Therefore I say, it is an unfair advantage which the novelist takes of
hero and heroine, as of his inexperienced reader, to say good-by to the
two former, as soon as ever they are made husband and wife; and I have
often wished that additions should be made to all works of fiction which
have been brought to abrupt terminations in the manner described; and
that we should hear what occurs to the sober married man, as well as to
the ardent bachelor; to the matron, as well as to the blushing spinster.
And in this respect I admire (and would desire to imitate,) the noble
and prolific French author, Alexandre Dumas, who carries his heroes from
early youth down to the most venerable old age; and does not let them
rest until they are so old, that it is full time the poor fellows should
get a little peace and quiet. A hero is much too valuable a gentleman to
be put upon the retired list, in the prime and vigor of his youth; and
I wish to know what lady among us would like to be put on the shelf, and
thought no longer interesting, because she has a family growing up, and
is four or five and thirty years of age? I have known ladies at sixty,
with hearts as tender and ideas as romantic as any young misses of
sixteen. Let us have middle-aged novels then, as well as your extremely
juvenile legends: let the young ones be warned that the old folks have
a right to be interesting: and that a lady may continue to have a heart,
although she is somewhat stouter than she was when a school-girl, and a
man his feelings, although he gets his hair from Truefitt's.
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