into obscurity.

Some of Miss Edgeworth's tales, and such novels as Miss Brunton's
"Self-Control" and "Discipline," were among the earliest specimens of
fiction having the professed object of moral improvement. These books
were very popular at a time when a well-justified prejudice against
novels prevailed. But since the character of fiction has been raised to
its present standard of purity, professedly moral novels have become
unnecessary for general reading. The successors of Miss Edgeworth's and
Miss Brunton's works now appear in the form of temperance novels and
Sunday-school books. A curious form of the novel of purpose is that
written in the interest of religious sects or special tenets, of which
specimens may be found in the writings of Elizabeth M. Sewell, who
advocated High Church doctrines. Harriet Martineau made very successful
use of fiction in conveying her ideas on political economy. In "Ginx's
Baby," by Mr. Edward Jenkins, the popularity and interest of a
political pamphlet had been greatly increased by the assistance of a
narrative form.

The most important specimens of the novel of purpose are those written
in the interest of some injured or suffering class. A mere recital of
general grievances is not likely to have much effect on the public
mind. But a novelist who can interest a considerable body of readers in
a few well-chosen characters, who can subject his fictitious personages
to the evils which he means to expose, and thus arouse the sympathy and
indignation of a large number of people, can make a novel of purpose a
very effective weapon of reform. Individuals are much more interesting
than bodies of men, and the sufferings of little Oliver Twist or of the
inmates of Dotheboys Hall, as related by Dickens, will arouse public
attention far more actively than the report of an examining committee.
But although a novelist may accomplish great results by such devotion
to a philanthrophic object, he can hardly avoid injury to the artistic
effect and permanent value of his work. Many passages in Dickens'
novels which have had a great influence in the cause of reform, cannot
fail, in the future, when the evil exposed is no longer felt, to be a
drag on the works which contain them.

Charles Kingsley described the grievances of mechanics in "Alton
Locke," a work in which the artistic elements are much subordinated to
the didactic. A more powerful novel of purpose is Mrs. Gaskell's "Mary
Barton," which e