Wichita eagle., 1890-01-30
WOMEN m LITERATURE.
Their Remarkable insight into Human
Nature.

Their Remarkable insight into Human
Nature.
Many years ago a lady's entrance into lit
erature Yves hailed either with & 1orid com
pliment OF a cold sneer. No such reception
is given her nowadays. In past generations
Jane Austen and Miss Edgeworth, Fanny
Burney and Miss Martineau had shown that
in several kinds of fiction women could do at
least as well men. In the case of Miss
Austen's stories it is doubtful whether they
have ever been surpassed faithful reflcc.
tons of English middle class life.
Anthony Tronope, few years ago, atso
essayed to draw English society exactly as il
is; but, though no attained fair measure Of
success, it is very doubtful whether Pride
and Prejudice and the rest Will not I've
after "Barchester Towers and it's Lee are
forgotten. Then, while no analyst OF human
nature so keen as Thackeray, ard no literary
caricaturist SO fail Of genius as Dickens, has
ever emerged frem the ranks Of women writ
ers, it Is certain that, with theeIcepton Of
those great novelists, George Eliot had a
truer insight into humanity and nobler
touch than any male writer Of the last bali
century She would certainly stand third 70
Thackeray and Dickens, while some would
place her second among the three.
In poetry the last fifty years have shown
women standing on the very steps OF the
throne where the laureate sits. No poetess
Of the preceding ages ever struck as deep and
true q note as Mira Browning IN hsT Aurora
Leigh and hor shorter poeEns-works of
which any male writer Of our day might be
proud The success o. the Sax IL our tame,
however, must not 10 measured by great
names alone. The characteristic Of tAis age
is the immense amount Of excellent and bon
est literary work done not by scores or hun
dreds but by Thousands Of ladies n Englsn6,
France, and. above all, America
In preceding centuries half the ho7aan rscs
WAS Intentionally rePressed. Women were
told that 10 mind b@olca, cook dinners, or
mend stockings was their natural avocaton,
and exceptions ike Anna Seward or Hannah
More wers hailed a. prodigiss. Now nobody
denies 20 daughter the right b pm, papsr
and INK. and II So can hSzla BY earning .
few guineas for an essay q sory IA a mag
aziDe tie fact Is treated a matter CO ooarpc
Tho women G. England and America have
al presens no hovelss.yrith Toe literary power
Of George EEet bat t4e7 keve a. le&st hall
doDen who may BE- Chased IN the sco<sd raEk-
Nor Is his blank in tie Crit ciG-zs pocrlGar %
wo-nsz. There is nov 10 NAE n0vesst Ia
taIs country or tsse United STATS wkso en toJs
the uncontested supremacy Of Scot.. Dickens
OF Thack-ay m h-s ceDe-zfson. ITse fsct d
that in this. a. IN ctncr ksn1s If hfr-aiurs.
the general standard haz rsscE, ard there
sesrn 70 giaaz oeca-s tssTe are 50 E-xzy
who are aboTe tie zjacls kezga.
Il Is soE2etl-1es s2-1 " tAooe zhp regard
fctloz a. fr1volc2s that Il il sii Wy sell -.
the ladies q literature 70 write fo- u ceres
which hep 70 wriIs away paziBg hoa-, b4si
TIA: steiner work rauE; come from He~n a
sorry winch II not rsereiy story. xtsca pro-
vokes tno1gb. and .esps tfsel' alive h>-ycuf
the ss1son. vkscz roaass~ cgu.rcve-xy sz1 .x-
cssas co1tradscesoa. Is RoosTt Eiszzz-rz-a
work from re1nz1s pea- Whcz xii male
rivals izG1escs p>5liEses All rzsg ~ - NJ
Bsec-ss< Sto~s sssd 3z-z- Easzfarey = ard
have 1oss b. tG-s s4ze1g4.y @z2 szzze<l1szz
Ct toelr iozet
OF ec1rSs tseSs = s so--lF sssss u t2ts -s9-
osTesorzzsas q CO. !lzsT--sErx- 4 faz ~ors-
N iaks sdvsn-ags oi E1sT ~ - zT-zs t1les
tszt are Rot true. rst sszl-<J ard 81 pr.
They &ras coarse rs-ta.rss II szsss's sDo1a1x
roo-zs szd cabs - ( fbey kzsr sH Sb<gss
sbez T@~y r-ves n Lair zzs1 sT=-scs gso-
tatiozx. sc@ars8nes mssFs-4ed saa a1sNys
dragx-d IN ~ as ksaA and Ess zEs1s-z Tcsy
ssesszhs n Lh~rsazAszn, xrd ezsi * liberty.
They rsvsi n s1sDssans - s1t-s-. Srzaxissx
ssi nl6nlgAs ai~sp@sssa- fkey are i1~ zee
<s nzSsxssa csseszsrsl nm1nsz EssG S.s