Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-03-30
THE OLD.TIME NOVELS.
They were Queer and Slow, but They
 Pleased Their Readers.

l A difficult task to set oneself is tt find copy of any novel of over fifty
 years ago or to learn of such posses
 sions existing in any family. It 1;
 only when we get into some old
 chronicle where by chance mention if
 made of the popular novels that held
 danes and maids spellbound that we
 get the slightest notion of the sort
 which had their day and then vanish.
 ed into oblivion. But the materials
 necessary for composing the plots of
 all novels in that olden time we know quite little about. Ladies of quail ity and humber folk. the high and the
 mighty of both sexes, would it ap-
 pears, have nothing to do with an
 author whose heroines did not fire.
 quently faint and were revived by
 glasses of water, always very near
 at hand. Sons usually had to be ban
 ished for what we consider trifes by
 their hard-hearted fathers.
 A novel without clandestine mar.
 riage was an exceedingly slow affair.
 Maids to be interesting had frequent.
 ly to lose the shelter of their homes
 and their inheritance, too, for falling
 in love with the son of an enemy of the family. There had to be secret doors and dungeons, drowning battle ments, meats and massive chains and unfailingly a double portcullis. Flights to cOnvents, or to Oriental lands, were thought much of, so were ghosts, castles, bleeding wounds and quick recOveries. The favorite heroine al- ways had swan-like neck and an ala baster skin, dOve-like eyes, raven hair, cheeks like roses and lips like cher ries. All this had to be supplemented with serenades, disguises. lost child ren. and oelQpements which were like that woye the thread of the story to and fro. This and far more the charm that was hid den in the pages of all novels :hat our dear old 'grans" read and fond ly poured over. r
 No short stories would have suited those sainted ancestors. Time was too abundant and had to be pleasant ly spent by every possible means. In this way popular novels grew and thrived for they ran on from four to six volumes. No others would have A Miss OwensOn who wrote a novel called Ida of Athens" in her description of the heroine gives a fair idea of the feminine sentiment of the day. Hike Aurora. the extremities of her delicate limbs were rosed with flowing hues and her little foot as 1t pressed its naked beauty on a scarlet cushion resembles that of youthful 
 Readers with fondness for the sad and melancholy had the privilege of turning to Angelina" and "Sicilian Lovers." while those who were more gloated over -"Audley For tesque" or Sydney St Ayber." In both novels there were narrowing scenes of suicide Another novel. ''The Velvet Cushion" the vicar of Harrow mildly hints against the re- straints of the Established church. The book created sensation, no doubt. and filled the minds of the god ly with horror in the year 1872. "The Countess de Ia Favette' in 1T96 wrote a popular romance entitled "Henriet- ta. Princess Royal of England" fin which she laid bare the intrigues of the court of Versailles in glowing language. Strange as it may seem. did not disdain to read some of those old novels. it Is said. and with his marvellous memory he would repeat pages of them Mrs Meeks. wIo wrote very romantic novels, he seemed to be partial to. as for in- Count St. Blanchard" Mid night Wedding" and Abbey of Chig- ley."
 A wide stretch of years lies between those novels so old and our new style of fiction. Romance and sen:i- nent fin the meantime has been en- tirely brushed aside by the modern writers with their problem and sex novels in which athletic girls of the period figure and young multImiIlion- aires. where actresses always marry iukes. and divorces in high life as we'll as low hold the rapt attention of Sporty and slanzy heroines If our day replace the fainting Ara 1eIlas. as golf and tennis have banish- .d the mincing step and round shoni- lers of the ringletted beauties. the rIarissas and SoDhronias. who sim lered and blr:sbed over the merest Of rifles berause it was the pretty fem nine thing to do in and out of nov .Ia Narr Karar Ernufrw grrn