
ber of novel readers in the middle OF
the eighteenth century and the mid
dla of the nineteenth century his pop
ularity was far greater than that OF
Fielding smollet or Richardson
Perhaps Walter Scott approached
him in popularity more nearly than
amy other writer of fiction in our lang
uage It is probable that in the Unit
ed States more copies of Dickens
hava been sold than those Of James
Fenimore Cooper whose Indian and
sea stories are the pride of American
romantic literature
As some premonition OF Dickens
revival II is announced that o musical
comedy based on the events Of Pick
wick's interesting career has been
prepared by the colabors OF a dsting
uished American librettlst and dis
tinguished American composer. II Is
to be staged in Chicago and it. ap-
pearance Is awaited wich considerable
interest. Mr.. Pickwlcll and Sam Wei
ler on the musical stage will furnish
lovers OF music and comedy with
new sensation.
Il is probable that no men nor wo-
men ever lived resembling the charac-
ters in Dickens novels At least that
Is the case with the American char.
acter in Martin Chuzzlewit." and
most Of the characters In his "Ameri.
can Notes" We have right to be-
lieve that the Englist characters In
his novels are as absolutely carioa
lures and as untrue to real life as his
American character.
It is melancholy to reflect that il
either Of the fayorlte personages In
the works Of Dickens should step out
I from the books on to tine visible
scenes Of actual life he or she, as the
case may be would no more be re-
garded as an actual person than
scarecrow in a conhad Is recognized
as a living man by passersby on The
country roads There never was an
American like Elijah Pogram Dick
ems typical western politician and or
ator There never was a New York
editor or reporter resembling the
Dickens types
SO doubtless there never was an
Engliehman like Micawber or David
Copper field or either OF the Cheep bile
brotkers. There never was a Thames
river pirate like Rogue Riderhood, nor
an English nurse like sairy Camp,
nor an English girl Ike Little DorFiit.
whose sad lines. pathetic beauty CT
character and nctltious woes have
drawn tears from the oyes OF pdlllons
Of readers In all parts Of the world,
These characters, however l1gs
nothing Of their interest or value be-
cause they do not resemble any real
character that ever llvo@ They in
habit a world Of their own prepared
for Il en-, as Eden was prepared FOR
Adam and Eve, by the author Of their
being. The novelist, Ike The poet,
writes from the recesses and cloistors
OF am unseen world His imagination,
like that Of the poet
gives 10 airy nothiAg
A local habitation and a name
stHl. me unreal world Of the novel
ist ha. an endless human interest and
a charm equal or superior to that Of
the real world OF daily life The great
hctions and dramas are read over and
over agaia hund eds Of times Dr. mei
and women where the great histories
are read but once The ethereal
realm Of fiction, its dreams and wis
ionary CLEANS have attractions of
the strongest and llyeliesi tenure