The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-10-10
Literary Dudes aud paa.ne..
Through Mall Magaslne.l

Literary Dudes aud Outlines.
 Through Mall Magatlne.l
 There is no other class of people that stands as high in popular estimation as literary people. As natural outcome ot this fact, there Is no other class of people whom dudes aud idiots ape to such vio- lent extent. A fool with money Is quite likely to buy a lot of books and put them in nicely finished book case, and after fitting up room in his house to accom-. moda,e them and naming It library" and s,rewing its aoo- w:,h pspess and magazines and covering his center-table with mess of writing materials which would make real literary man sick a, the stom ach, he sits down and runs his fingers through bis hair to make him look studl. ous, aud waits for company, which he re. esivss tn h:s alleged library, and bosss with a 10. of small talk on large subjects. A real literary mean never wants hts working hours imposed upon with soft. headed company. If there is one thing in the world of which he wants less than any other thing in tho world it is com. pany. He would bc more willing to be struck by lightning than by some rattle bTained duEce who wishes advice that will enable him to become a celebrated writer. He would rather take a good mauling than be called upon by young man oi undoub,ed genius. A real literary man knows just what genius is. He knows that tho worst case of it can be cured by the application Of shingie in broken doses at the seat of the disease He knows by his own experience that all there is Of genius in 2 man. Is the hack bone that would induce him to eat sup. per of scrap iron and wash It down with castor oil, f he could not get anyaing better, coupled with foundation of good horse sense and "A will that could no, be bent by hydraulic jack.scfew or broken with a crow-bar. Any young man who has these qualities, Is as much of A genius as he would be if he had been born In the light Of the moon with $4o in his vest pocket and half completed novel unds his arm.
 Men are not born authors or anything else great A man does not come into the world wiih a box of genius strapped on his back like \ soldiers knapsaek any more than chickens are born with spurs, and no man vas ever charged with genius until, by hard work, he managed to dig up treasures that others were too lazy to mine. When a man, after starving him. self for half his life and working until his back aches and his eyes get dim and sunken, does some cherished piece of work so well that other people are sur. prised at its perfection and beauty, the lazy folks that have been sleeping away the hours when he was at work, awake, rub their eyes and look st his work, and then go among their friends to tell them the great lie that he Is genius.
 have peveS seen any such thing ss genius in my life. have no faith in the idea that great literary men and women are born like frogs, and that even while they are mere tadpoles, they wiggle themselves into prominence by the use oi this tail which falls of when their fore legs appear. There are men and women dying in our great country unknown and unhonosed every day who possessed ss their birth all the genius that came into existence when Dickeps gave his hrst or der for breakfast. Great men and women are being born aud hvsSE s=4 41S..ss every day without having risen to reno wn, only because they Jack Ihe indomitabss seifreliance and strength of purpose that enabled man to rise fighting after he ksA kees knocked down the hundredth time.
 These people who fix up everything nice and pretend to bs literary, are only literary dudes and dudinss. They would make good statues, perhaps, but they will never do anythlng to mako the world proud of them. Literature nsvsS makes anybody famous who is born with gsnius. A man afflicted with gspius has too many aches and pains to allow him to do hard work that mssts the appFobation Of critical world. By the tinss hs cures him. ss'i. he k not stEosg sGcsSs fcs literary work.