The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1886-09-18

!
oddest of negroes? The whole vast
natural. typical life Of the South-th,
whole vast system Of facts and idea
which become the very earth of IL
historic deveiopment-the rich anl
profuse and splendid growth thereon
OF social forms and classes and condi,
tions-the Towering forth and matur.
Ing OF character types, the magnolia
and jessamines of humanity, along
with the expresses aud rank and nox
ious swamps-all these, with an
atmosphere of passion and sentiment
and Oriental seusuousness, do, indeed
as this critic ef The Nation says
constitute fresh field of exploration
but, In heavens name! not for the
sake of oddity.
That this great field Is being entered
here and there on the edges Is perhaps
fact with the most interesting pro-
mise Of any in the existing stage Of
our common iiterature.. Miss Woolson
has OF late pressed Its margin with u
searching eye and resolute step. Mr..
Cable made q stride into 1t when he
wrote "Dr. Sevler" and came to
Kentucky for his hero aud his hero's
father. should like to say just here
that those were true Kentucky types,
but rare ones, and that John Richling's
father was very rare for that time aud
well.nigh extinct noW-an old Ken,
tuckian with the inien Of Napoleon at
Marengo anu with dialect of pros
vincial Johns0nese. Page has lately
entered this same field from another
qusrter, but perhaps for excellent
purposes Of his own be chooses to
portray the high, fine life OF the South
through the medium of the negro
character as its exposition and vital
This method imposes
narrow limitations upon his
see face to face with larger canvas.
Is this literary movement In the
South, which i. beginning to embrace
new names, broadly recognized as
fact of hopeful significance? Certainly
it has not escaped observation abroad.
Not long since had friend to spend
the night with a literary Londoner,
himself the author Of work on Amer.
lea. "What has come over you people
in the Southern part Of the United
States?" he exclaimed. nYou are
developing the most wonderful
literature of the age. I
have read IN the Tennessee Noun.
tains' time and time again, and tell
everybody to read it that has not"
Other writer's were mentioned and
Here, then, we come upon Mr..
Howells in "The Editor's Study" He
1as spoken encouragingly on this sub.
ect as follows; "Through such work
IS hers Miss Murfree's) and Mr.. Ca.
'le's the South is making itself heard |
n literature after fashion likely to |
Keep attention as we'll as to provoke |
t." Thanks again. But elsewhere
,e says: s'These writer's still permit
Il certain romance OF mo,
ive''; and of "The Prophet OF the
treat Smoky Mountain, eff the
PROPHETS substitution of himself for
iicujah Green was voluntary, it was
which is worse than uninter.
sting"
Now, why does Mr.. Howells say
'StW permits ?' Why ssstiIl?" Does
mean that Miss Murtree aud Mr.,
)able have hoen warned against this
fsuse and continue to neglect the
warming? Does it mean they are yet
ehind the times and may catch up by
nd by? Does i, mean that their ideas
f literary art and methods of work
re in a state of development, and
hat, when the highest stage of this
eveiopment is reached, they will lay
the romantic motive aside Or does
mean that these ideas and methods
lie Of themselves wrong, whether
eveloped or undeveioped. and should
e abandoned for something better?
And is the romantic motive worse than
Nothing is further from my wish
han to come between Mr.. Howells
nd Mr. Cable and Miss Murfree: The
beriy has been taken OF bringing
nem together in this connection, SIM
ly with the view of asking a question
'hich this criticism gives point to and
erhaps especial tlneliness. That
uession is this; Is not the romantic
lotive as much at home in human
ature as any other motive? There is
lst one reply to this question "What
o you mean by romantic ?" Well,
hould like to have the realist define
nat term. l should like him, in a
diamond clear and diamond-
ard, with pen dipped in the very
pirIt of precision and lucidity, sep
rate 1t from everything else and ex-
ibit it in its sole and entire nature.
hen we should understand each other. {
men we should know exactly the ,
rounds on which he pronounces IL I