The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-13
JOHN MORLEY ON LITERATURE.

In his response for "Litsrature" at the
centenary Of Royal Literary fund recently,
Mr.. John Morley said:
II often wonder whether there are hfty,
or even twenty, men and women who are
earning competence BY the authorship OF
books, putting school books out OF the
question, We can depend upon it-and in
saving this am not sure that ought not
TO address my remarks equally to the ladies
Who grace Us with their presence tonight
that the book-writer, unless he chance to
have great natural gift for fiction, how
ever frugal and homely his life, whatever
his sources of accumulated knowledge,
il he depends upon the authorship
Of books az his only resource,
he OF she will bs likely to have hard time
of II. And this marks great change in our
literary history-that the opening now for
is in journalism. It has been truly said
that the great advantage Of literature is
that it has tho last word. SO il has. - one
sense; at least tho highest kind Of litera-
ture has. But there is also kind of litera-
ture which nobody can afford to aespiss,
and which has the first world mean jour
the Council Of Trent said that it was
enough for him If he got dozen readers in
THAT is one kind Of literature. The
other kind, to which the modern ideal more
nearly conforms, is that which has 100, 900
readers for two minutes after evss s.,
S; ssS&;5 ,d ssssI ss'sss7Ss3fSfaXSS;
vivsoity, - < s 3 = Fl nu Vii even say a
conscientlousness which has never before
been seen in journalism. know very we'll
what journalism ID. began good many
MI. Disraeli and MI. Gladstone the arts Of
craftsmanship in the columns. Of important
prints. Az Thackeray has said OF that band
Of which was very humble member, we
taught painters how to paint, poets how to
write, and We taught ladies of tho ballet
how 70 pirouette. . .o...u
the other side of it; and in my very small
experience have been taught myself by
\ young men Of twenty or hve-and-twenty
the arts of politics and public life. On the
whole, however singing, however biting
journalism may be, it is q great force for
good; and We may be we'll satisfied if there
Is certain diversion Of cultivation, of in
telleotual interest, and of moral interest in
to what seems like ephemeral production,
because, along with it there Is no cessation
of great monumental works. We have them
in every form and in every kind; and must
say that for one feel that the more letters
are followed as a profession the less likely
is the great art of literature to suffer. But
the more letters are followed as a profess
sion, the greater and the heavier will be the
demands upon this society. Many will drift
into it, will struggle on, and will not find
out their mistake until it is too late. All of
us hold our life, and even our reason, as Sir
Walter Scott we'll says, upon = tenure more
precarious than We should be content to
hold even an Irish cabin upon.
with many, or with some, the stage
darkens before the curtain falls. Youth
must always have its struggle and battle
and I have heard from those who have now
grasped the differing bubbles of fame and
reputation that the days of their youth,
when they were in solitary chambers with
not too much to eat, when they had within
them the fire of the zeal for truth and
illusions Of youth-that those, after all
we're not the least happy portions of their
lives. Youth, therefore, must fight in bat
ties; but it is not for youth that this society
exists. 1t is for those, who, as say. have
made mistake in their vocation; and there
is no vocation in which there are so many
who think themselves called in proportion
to the few who are chosen.
In conclusion, I will only express my
full confidence in the future of letters in
this country. am fully persuaded, As am
sure all OF you are, that the same moral
energy. the same vivid intellectual percep.
ton, the same mastery of that great instru.
ment, our language, which has made oul
literature one of the greatest triumphs OF
Great Britain-that these qualities will re-
main, will operate, and will add still fur.
Their in the future to that great capital
which the renown Of our men of letters hal
given to us, and will still further strength
en- the moral dominion of our realm, which
! Is more imDOrtaut to u9 than extent Of tar
ritorial possessions, and more lasting thar