The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-10-30
Development Among ,Readers Of
Fiction.

Mr.. Frederic Taher Cooper contributes
brief paper TO ~ Current American
Illustrated magazine on THE Hopeful
Tendency in Fiction" A perusal Of the
article, however,. develops the fact that
its title is somewhat of misnomer II
is not in Our fiction, but rather In our
readers Of fiction. that Mr.. Cooper finds
n hopeful tendency now exhibiting itself.
lie says that the average reader is
gradually seeking a higher level, that tho
mos; popular and best selling" books
are coming 10 coincide more and more
nearly with the books declared best by
authoritative criticism. In short, an en-
couraging proportion OF what We know
as the reading public" is slowly rising
above the cphen,eral trusts which it onsc
found all sutiicing.
No doubt Mr.. Cooper Is perfectly cor.
rec, III both his hypothesis and his con-
clusion. The wide popularity of Mrs.
Humphrey Wards works and of such
books say. as The Garden of>Allah''
and The House of Mirth" would seem
10 Indicate that 4 great many readers
have developed an appreciation for real
literary quality which would once,
perhaps, have either mystit1ed o.
bored them. Certainly the APP
neal of book like Mrs. Wharf
tons last and best one is almost purely
Intellectual and the wide vogue 1t has
enjoyed during. its serial publication can
be explained only on the ground that
there are great many people interested.
analytical type. And reader who has
reached a point where he enjoys this
sort OF novel may be said. at least, to
have fairly cut his literary leading
strings.
Yet there is not. after all, anything
particularly surprising in this It is mere
IL tendency which We would have the
right TO anticipate. We may expect a
readers taste 70 develop through a
closer acquaintance with books, and new
readers are constantly being developed.
Ours Is a country which takes in an
nuahy vast quantities Of the illiterate
and turns them, or at least a large pro-
portion OF them into .l!terate," 10 para
phrose a familiar expression. II makes
ten readers grow where only one gre:S
before II is not to be inferred. of course,
that our immigrant classes are transform
ed out OF hand into readers OF pscycholo-
gical fiction. but they do serve none the
less to illustrate the influence OF on:
country in forming and developing the
!sabit OF reading a man who has once
formed this habit is not expected to
stand still Having crossed the line that
separates the reading from, the non
reading world he will naturally want 10
take another step forward. The need
grows by what It feeds on. a man who
cuts his teeth on the penny newspaper
may soon graduate into the cheap maya
zine. and will next begin 10 take .
healthy interest in printed matter be-
tween covers. Even among trashy novels.
he learns 10 discriminate. and gradually
he, or his children after him. reach 4
point where trash is no longer fully salts
flying In this way. the immense popu-
lart;y OF Hall Game perhaps only
means, as clever critic mas suggested
that thai number Of readers have now
reached the Hall Game stage. In time,
no doubt. they Will pass it. and their
places win be filled by men and women
to.whorn even Hall Caine represents
distinct improvement in their literary
taste.
This. however, Is more or iess con
jectiye we hope. where We canno,
prove, Meanwhile. II Is pleasant 10 cts
IN evidence the more general popularity
Of our writers Of the first class
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Dill C1,,nnr