The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-05-26
WILLIAM DeMORGAN

the meeting of the Faculty Cub O.
Nav 10 when the subject of "Moder
British Novellsts" was considered.
What ever my feelings were Whel
| maze a desultory start on the stud,
of VIM. Friend DeMorgan l soon be
came interested in spite of the FAC
that | knew that l should have Il
make this report to the faculty man!
of whom are so much better able thal
| to discuss a novelist.
Having determined to examine SOM
of nv authors works before l Learned
what others had to say about him
took his first novel, "Joseph Vance
from the library. The barometer
went down as l noticed it's length to-
gether with the fine print and close
lines.
There was some encouragement II
the fact that the book had been re-
bound: at least it had been found read.
able by some people or it would not
require this care. -,
The second title, can ill-written
auto Biography" caused pause. Had
the author really told about himself
Next the long headings of the chap
tiers, purport;ng to tell you the con-
tents.
Here are some of the first "of Joe
Vance's father and his unfortunate
habits. how he quarreled with sweep
who could butt and suffer thereby.
How Joe concealed this circumstance
from his mother. How Joe prevarl-
Gated, of Porky Owls and a sporting
card. of how Joe saw his first young
lady at home" and so on for pages
Is there much in this to cause a
long book of fine print? CHANGING at
the headings, at first made it seem al
most unnecessary to read the book.
Eight pages of this sort OF read
ing matter have right, perhaps to be
called the contents" but compared
with the book itself they are, the
emptiest husks and often very mis-
leading, indeed, in talking OF his
works with Mr.. Phelps, the author
"chuckled in delight" over some OF
the misleading statements IN his
headings.
After such a table of contents one
might expect long description to be-
gin the book itself but instead the
story starts in with family discus
sion which thong different reminds
me of the beginning of David Cop
perfeld with, II am born," but the
hero of this tale is seven years old
when the story begins and as it takes
YOU right through to his old age you
will forgive me, am sure for not tell
ing YOU the story in the fifteen min
utes in which l must introduce to you
VIM. De Morgan. /
I tried skipping about in the book
but soon found that from the way tina:
the story is told, with many apparent
Iy trivial details thrown in, inter-
rupted by numerous explanations and
comments, skipping a very little OF
what seemed, at first, rambling dis
gressions, left one unable to grasp the
meaning of what was limited at farth-
er on. In fact, the author shows his
knowledge of the methods OF many
readers and his own plans to out
wit them when he remarks in one
place, "now if you skipped the place
where I told you Of this you wont
know what mean. Skip this too"
The only thing to do was to read
patiently from the beginning and this
was rewarded by a growing admlra-
ton and affection for the author who
so takes one into his confidence that at
times he reveals himself as to an. IN
innate friend while at other times ne
lust as truly searches the readers own
mind and heart sympathizing with and
revealing them as he shows the inner
controversies between the two selves
Of his hero. -,
Having come thoroughly under the
magic of Mr.. De Morgan's personality
I became more curious than ever to
see how he was regarded by others
and especially by students of lrtera-
ture.
I asked a few reading friends what
thew thought of him, in each case be-
ing told that they found him irresist-
ably charming and that he recalled
Dickens to them in many ways.
The next thing was to find out now
he was regarded by the critics. l
first read VIM. Lyon Phelps and
cannot resist quoting from him free
w because of his very pleasing ex-
pressions and his personal knowledge
Of De Morgan. Phelps says, ut re-
auires little skill to observe the sim
ilarity to Dickens as was proved by
the fact that every one noticed it. In
general the shout was one OF glad rec
IGNITION; it was the welcome given to
the sound of voice that had been
still. It was not an imitation it was
a re-incarnation. The spirit Of Dick
ems had really entered into VIM. De
Morgan; many chapters in Joseph
Vance sounded as if they had been
dictated by the ghost of the author OF
David Copperfield." Even De Morgan
we further find was so reminded OF his
favorite author that he came very
near burning his first chapters be-
cause Of their resemblance to Dickens.
In reading more Of the life of De
Morgan it appears that his mental in
heritance and former occupations had
prepared him to be just the observ-
er, keen Judge of worth, and artist in
character delineation that makes it
delight for US to follow his characters
through the most ordinary experiences
of life while we observe with the au-
thor the reactions to these various &C.
4l,+ ava h,,ildino orr own