34 TRANSACTIONS. I9OI-2 



tious novel whi'e at college, but ^ave it up after writing two 

 or three chapters. Duncan Campbell Scott has published one 

 little book of short stories, excellent so far as they go, but, up 

 to the present, he has produced nothing more, at any rate in 

 book foim. Isabella Valancy Crawford, William Wilfred 

 Campbell, ^ Jean Blewett, Frederick George Scott, Louis Fre- 

 chette, and others of our poets, have made random attempts 

 at writing fiction, but apparently have regarded it rather as a 

 recreation from the more serious work of writing poetry. This 

 attitude, of course, never yet brought success, and never will. 

 In fact, the qualities that go to make a successful poet rarely 

 produce a successful novelist. ' 



The short-story has been a very popular form with Cana- 

 dian novelists, especially of late years. Most of our writers 

 who have done more sustained work in fiction, have at one 

 time or another attempted the short-story, not realizing, too 

 often, that the short-story requires a distinct gift, and that it 

 can no more be successfully written by any novelist, than a 

 sonnet may be written by any poet, or a miniature painted by 

 any artist. 



Mr. Gilbert Parker has published, so far, three volumes 

 of short-stories, " Pierre and His People,' ^ (his first contri- 

 bution to fiction), " An Adventurer of the North," ^ in which 

 the adventures of Pretty Pierre are continued, and " The 

 Lane that Had no Turning." * The scenery of the first two 

 books is in the Canadian North-West, and the latter is placed 

 in Quebec. Mr. Parker holds the unique position of having 

 written the best short-stories as well as the strongest romances 

 of all our Canadian novelists. 



1. Since the above was written Mr. Campbell has written an excel- 

 lent piece of fiction, for one of the leading London periodicals, and is 

 now engaged npon a second novel; which in a measure tends to weaken 

 the argument against poets as novelist. 



2 Toronto, 1892. 



3 Toronto, 1895. 

 4. Toronto, 1900. 



