The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-12-08
Literary Dudes and Oudines.

Stuuuc 40 uiku III pOpuidC eetlm6tlO0 d
literary people. As natural outcome
Of this tact, there is no other class o
people whom dudes and idiots ape to
such violent extent. A fool with mon
ney is qnite likely to buy lot OF books
and pot them in q nicely finished book
case, and after fitting mp room in bis
house to accommodate them and nam.
iug it "library," and sirewing it's iool
With papers and magazines and cover
ing bis cen;er-tsble with mess of wri.
ting materials which would make rea
literary man sick at the stomach, be sits
down and runs bis fingers through b..
hair to make him look stuiious, and
waits for company, which he receives in
bis alleged library, and bores with q lol
OF small talk on large subjec's.
A real literary man never wants bis
working hours imposed upon with soft
beaSed com mpany. II there is one thing
in the world of which he wants less thar
any other thing 10 the world. II Is com
pany. He would be more willing to be
struck by lightning than by some rattle
Drained Ounce who Wishes advice thai
will enable him to become q celebrated
writer. He would rather take q good
mauling than be called upon by young
man of undoubted genius. A real liter.
arv man knows just what genius is. He
knows that the worst case of It Can be
cured by the application of shingla in
broken doses at the seat OF the disease.
He knows by bis own experience that all
there is of genius in mau, is the back.
hone that would induce him to eat sup.
per of scrap-iron and wash 1t down with
castor-oil, II be could not get anything
better, coupled with foundation OF
good horse sense and q will that could
not be bent by hydraulic jack-screw or
broken with crow.bar.
Men are not born authors or anything
else great. A man does not come into
the world with box Of genius strapped
on his back like soldiers knapssck any
more than chickens are born with SPURS,
and no man was ever charged with ee.
MUS until, by hard work. he managed to
dig up treasures that Others were too
lazy to mine. When man, after stalv.
ing himself for half bis life and working
until his back aches and his eyes get
dim and sunken, does some cherished
piece of work so we'll that other people
are surprised at its perfection and beau.
ty, the lazy folks that have been sleep.
ing away the hours when he was at work,
awake, rub their eyes and look at his
work, and then 60 among their friends
to tell them the great lie that be is ge.
nius.
! have never seen anv such thing as
genius Ia my life / have no faith 10 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 use OF
this tail which falls of when their fore.
legs appear. There are men and women
dying in our great country unknown and
anhonored every day who possessed al
their birth all the genius that came into
existence when Dickens gave his 6rst
order for breakfast. Great men and
women are being born and living and
lying every day without having risen
10 renown, only because they lack the
ndomitable self reliance and strength OF
purpose that enabled man TO rise fight
ng after be had been knocked down the
time. ~
These people who fix up everything
rice and pretend to be literary, are only
literary dudes and dudines. They would
make good statues, perhaps, but they
will never do anything to maxi the world
proud of them. Literature never makes
nybody famous. who is horn with ge.
illus. A man sffl cted with genius has
90 many aches and pains to'allow him
o do hard work that meets the sp.
'robation of critical world. By tue
ime be cures himself, he is not strong
noueh for literary work.-7h -ongh Nail /
Aag1zine.