The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-05-18
The Literary Profession in the
South.


South.
The following extract is from an article with
the above title in Good Literature New York.
by Mrs. Margaret ]. Preston. The article will
be re-issued in The Literary Magazine, Vol.
VIII, shortly to appear.
Madison and Monroe chose to spend
their strength upon the state papers
rather than upon the elegance of letters.
Writ, with his charms of style, might
have been almost Godfrey Crayon, but
politics overruled him. Kennedy could
easily have disputed laurels with Cooper
had his native Maryland not found more
important work for him to do. Legare
might have written works on interna-
tlonal law equal to others had not South
Carolina needed him for something else.
There have been multitudes of strangled
poets who had the spirit of song choked out
by surrounding circumstances. Public
Southern opinion decided that there was
something more virile to do than spend
ones days in polishing tropes. At all
events, such choice, if there were moth
ing else to look to, was sure to condemn
the chooser to that res augusta domi
which the comfort-loving, physical nature
of the Simon-pure Southerner' does not
find agreeable. Mingling with affairs,
or looking after his own cotton, rice, or
tobacco fields, would leave him far wider
margins for the cultivation of his strong
social instincts, and add infinitely more
to his pecuniary Importance. And,
then, was it not, in the eve of ali
around him, voted more manly? per
haps the erratic and brief career of our
Virginia poet, Edgar Poe, had damag-
ing influence on the literary life as
viewed from the standpoint of success
We have no sympathy, not even the re-
hottest, with any such feeling as this to
which we have alluded, and only call
attention to it as one of the singular
anomalies of opinion that may have had
something to do in lettering the youth
OF our Southern land from throwing them
selves into the profession of literature.
Measure goods behind counter" the
parents of some of them would certainly
have said, IF you must, but leave the
spinning of verses to girls, and the paint
ing OF pictures and carrying of marbles
to those effeminate people who have not
X.
1t has been undeniable that to be an
artist and no more, to be sculptor, a
novelist, an essayist, mere producer of
pleasure for other people, as a trade, has
not seemed the highest aim of manhood
to the contracted vision of the South
erner. When the Shah of Persia, on his
visit, few years ago, to England, saw
the duchesses and noble ladies dancing
till they wearied themselves, he inno2
Gently asked, "Why do these lovely
ladies tire themselves so? In my coun-
try we have people to do this for usl''
We are not yet sufficiently freed from
the traditions and prejudices of by-gone
generations to feel that there is true
nobility in every kind of labor-to rea-
lie that
No earnest work
Of any honest creature, howbeit weak.
Imperfect, ill-adapted, fails so much
That tbs not gathered as a grain of sand
10 swell the sum of human action. used
For carrying out Gods end.
Yet mixed up with our Saxon blood
we have no little of the nerve and ac-
tivity of the old Norman elements of
chivalry and strength and manliness-
elements which have saved the higher
classes of the South from the undue
domination Of soft climate, easy living
and the too general exemption from the
goads Of labor. For when the stress
has come, the educated mind among
us has always reused itself to meet
the emergency. When the occasion de-
manded, Patrick Henry could flash his
burning words of patriotism like a
Chatham. The wars of the Revoln-
ton, of 1872, Of Mexico could summon
forth as leaders Washington, jackson
and Scott. The late unhappy war fur.
nished as many heroes to the worlds eve
from the South as the North. The com
mon soldier from the forests of Maine
could not out-sufer the common soldier
from the swamps Of Georgia.
The slender finger of Randolph Of
Roanoke was able to makesenates Stir at
times. Calhoun could show himself q
stern Cato. Hayne was not afraid TO
cross swords with Webster. Clay could
prove himself a parliamentary leader
like Fox. Preston Of South Carolina
could charm like Everett. But. then
the underlying motive that poaded the
performance was something stronger than
any thought of literature, or art, or per
lection for perfections sake could ever
have furnished. 1t was the sort of slim
illus that now and then made Napoleon