Types of Prose Narratives: A Text-Book for the Story WriterFansler, Harriott Ely
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Types of Prose Narratives: A Text-Book for the Story Writer
Fansler, Harriott Ely
English prose literature; Storytelling
I believe there is nothing more to be explained. Mr. Pennifeather was
released upon the spot, inherited the fortune of his uncle, profited by
the lessons of experience, turned over a new leaf, and led happily ever
afterward a new life.
--Edgar Allan Poe.
=The Picture of Lhasa=
"Jim, Jim, come here quick! She's in sight! Oh, hustle!"
"Well, she'll stay where she is until I get there, won't she?" came a
drawl from a little lower down on the precipitous path, as the speaker,
in spite of his indifferent words, made strenuous efforts to join his
companion on the rocky ledge with as little delay as possible. Behind
him, scarcely visible, lay the trail winding about along the sides of
the lofty mountains which have for so long been keeping this little
corner of the earth from the knowledge of Western nations, while, far
beneath him, rolled a little stream, the Kyi-chu, which dashed against
the rocks as though it were impatient to be out in a broader world.
"I'm glad she's in sight, Chad," Jim continued, when he had gained the
shelf of rock on which his companion stood, "but what is she, anyhow?
I don't believe you said," and he laughed, with his eyes fastened upon
the flash of reflected sunlight, his first sight of Lhasa and her
wonderful Buddhist Cathedral.
"Is the camera all right?" Chad's voice was anxious. "It would be a
pity to come so far and then have the plates no good."
"What's wrong with you, Chad? You don't intend to take a picture of a
place ten miles away, do you?"
"Of course not, you idiot, but I wish that you had kept the camera
yourself, instead of leaving it with John's load. I don't like the look
of his yellow cap just now."
"You're too suspicious, Chad. John's a good fellow; aren't you
Chinkey?" Jim called out as an evil-looking Chinaman came around a bend
in the trail.
The Chinaman's only response was a look of utter ignorance, at which
Jim laughed again, and said, "Just one look at the man ought to
convince you that he is too dull to frighten a Yankee. Besides, he
doesn't understand English, and can't possibly know that we are here to
get the picture of Lhasa, and that of the Grand Lama, too, if we can."
Had either of the men been looking, he might have seen the cunning in
the one black eye of the servant; but the expression passed unnoticed.
"Another day and we'll be near enough to begin on the pictures. I'll
be glad to start home, too. It has been a hard trip. I don't see why
Milligan couldn't have taken the pictures for his book himself,
instead of sending us off here for them."
"Jim, my boy, where's your regard for your daily bread--and the butter
therefor? Where should you be if you hadn't had this chance?"
"Well," Jim returned quickly, "I shouldn't have been ruining my
constitution in this infernal climate, at any rate."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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