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PREFACE
The art of fiction has, in modern times. become a potent means in the hands of educated men to awaken the finer instincts of man, so that this awakening of one's own better part might itself serve to correct his mistakes and render him a useful and helping member of society. Within his mind exist in latency capabilities of various kinds and degrees of which one class is evoked by one particular set of outward facts and another by another set of facts. With such peculiar occurances of outer world corresponds the manifestation of evil or good character of man. Generally speaking, the eveil part of human mind finds itself readily and easily called forth into activity by most of the surrounding objects while its better part, for want of fitting means, rarely gains access into the world outside. Now the most desirable function of a learned man should, as far as his innate abilities permit, have been to touch upon the inmost spring of man's delicate nature and open the doorway to the region of love and virtue. But to go deep down the softest and most fertile part of human nature is not within the power of those unwary scholars who adopt improper means without discrimination. It is only those who are cautious and shrewd, those who spend apparently a greater part of their time in the selection of efficient means, in the making of it more attractive than it usually seems to be, that accomplish this very significant and well-meaning task. Take any branch of knowledge: philosophy or science, religion or literature, in their hands it becomes a very effective weapon.
Now, of all these instruments of knowledge, the fiction as an interesting branch of art appeals to all classes of people without efort
