The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-08-09
The disease Of Modern Wrlters.


Fgotism. that is the prevailing dis
ease of modern writer's. Such is the
conclusion of thoughtful article on
The in Contemporary Literature in
a recent numb II OF the Rcrue P0lti1He
et Litierdire, which may well be taken
to heart by writers on this side the
channel NJ. Guillemot, denouncing
the growing tendency of authors and
dramatists and artists to thrust Them
selves and their private life before the
public, traces the origin of the malady
to America. Unless it is checked, he
declares that it must of necessity lower
the standard of all modern literary pro-
auctions. 1t is natural enough that an
author, an artist, or poet should be
ambitious to leave an honored name to
posterity; but that is an altogether diff
fereut thing from craving to be talked
about and marveled at while in the land
of the living. Formerly the poet sang
his song, the author told his tales and
the artist completed his work without
ever a thought of putting himself to
the front. " neither he was married or
single, whether tall or short, fair or
dark, sanguine or bilious what had this
to do with his workp No one knew, and
no one cared to know. They gave their
spirit, their mind to the world, and be-
side this they were nothing to the pub
lie at large. They remembered on
fucus' words: "Lo not talk OF yourself
either good or evil because in the
former case no one would believe u,
and in the latter everybody would. "
Within the last two centuries all
this has changed. At present all
houses are. built of glass, the in
habitants themselves being the ar hi
tects, throwing open to the gaze of the
public even those chambers which have
hitherto been held sacred in their pri-
vacy. "And is not this fact" asks M.
Guillemot, .'the characteristic of mod
ern societyp A curious society, thanks
to which the term private life is nothing
but vain phrase, and Paris an inn
mense crystal palace" Fortunately for
France these evils do not originate with
in its frontiers, but come. like tempests
across the Atlantic from "thatpowerfu
nation which in turn astonishes the
world by its grandeur and its folly, il
refined civil alton and red-Indian bar
barities, its love for liberty and its con
tempt for inferior races; from the Tn tee
States, which let Lincoln die and ,
Barnum live." Audacious, resolut,
Americans exercise the same ipfluenc,
on the French which every firm spri
does on the weak and undecided. ''W,
are as wax in their hands" 1t was il
America that conferences and lectures
originated, the Yankees having Away
had great desire to approach the per
sons Of great men. That, however, il
due to physical defect, which inca
pacitates the American from seeing Thu
difference between justly celebrated
poet and wo-headed calf a remarl
which Mr.. Arnold will perhaps. not b.
slow to appreciate. 1t is by no mean
the deep intere It in the works of grea
man which excites this curiosity anon;
the people; in the same degree as ar
declines, the personally of the artist in
creases in interest. American iournal
ism and reporting strengthen this ten
dency to pry into the private life o
public characters, and France has eager
fy taken up the evil habit.-PdH Nal
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