The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-20

| literary work. and the ratio OF lncreas
among women writers is probably con
siderably greater than among men. am
the development of the character o
women's literary work during the dc
cade has been more marked.
SERIOUS AND FRIVOLOUS.
There has been steady growth o
serious work by both men and women
but Mr.. SpoffOrd says that it cannot bl
held that the tendency of our Literature
has necessarily got direction in more
serious channels The increased pro
ductiOn of light literature has kept wei
abreast of the other. Our Literature
has become more diversified. moro ex
tensive and more varied with its rapid
increase. 1t has extended into nearly
every branch of research. thought anC
fancy. OF .cOnrse great number Of
those who have blOssomed out az authOu
have got small fame for their labor anC
their works will not enrich our litera
ture greatly. There have been SOM
very bad poems published in book form
at no great profit to the authOr-Or tC
the reader-and novels have appeared
and disappeared without creating sen
srli0n III the world OF letters. HistO
ries and biographies have been badly
written aud inaccuTately or slovenly
In the multiplicity of authors the IN
crease in quantity of our literature ha'
been in greater ratio than the develop
ment of quality.
NO GREAT LIGHT HAS APPEARED.
Speaking of this, Mr.. Spoiford said
Ten wears is too short "A time within
which to cOn1ine our search for supe
rlor authors. Within the past twenty
years this country has produced many
fine thinkers aud writers, and quan
tity of very creditable work has beer
done. We have produced as good mer
as has England during the same period
Books have been written which vii
live and do credit to our literature
But during that time we have not pro
duced a single author OF great genlu,
ike Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph
Waldo Emerson and all those great au'
thors who belong u the first half OF
this century. There are but two OF
three writers of great genius now Inv
Ing. and they belong to that period. NJ
new ones have been developed as yet
In this we are not behind England. She
has given birth to new genius.
BOOKS THAT ARE NEVER WRITTEN.
The number of copyright entries,
Mr. SpofTord SAID, docs not represent
books published. for among the entries
are copyright foi music, pictures, &c
Besides many books which have been
Copyrighted have never come into eXIs
tence. Many rejected manuscripts are
preserved in copyright entry. Many
copyrights are got out for books which
the ambitious author never Is able to
write 4 man is struck with brilliant
idea. lie gets a great novel, "A great
drama or some wonderful work Of a
serious character in his head. lie haa
something that Is going TO make sen
sation in the world, and is much excited
over the idea. He gets up the title OF
hi- book or play, prepares the title page.
before he has written the first line OF
his work. and then for fear that some one
else shall strike upon the same line
Of thought ahead Of him he gets ont
ms copyright. But when he attempts
10 write the book the thing hitches
somehow and he never quite gets "a
start. have no doubt that men have
spent the best part Of their lives trying
O. write q book to correspond % a copy
right already cured. TIE great ideas
won take shape on paper, aud the man
W no becomes an author before he has
written anything meets with dlsap-
pOiutment and misery. 10 would as
toui,h YOU To know how many copy
rights represent nothing scratch
On paper. Many plays are copyrighted
which never see the light OF day or ap
pear behind the f0otlights. Some Of
hem nave been written and rel cted
some have never been written at all.
BOOKS THAT ARE NEVER READ.
"Of course many, very many books
get into type but find no readers. The
books that meet with wide popularity
are not rs numerous. but the growth OF
good literature in this country is rapid
and healthy, and gives character to oul
book world. While, as | have said, wC
lave produced no great literary genius
during tie past two decades, the mum
Der of good authors and good books ma.
increased astOnishingly. The tendency
of the period seems to be the treat sub
iacts vita q nimble touch. -Pnlladei
pima Times.