Blue-grass blade., 1891-02-14
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A SuggesliOn 10 James Lane
Allen.

Allen.
I have the honor of an extend
ed and intimate acquaintance wit
James Lane Allen, the Kentuck,
magazine writer and lecturer.
1n purity of diction and style
he stands peerless among South.
ern prose writers, and there is
special demand for his distinctly,
literary traits to counterbalanc'
the immensely preponderatinl
Southern trend to the jocular ant
dislectic and light styles of lit
erature.
Writers in this last department
have shown great excellence, ant
have contributed to the health
happiness and good morals of tn,
people by making them laugh al
genuine humor. l regard some
OF these as being as truly public
benefactors as are our creates
disc0verers and scientists, or al
the writers of some of our fnest
ethics and philosophy; but i,
would not do to lave all of oul
Southern literature of that kind
There should always be some o.
that moralizlng and refining in.
Auence that springs from such
high refinement of words and
ideas as we find in Macaulay OF
Goldsmith, and that tender pa
thos and sentiment that hang
like an autumnal halo around the
books and lite of Washington Ir.
wing.
There is something about MIR,
Allen that reminds me OF Irving
l have not heard Mr.. Allen lee
ture, but from current comment
gain the general impression that
the defect in his lectures is the
lack OF advocacy of any OF the
practical aud tangible subjects
that are engaging the popular
mind.
Though. Mr.. Aliens writings
have been such as appealed u
heart and sentiment, probably
because the commercial value OF
these was more readily realized,
he is a man OF much debt OF
scholarship and breadth of int ii.
tive capacity and appreciation as
would most eminenlly fit him tor
didactic ethics and philosophy.
While such a question AS t. q
literature Of the South may ELL
gage the interest of a few sarants,
for the large majority, even
among highly cultivated people,
it lacks that detfiniteness and
pointedness and special adspta-
ton to a particular end that is in
demand now.
Henry Grady, more than any
that / know, had put himself in
touch with the competent con-
sensus OF the age, and his men,
ory is to-day enshrined in the
hearts of pure women and good
men, as 1 cannot conceive to be
possible of any orator now living
His death leaves an aching void
in the great American heart.
OF course it would be my pref.
erence to have Mr.. Allen to take
up Grady's mantle, and, like him
self, become the champion of the
Prohibition cause, in the possibil.
ties of which there seems to me
to be wrapped up more Of good
to humanity than anything now
before the people. But If he does
not specially fancy this depart
ment, there are cOngenital fields
of thought OF which it can hardly
so truly be said that they need
cultivation, as that their harvest
is ready for the reaper and sickle
Let MIR. Allen become tn,
champion OF an international
peace congress for instance.
Let him espouse the cause O.
the Indians, or devise some sOlu-
ton of the negro problem, or ad-
vocate compulsory education, o.
educational qualification for th'
elective franchise, or woman suf-
frage, or dress reform, or some
thing like General Booths plal
tor the ameliOration of the cOndi
ton of the poor.
The whole tendency of any in
fuence that Mr.. Allen would b
liable to exert would be refining
but the demand of the age is 10
expedition and directness in pur
pose, and there is MI opening to
labOrers in some of these depart
ments where there is q speciti
end that many people want to &c
accomplished.