Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-08-27
In WOMAN'S BEHALF.
LoNDoWs LITERARY WOMEN.
Their Standing and Growing Power In the
WnrIn of liernt tnre.

Their Standing and Growing Power In the
World of Literature.
One watches with interest every in
novation that effects the conditions of
life for literary women, now that this
life is being broadened and developed
so rapidly. Perhaps of all the changes
that have taken place in woinan's
world, none has been so great and none
so little realized as that between her
old and her new position in literature.
One has only to remember how fifty or
even twenty-five years ago the woman
who wrote was exceptional, tolerated
by few, sneered at as blue-stocking
by the many, and then see how, now
adays, she is accepted as a matter of
course. One of the leading London
publishers, talking to me the other day,
told me he was more and more struck,
as time went on, with the conspicuous
part English women were playing in
the literature of their country. Every
day, it seemed to him, more came with
MSS. and schemes to su bmit to his con-
sideration, and, what is of further
significance, these MSS. and schemes
were also growing daily i'll commercial
value and Importance, 1t is only right,
in passing, to call attention to the fact
that woman's very literary success
threatens her literary excellence. In
literature the number of its professors
is not the main consideration.
OF course there are literary women
the world over, and in towns like Paris
and Boston and New York, they take a
very prominent place. But it is above
all in English-spealsing races that wom-
an has within the last generation boldly
adopted literature as profession, and
for all Enghsh-spealSing races London
is the headquarters. The British mu-
scum alone would be enough to attract
her, even as it proves a magnet to the
literary man. To be sure, in the Brit
ish museum one never sees the women
who have made the greatest regulations.
remember, on my first visit, how ca
ger ! was to have all the celebrities
pointed out to me, and how disappoint
ed when the official, who was showing
me around, asked me if | had never
heard of the poor "devip' who came tc
drudge for the great man or woman.
And indeed, most of the women who
are daily habitues of the reading room
and they are many-are the veriest
hacks, making research on commission
or drudging for publishers and editors
on a starvation wage.
Now that the literary women of Lon
don have become social leaders in the
large literary and artistic set, now that
their influence is SO keenly felt in the
publishing world, it may at first seem
strange that they have not combined
forces and formed themselves into some
sort of an association, defensive anC
progressive. But that they have no'
is really proof that they understand
their position too WELL and that they
frankly equalize the doctrine preached
by women reformers, that when the two
sexes share the same interests and work
they should meet on equal grounds
Women as well us men who write, be
long to the Society of Authors WheI
the society was started Mr.. Walter BE
SAINT promised mans strong protection
to all poor, weak women authors. Blu
Mrs. Fenwick Miller, in good, strons
language, protested, declaring that i
women were not received as member
on exactly the same footing as men
they would far better not be receive'
at all.
But there is one distinction made II
this society to which, strange to say
no woman has so far taken objection
The council and executive committe
are composed as exclusively of men a
the houses of parliament Since man
women of high literary standing are in
cluded among the members, it woul
seem but fair arrangement if they to
were represented in the management c
the association. r. Pennel
in Chautauquan.