The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-26

transferring living persons into the realm of fiction. In that fine old classic drama by Sheridan, "The School for Scandal" we are made acquainted with the dash ing "Charles Surface" He is a warm hearted generous and fascinating rake, and extravagant beyond all reason. In thus describing him, the reader will see that I describe Sheridan himself; un- consciously he put himself in his play as the extravagant roisterer Certain critics held that MT. Casaubon, in Middle march, was a portrait of George Eliot s Mr. Lewes. She denied it. Where. then, did you find MT. Casaubon'' they asked. In reply George Eliot placed her hand upon her heart and said, "Here." Un- consciously she had dominated the per- sonality of her fictitious person with char acteristics of him, who more than anyone else in the world, had impressed himself upon her mind and heart.
 The great novel, "villette," by Char lotte Bronte,. which has been called one of the masterpieces of English fiction, and of which critic upon it's publication said From every school and degree of critics there has come up a cry of wonder and admiration as men see out of what simple characters and commonplace incidents genius has evoked this striking work of literary art. It is a heart story that re- mains to this day without a rival in the school of English fiction to which it be- longs.' Charlotte Bronte travelled in many directions, even going to foreign lands for her characters, and yet without inten- ton, she has made herself the conspicu- ous personality in her marvelousy fascn- ating story She herself was the real heroine of Villette. Indeed, it was the prophetic instinct within her that caused her to blend the secret current of events of the two books, Shirley and "vil- lette," which found their realization so largely in her own pathetic life.
 But I come to another phase of this subject Actors and playwrights, like David Belasco and the late Clyde Fitch. acquire "the dramatic habit" and of anything startling or unusual they ex- claim, That would be fine for a play" Writers of stories also acquire the habit of looking around them in life and in lit- erature for characters that they might use in books, after making the necessary changes in them. Lord Lytton, in a foot note near the close of Pelham" says, "All humors, all individual peculiarites are the novelists appropriate and fair material" His novels of society life, such as "Pelham' and "Devereux." show Lyttons acute penetration and accurate novel, "Lucretia," is but reproduction of a notorious criminal named Wainwright, whom Lord Lytton knew. "Varney,' therefore, was taken from life. But that Lord Lytton borrowed characters from books will be plainly seen by comparing the Caxtons' with Sterne's "Tristram Shandy" The machinery of the story is very different but the pedautic father and the chvalrous uncle of Sternes story have their places in the "Caxtons" with out mistake This, however, is not to de- tract from Lytton's great novel. for the "Caxtons' and What Will He Do With It?' I think rank with the best English novels
 Thackeray had the writer's observing habit to a pre-eminent degree. In 1850 he wrote to Mrs Brookfield. ''I suppose every simple circumstance that occurs to pain or please me, henceforth, will go into print somehow or other; so take care, if you please, to behave very well behaved to me, or else you may come in for a savage chapter in the very next number" Later he writes, "I have trav- eled to Paris with character for a book, Lord Howden. the exrbeau Car ados or Craddock. a man TOT whom more