The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-11-13

Aitcfitfy DUueS dnu UuulnCS.
There is no other class of people
that stands as high in popular estima-
tion as literary people. AS natural
outcome of this fact, there is no other
class OF people whom dudes and idiots
ape to such Il violent extent. A foo.
with money is quito likely to buy IL
lot of books and put them III nicely
finished bookcase, and after fitting up
a room IN his house to accommodate
them and naming it "library," and
strewing its floor with papers and
magazines and covering hs center.
table with mess of writing materials
which would make real literary men
sick ut the stomach, he sit, down and
runs his fingers through his hair To
make him look studious. an waits for
company, which hc receive, in his al
logged library, and bore, with a lot of
small talk on large subjects.
A real literary man never wants his
working hours imposed upon with
soft-hcaded company. He would be
more willing to be struck by Lightning
than by some rattle Drained Ounce who
wishes advice that will enable him To
become IL celebrated writer. lie
would rather takv u good maullng
than be called upon by young man
OF undoubtcd ge;,;us. A real literary
man knows just what genius is. lIo
fl,nf fl,., :, 1
cured by the application Of Il slllnyle
III broken doses at tue seat OF the dis
ease. He knows by his own cxperi-
encc that all there is OF genius in II
man, is the backbone that would in
duce him to cat supper of scrap
IRON and wash il down with castor oil,
if llo could not get amy thing better,
coupled with II foundation OF nou.i
horse sense and Il will that could not
be bent by hydraulic jack screw or
broken with Il crow-bar. Any young
man who has these qlalit cs, is as
much of Il genius as he would be, i: ho
had been born in thu lnlt of lie moon
with $40 in his vcst pocket aud IL half
completed novel under his arm. =.
Men are not bern authors or ANY,
thing great \ mar does not come
into the world with Il box OF genius
strapped on his i,ack like Il. soldiers
knapsack amy more than chickens arc
born with spurs. and no man was ever
charged with genius until. by hard
work, hc managed to dig up Treasures
that others were to lazy to mine. When
Il man, after starving himself for halls
his life md working until his back
achcs.and his eyes Get DIM and sunk
en-. does some cherished p.ccc of work
80 well that other alc surprised ut its
perfect Oh and beauty. Tie law folks
that have been sleep NC away the
hours when he was ut work, awake,
ruD their eyes and lo,k aL his work,
and then 60 among their friends TO tell
them the great lie that he Is i, genius.
have never seen any such lhny as
genius in my lie. have no faith in
the idea that great literary men and
women arc born like froas, and that
even while they are mere tadpolcs,
they wigglc themselves into. promi-
hencc by the use Of this tail which fails
OIL when their forele,s appear. There
are men a1:d women dying in ult' great
country unknown. and unilonored
every day wlo possessed ut thclr,hlrth
all the genius that came into existence
when Dickens gave his first order
for breakfast. Great men and
women are beng born and living and
dying every day without having risen
to rcnown, only because they lack the
indomitanic sclf-relancc and strength
OF purpose that enables Il man To rise
fighting after he had been kiiGckud
down the hindrcd,h time.
These people who fix up everything
nice and pretend TO be literary, are
only literary dudes and ,iua.ncs. They
would make good statues. perhaps.
but they will never do anything TO
make the world prou of them. Liter
ature never makes anybody FUNGUS
who is born with genius. a man
afflicted with genius has too many
aches and pains TO allow him to 90 hard
work that meets the approba,ion Of IL
critical world. BY tho time he cures
himself. he is not strong enough for
literary work. IhroayA Mul Waya-
zine.