The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-09-12
LOOKING w
THE GREAT NOVEL.

THE VOWEL.
Fiction must get back TO first principles
every now and then. 1t makes false
starts. which mean retraced steps. When
II comes TO the end of a bypath it must
turn back to the main road-all its pro-
gressions must be by the main road.
1t has sought many new fields and
made many new notifications in the re-
cent years. Many little packets have been
found off the line of the main shaft. But
the pockets. many of them. seem to be
well nigh worked out now. and the miners
who have followed them are cropping
rather blindly. The short story. for in
stance. was a rich find. The short story
had come to stay. we are told. There
were even n few predictions that IT would
supersede the novel. Now II wanes; ap-
pears 10 be going out. leaving only an In
fiuence behind II. Most Of our short story
writers worthy Of classification have
turned long story writer's. The path of
historical fiction was q blind path. lead
ing 10 nowhere. The path of mere photo
graphic and inanimate realism and that
Of the realism exploited. notably by
the French writer's, are virtually aban-
doned. Also. on the other hand. pro-
nounced romance. idyllic pieces, allegories
and purely imaginative writings are even
less In vogue than ever in America. Fan
tastic and faddish writings attain no sig
niiicance whatever. Their tone. when
they have appeared of late, has been hvs-
terlcal. and there IS no liberation for
ffothlness. With the disappearance of
both that which is dull and that which i
unsound the drift of fiction is uudoubted-
- ~ ,it direction OF a vital. live topic
StoittS OF conIemporaneOuS lfe now
constitute the body of fiction and orr,,-
~ lne CHlti attention OF the makers of
mtCratqre' IN its broad sense. And the
HiLIoIl,S OF ContempOraneous life Is
dIoAS the main road: il is a return to tho
5LSd' h'shway OF progress. In this dirsC-
oloh res opportunity. 1t seems generally
conceded that ii IS only by producing
a great picture of COntemporaneous liz
mat America can signally contribute 70
nterature-in the genuine and ennobling
SENSE IN winch Carlyle viewed It: a trac-
ing or the spirit of human development.
Inc present is suspicious for the de-
veioPment towards the great American
novel The interest of the ereat nnbIjc
Is chiefly for the books of co~6temndrrna-
Gus Lte-an encouraging. stimulating fact.
anu doubtless deep in the heart OF almost
ereTy american writer Is the ambition TO
produce at some vague time the great
milestone which shall mark our course.
y VIII De a s~tupendous task to co-Ordi-
mate the motives OF complex American
- ~ SuiLt, 10 dDDlf-
mend and define the great impeIIing spirit.
anu 10 unfold and show 1t forth with the
prlInant light OF truth through the med
lum OF the novel. 1t will require a
marvellous intuition and a breadth Of
grasp and a power of illuminating genius
the hand Of art. 1t is a magnus opus to
"''aCt ana inspire the noblest effort.
A fresh, breezy. moving story Of vir-
gtnia, Henry B. Boone's The Career
triumphant" deals incidentally with the
im~pecuniosities OF some triumphant
spirits of the old regime"-spirits that
trlumphed over adversely and rode to
hounds on empty stomachs-but deals
principally with a triumph involving hu-
man hearts. 1t is a little love story
win a marked charm of uncoventionali-
". A d~evil-may-care youth with never a
cent, but a love of horses. dogs, game
hlckens and poetry. who would rather
read Stevenson's Virginibus Puerisaue
IMAM work for a living, but who had the
neart OF a hero and the veins of Il man
ne Is ms uncle's tavorite. And his uncle,
me only character in the piece having a
fortune, Is sentimental and he makes a
match between his merry-hearted nephew
ana n love OF a girl, who has a voice
and an ambition to become a singer. The
manner of making the match and the
conditions with which the marriage is
surrounded give the book a ]piuuaucy
and uniqueness which, it is no exagger |
alton TO say, should fairly refresh a
Jaded reader with time hanging heavy
on his hands. Cupid plays a new and
exquisite role-but with a s~uperlatively
unsatisfying denouement; tantaliZing, dis
concerning. bewildering, aEgraYating.
After each act, except the last act, one
feels like calling both Cupid and the au-
thor before the curtain TO rain cheers
and flowers upOn them. But after the
final curtain there is nothing but Kisses
for either; they have played US false.
The story Is best for its freshness and
ingenious character; 1t is worse because
1t makes plain certain great possibilities
which have not been realized. The mer-
est tyro may perceive how he might i'm
prove ii. The little perversity in Joce-
lyn'S motive, that which constitutes the
fly in the readers ointment throughout |
the pages. and also the diSheartening
tone Of the stOry'S ~end-thcse things pos
sibly, probably. fit the authors COncep-
tons of what is artistic; but the reader
is prepared to waive such supposed artiS-
tic considerations in favor of q finale
which will leave a happy impression, a
sweet taste. The triumph IS marred.
The wrong thing triumphs at the cOnclu-
sion. Published by d. Appleton & Co.
An elaborate narrative of Seventeenth
Century adventures upon the high seas
in the untrodden Businesses Of South
Africa is Andrew Balfour's The Golden
being an account of the quest
for the fabulous and alluring Empire of
MOnomatapa-a search for an aur!ferous
Whether the narrative was, as
the author asserts, really the remarkable
of Doctor Henry Mortimer, con-
tanned in the manuscript found within the
boards of a Boer Bible during the late
doesn't make much difference to the
reader. The story is a good one and is
well told. 1t contains many passages
which may prove of interest at this june
ture, dealing. as it does, with the habits
and customs of the early Dutch settlers
and the wild condition OF Natal, as well
as many excellent descriptive and color
full sketches of d vast and picturesque
The book has a genuine atmos-
phere and a cOlloquial tone. which i'm
part conviction and a sense OF reality, de-
spite the at times rather improbable ad-
ventures of the company OF brave spirits.
work deserves a respectful hearing,
for ii has been performed with painstak-
ing sincerity. Published by l.. {. Page
Co.