Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-12-30
Genius Not Hereditary.

The saying, genius Is not heredital
has grown almost proverbial, and OBJ
servation and experience denote that
it rests on basis Of truth, OF liter.
airy genius it seems particularly true.
since authors OF note very rarely have
sons who distinguish themselves in the
field OF letters, or ever pursue letters
in any form. The prospect OF com
pensation is so small that, in this age
ofluxury, with thegreat need ofmoney,
young men have reason TO bedeterred
from embracing the inky profession.
But those who have q strong temper.
amental bias toward calling are apt
to embrace it without regard TO its
probable or possible rewards. The
Tact must be that, i q passion for lit
erature is felt by one member OF u
family, it is not likely to affect any
other member. The writing habit may
be so unnatural to humanity mt large
that the contraction OF 1t is entirely
exceptional. Gifted authors write.
they are prone to say, because they
cannot help 1t, Perhaps, then, litera-
ture Is a compulsory trade, independ
emit OF the will as 1t is OF the recon-
pense. There are certainly very few,
II any, visible inducements to embrace
IL.
Cursory consideration OF American
authors. says the Chicago Times, will
sustain this position. Ralph Waldo
Emerson had one son, besides two
daughters, and he Is n physician,
though not eminent, and without any
leaning to letters beyond what man
OF culture would necessarily have, 1t
is said that he has no sympathy with
tho poetic philosophy and intellectual
IDEAS OF his father and has often con-
fessed his inability to underst and his
works, His mind is OF different cast,
his tendencies arein another direction.
lilo il devoted to his fathers memory,
but not to his method Of transcend.
entail thinking,
Richard Henry Dana, one OF our
earliest poets and essayists, who lived
to be past ninety, left son, albeit a
lawyer, wrote one book, 1.-TWO Years
Before the Must" that has grown ia
nous IA an actual record Of " sailors
experiences. IL is still widely read,
though IL IL more than hall n century
since, on account oil nm ocular disor-
der, he made the voyage described
from Boston to California, a region
almost unknown in 1884. He, too,
IL dead now; but the name, Richard
Henry Dana, continues, being borne
by his son, also u lawyer, VINO mar
ried one OF Longellow's daughters,
and by his grandson, u product OF
that marriage,
George Bancroft, the venerable his.
torian, IL generally regarded as child
less, but he has two daughters aud "
son, who il u decorator aud an artistic
house.furnisher in Boston, with much
local reputation in his speciality,
though he has not, and never had, the
slightest leaning to authorship.
John Lathrop Motley is said to
have been very anxious Tor n son who
should DO renowned in letters, but his
wish was never gratilied, His daugh-
tiers are more interested in society
than in books, though they are highly
cultivated and accomplished.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, lately re-
turned from his greatly-honored
journey abroad, will have no success
sor TO his authorical renown. His
son, named after him, Is u conspicu-
Gus barrister, and at present on the
bench in Boston. He went to the war
Mt the head OF u company IN a Mas
sachusetts regiment, and his father
wrote u very entertaining article in
the AtlauL,c, my Search after the
Captain" 1t gave, ~ | remember,
an account oil how he had gone to the
front to look after his boy. who had
been reported seriously II not mortal
| ly wounded and encountered him
sound and well, with the greeting,
GLOW are you dad?"
James Russell Lowell, who Is
thought to have been largely instru-
mental in preparing the British mind
to receive his friend Holmes with cor.
dial, generous hospitality, had son
years ago, but he died. ! believe in
Italy, when little more than an infant.
| His only other child. q daughter, is the
wife OF young Burnett, son OF the pro-
| prietor OF Burnett's cocoaine. The
former owns the celebrated Deerfoot
farm in Massachusetts, and isreputed
to be very pleasant, interesting,
high.minded fellow. 1t may seem
somewhat incon1ruous at first that
| the daughter OF Lowell, who is rs dis
4
! tinguished in lineage rs any citizen OF
the republic, should wed aman known
mainly in connection with hair re-
stoiative. But this il only seeming,
and is beside narrow, snobbish view
to hold in an enlightened democracy
| like ours.
Edward r. Wbipple had a son in
whom he took great pride and OF
whom he had ardent hopes while the
| boy was small But before arriving
at his majority the youth became
dissipated and soon sank into con.
| dition OF sot. from which all the
efforts OF bis father could not reclaim
him. One OF Whipple's deepest, be-
cause unexpressed, sorrows WAS on
account Of his unworthy and intern
perate son. whose birth the bitterly
/ disappointed and mortified author
! must have considered under the cir
cumstances positively calamitous.
Richard Grant White had two sons,
one OF them prominent architect,
but neither OF them has shown any
I prediction tor letters.
George William Curtis, believe
I has u son, though never heard OF his
! evincing any disposition to tread in
4 Il. t. 49,.