The daily Alaskan., 1908-06-18


 Day Novel That is Frequently AL
 ludsd to In Literature and at Times
 Quoted Incorrectly.
 Everybody, or nearly everybody, has heard of the novel of "Frankenstein,' . though 1t Is not probable that many persons read 1t nowadays. There are so many allusions to 1t in our ntera- ture, however. that one absorbs some sort of notion of it so that he cannot help knowing that 1t Is a weird and ghastly story about a monster, but whether or not Frankenstein is the monster even well Informed people do not always know, showing that they never read the story.
 Sometimes we hear alluslons to "Frankensteiuis monster" as In one of Charles Summers oratlons, where he speaks of the "soulless monster of Frankenstein. the wretched creation of mortal sciencewithout God" and some times the reference is to Frankenstein only. as if he were the monster Of course Sumner. who was very partlcu- lar in his use of figures of speech, was right. When Mrs. Deland In her novel of "Sldney" makes Major Lee say that christianity is a Frankensteln" she suffers the major to talk nonsense.
 The story of this weird novel and the circumstances under which 1t came to be written are decidedly Interesting and may be told in a few words. The facts are as follows:
 Iu 1916 Mary Goodwin, afterward Mrs. Shelley, eloped with Shelley, and they took up their residence near Ge neva, iu Switzerland. They had Lord Byron for a neighbor, and the three passed much time together Their con- yersatIon frequently ran on the occult and the mysterious, and Byron one day proposed that each should write a ghost story. All agreed and went to work, but 1t was not long before the two poets gave 1t up as hopeless task. They could write poetry, but they could not write stories.
 Mary persevered and completed her tale in the spring of 1917. When By ron and Shelley heard 1t read they were surprised and delighted. It was bound to be the novel of the century! The name of 1t was "Frankensteln; or. The Modern Prometheus." It was im- medlately sent to London for publlca- ton and met with great success.
 Frankenstein Is Swiss youth, q | student at the University of IngOl- stadt, deeply Interested In the study of chemistry and natural philosophy. He resolves to penetrate the mysteries of life and death and wrest from nature the secret of creation. After prOlong- ed study he succeeds and discovers how to lmpart movement and anlma- ton to llfeleSs matter.
 He then resolves to mold Q colossal man, making him beautiful in form and feature and imbuc him with life. He carries on his work in a studio far from the habItatlons of man, labors long and secretly, and at last the worS Is completed. There in the great room lies the form and Semblance of a hu- man being, perfect In all his propor- tIons. FrOnkensteIn relates the story:
 Tt was on a dreary night in Noyem- Der that I beheld the accomplishment of my tolls. With an anxiety that al- most aT.ounted to agony collected l the instruments of life around me that I might lnfuse spark of being Into the life!ess thing that lay at my feet.
 Tt was already l o'clock in the morning. The rain battered dlsmally against the window panes and my candle was nearly burned out when, by the glimmer of the half extlngulsh- cd light, l saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open. It breathed hard, and q convulslve motion agltated It's lImbs."
 Slowly the immense creature arose, and the artist, frightened at his own work. fed away. Then he returns to find his creation possessed of life and every attribute of humanity except a soul. Nowhere can It find human sym pathy. 1t Is out of harmony with all things about It. and after searching the world In pursuit of happiness 1t returns again to Frankensteln and de- mands that he make a companion with whom 1t can live In sympathy and love.
 ] Frankenstein declines, and thence forth the monster pursues him with hatred and revenge. It stays hls broth CTS and sister, hIs friend and bis bride. It follows him to Russia, to Siberia and into the Arctic ocean, and there creature and artist perish together. It Is q most uncanny story to read O nights.
 Sir Walter Scott reviewed the novel In the Quarterly, but, while admitting It's power confessed he did not like 1t. "Our taste and our Judgment revolt at this kind of writing" All the critics a .rooT oa fO lie dorfncr nrigJno1Ttv -