Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1905-06-15
UNFINISHED NOVELS.
TALES THAT WERE STOPPED BY THE,
HAND OF DEATH.

HAND OF DEATH.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's Forebodins
| The Fragment That Stevenson Left.
| Thackeray's Last Work.
George Gissing's "Naranilda" is
masterpiece that it's author did not live
TO finish. OneAwell known critic consid-
ers this tale of the Roman and the
Goth the deceased writer's finest work,
and, though many may question this
judgment, there can exist but universal
regret that the romance must forever
remain incomplete.
A greater work by greater writer,
"Weir of Hermiston," by R. L. Steven
son, was left mere fragment, of
which the lurid grandeur proved that
| its creator was taken from us in the
zenith of his power. Another romance,
"St. IVES" by the same pen, was run
ming in monthly magazine at the time
OF his premature death. Here, however,
readers were not baked of a satisfacto-
ry denouement, for the story was
brought to conclusion by Mr.. CUTLER
Couch, well known under the nom de
| plume of Co."
IL hardly know what to say to the
public about this abortive romance,
though pretty well know what the
case will be. shall never finish it."
wrote Nathaniel Hawthorne with ref
erence to 1.-THE Dolliver Romance
which he had undertaken to write for
the Atlantic Monthly. This foreboding
was but too soon verified, for the au-
thor had scarce time to do more than
lay the groundwork of the story and
write the initial chapters ere death
struck him down.
At his funeral at Concord the scarce
commenced manuscript lay upon his
coffin. Soon afterward the first chapter
appeared in the Atlantic, and subse-
quently the second chapter, which he
had been unable to revise, was publish
ed in the same periodical Several years
elapsed when third fragment, revised
and copied by the novelist's wife, was
placed in the publishers hands. The
original manuscript is now preserved in
the Concord public library.
wives and Daughters" was running
in the Cornhill when the authoress,
Mrs. Gaskell, died. Fortunately the
work was nearing it's completion, SO
that, although it was not actually fin.
ished by the gifted writer, the plot was
sufficiently advanced to enable us to
make more than shrewd guess at the
| ultimate fate of the characters and to
take leave of the hero fully assured Of
his ultimate happiness.
| Another serial that was being written
| for the same magazine when its author
| laid down pen forever was "Denis Du-
val.'' Thackeray, indeed, was already
| in his grave when it's publication COM
menced. Three parts and a portion of
fourth We're all that appeared, and
1.-The story" wrote the editor, breaks
| off as his life ended-full of vigor and
blooming with new promise like the
| apple trees in this month of May"
With the fourth part was given a set Of
notes, taken from Thackeray's own pa
pers, elucidatory of the subsequent de-
| velopment of the plot.
Thackeray's great contemporary,
| Charles Dickens, died, too, in harness.
For long his health had been but in
different, but he stuck unflinchingly to
the work he had in hand. On June 8,
1870, the end came. The morning and
part of the afternoon of that day were
devoted to completing the sixth num-
Der of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood,''
but scarcely had he finished work and
sat down to dinner ere he was seized
| with At. From this he never recov-
cred, but after lingering some hours,
without regaining consciousness, died
at the next day.
II shall publish late in this year."
wrote Laurence Sterne, land the next
shall begin new work in four vol
umes, which, finished, shall continue
"Tristram' with fresh spirit" This new
work here referred to is the "Senti-
mental Journey" one volume alone of
which was ever given to the world nor
by reason of the authors death was
the immortal '"rristram Shandy" ever
continued
which Sir Philip Sidney composed at
Wilton House, was never completed and
ran no small danger Of being entirely
lost to future generations when it's
author, before his death, gave orders
for it's destruction.
Only about 100 manuscript pages of
Benjamin Disraeli's last novel, which
brought the story up to the first dozen
lines Of chapter 10, was all that was
written when the brilliant writer laid
aside his pen forever.