CHARLES READE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4035, 27 June 1884, Page 4

CHARLES READE.

Wo are fast losing the few men of genius who havo distinguished themselves in fiction. Tho literature in Avhieh they excel may be termed depreciatingly "light," but it is of the kind for Avhieh the Avorld at large has most to be thankful. It seems but yesterday that Tourgenieff and Trollope left us. How many thousands—nay, millions —of us have been indebted to those two men for soothing the weary hours of pain and watching, or for winning us from the contemplation of our private g-riefs. The reader Avho is not grateful to them is an ingrate indeed. j*nd now Aye have lost Charles Reade, in many respects a great Avriter, certainly a better story-teller, than either of the two.

"Like clouds that sweep the mountain's summit, Or waves that OAvn no curbing hand, How fast has brother folloAved brother,

From sunshine to the sunless land." I doubt A\diether any romance of modern life has made a greater impression on the reader's mind, or can bo more justly called " enthraling," than jS'cver Too liate to Mend. The prison scenes—especially the description of the tortured boy—have been pronounced too painful, and indeed can only be excused on the ground of the righteous cause in Avhioh they were Avritten ; but the life in Australia is at once a poem and a drama of the most exciting kind. Again, the interest and

realism of ths nautical scenes in Hard Cash and Foul Flay have never been surpassed, yet Charles Reade was never in Australia, and never at sea. It has been said of genius that it lias the poAver " to reach down its hand through the centures, and touch our eyes Avith tears, "but that is a compliment which only applies to its endurance. No one can tell, though there are plenty of people found to prophesy malevolently about it, how long a writer's fame will onduro;. but of Charles Reade's genius—to take these two books alone—it may be said; that it has imagined things he never saAV better than any other Avriter Avho, having seen, has described them. Like Shakspeare. Reade took other men's dull descriptions. and made them his oavii, but so transfigured by the light of his genius that they Ayere unrecognisable—exccqit by the original proprietor. He Avas once accused by a certain Avriter on Australian travel of. having borroAved his ideas. "Not your ideas, my clear sir," was his quiet but significant answer; " but I willingly acknowledge that I am under groat obligations to your book." He had made a topic delightful Avhieh he had found unreadable.—Melbourne Argus.