Evening star., 1925-10-28

1t, but the secret remains secure.
Perhaps as much as can be said.
from the critical standpoint, is that
Dickens, for instance, secured his re-
ality of character through building
up. point by point, with infinite de-
tail. the very appearance and char
acters Of his people.
Capt. Cutie, wonderful old fellow
In "Dombey and Son." is more real
to me than many of the folk l meet
every day. This same applies to the
whole gallery of Dickens characters.
am sure if L should see Capt.
Cutie walking down + street tOmor-
row, l would rush forward to greet
the old fellow and to see how he man
aged his hook, which took the place
Of a hand, you remember.
As for Florence Dombey, the pic
ture of her, as child and maiden, re-
mains with me after many real girls
are forgotten. Some say that Dick
chs never managed to draw true
gentleWoman, but it seems to me ne
did it In Florence.
am sure that / will never be too
old to feel the genuine pathoS of the
ending Of that first chapter: Thus,
clinging fast 10 that slight spar with
in her arms, the mother drifted out
upon the dark and unknown sea that
That is great writing, gentlemen.
Time cannot wither it. or make it less
than it was. Every novel of Dickens
shows much the same quality. 1t
was a rousing. full-blooded world
Dickens unrolled for us. and England
hearty, filled with crudities and cruel
ties, yet at the same time possessing
all the fine qualities Of heart and
mind that have made the English
I, II tlon,,
Great Expectations what a great
story it is, "Bleak House" Nicholas
Nickleby." "Old Curiosity Shop"
"OliNer Twist" Our Mutual Friend"
"Pickwick Papers" The Christmas
Carol" great stories all. worthy of
many readings.
AS unlike Dickens. in many ways, as
could possibly be, Dumas was like him
in one thing, the gift OF story telling
To have a story to tell. and to set II
down on paper, is one thing. To make
the reader feel 1t. see II. move in IT,
love with it, hate through it-this is
the gift only Of the master story teller
Dickens secured his effects one way
Dumas another; the point is that each
secured them. When we turn from the
world of Dickens to the world Of
Dumas il IS as if we left the rustic
portions of England for the smooth.
tailor made walks of the gardens of
Versailles.
What with Dickens was everything,
with Dumas was practically nothing
Where Dickens described page after
page, Dumas Jumps off appearance
with a few lines.
His characters talk. Lord. how they
talk,
No other writer ever had the gift
for moving conversation as Dumas
had il. He secured action through
talk alone. He moved whole armies in
talk. He had his characters talk them
selves into situations and out of them.
One reads page after page Of di
alogue in Dumas in which there is
not he said" or a she said yet SO
deiicately is the whole adjusted. so
vastly is the story furthered, that the
reader is in no doubt at all.
This is master story telling. After
reading THE Three MusketeerS" II
would be impossible to say that it IS
not as fine as Dickens. in its way. You
may prefer Dickens. but will have to
admit the fine vitality of Dumas. too.
Take the Marie Antoinette series,
which includes Joseph Balsamo,"
Memories Of Il Physician" The
Queens Necklace" Taking the Bas-
tile" The Countess de Charny" and
"Chevalier de Maison Rouge"
There Is romance there, as contrast
ed with life in Dickens. Life is one
thing, romance is another. Did Dickens
manage 10 put romance into life, was
Dumas able to put life into his ro-
nance?
I think both succeeded.