Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-08
SOUTHERN WRITERS.
Manifestations and Hopes in yirginisn Lit
erature.

erature.
HANpDEN-SDNEY, VA, January 26. 1891.
To The Editor of The Dispatch:
There are numberless traditions floating
about, fiavors both historical and literary,
romantic and naturalistlc, well worth pre-
seryation could we only find the young
scholars and budding men of letters suffi--
GENTLY interested to collect, arrange, and
give them to the public. The distinct
colors of the old regime are in many locall-
ties fast fading away, and memories In the
head and near the heart of many sire are
being lost forever merely for want OF
hand to record them. Especially here IN
Virginia each county and country home
and old estate abounds IN assoclations
which might furnish stores of wealth to
the antiquarian, historian, plograpner'
and writer of fiction.
is it, after all, pretentious and deluslve-
the mere dream of builder OF air-castles-
to think and speak of typical VTginidn
literature2 For will any one deny the ex-
istence of real Virginian flavor and local
colorinR-even apart from the general
"Americanism (Which may be found
here and nowhere else? Surely 1t Is no
new canon to assert that the most success
full literature of any people is that most
truly expressive of the genius and inner;
most life of that people. IL was not until
American literature cast off its servile imi-
tation of English letters that 1t was able 10
produce anything permanent. Ana III
much of our American literature we can
easily detect the New England or New
York flavor where it has been true to local
traditions, and this indeed accounts Tor a
good deal of its success. Again, 1t IS Just
those Virginian writer's who have attempt
ed to catch this local impress and transfer
il TO paper that have best held the eye and
ear OF the public. | do not wish here to
copfine myself TO the dialect tale-on the
contrary, would raise O distinct protest
against this seeming lImitatlon-any more
than Virginian life, past and present, IS 70
be thought so contracted. That IS merely
one phase. and not always the most cha
racteristic. A State with a continuous de-
yelopment in history and culture for near
three hundred years lacks none OF the es-
sentials that should give birth to charac-
teristio expression Of that history and Gull
ture in all their relations.
IL il. perhaps, because our writers have
hitherto been content to limit themselves
too much to one aspect, because their
range has been often fine and delicate, II
ia true. but not sufficiently large and IN
bounded, their materials not strong
enough in quality nor tough enough IN
fibre. that their success has not been more
decided and more uniform. Perhaps. too,
IL ia unfortunate that fiction has played
such an undue part-a fiction which from
its very nature aud subject-matter, must
be in O large measure romantic-out
works of fiction seem to predominant at
present in all literatures.
OF the southern States LOUISIANA and
Tennessee have produced the most bril-
liant single specimens in this field-name-
ly. "Cable aud Craddock," although here
and there may be found efforts of the same
sort descriptive of life in other sections;
for instance witness James Lane Aliens
tales of the Trapplst Colony in Kentucky.
Georgia alone. however, may be SAID TO
possess continuous literary expression OF
her life from the days or the Georgia
Scenes" TO the present.
Here in Virginia think am safe in say
ing there are increased signs of an inter
ested and active literary spirit. The Viz
ginia Historical Society Is doing much TO
throw new light upon the details of the
States past and the foundations upon
which she is grounded. l need only cite
the recent work of two of its members
namely, the contribution of X. A. Brock
10 Justin Wensor's Narrative and Critical
History Of America" and Alexander
Browns Genesis Of the United States"
wherein Virginia, after all, receives the
lions share. The essays by DR.. Edward
Eggleston on the manners, customs, and
details of colonial life, aud descriptions
like Along the Lower James," by Charles
Washington Coleman in the January. Cen.
fury. lend additional zeal TO historical and
antiquarian research.
OF fiction, as already animated, there
has always been some supply. The latest
appearance. / believe. is Mrs. Burton Hsr-
rison's Flower de Hundred" descriptive
of tho old virginian plantation life. The
same authors even more successful ven
ture, "The Anglomaniacs" Qike Miss
Fanny Murfree's serial, Felicia" ~. pre-
sents tho study Of psychological condi-
tions and problems not at all depenoent
upon locality. and hence, strictly, should
not be evan noticed here.
II is in verse. however. that the. results
have been more meagre than would natu-
rally have been anticipated. just this
moment there lies before me booklet en-
titled Arcade Echoes, Selected Poems
from the Virginia University Magazine.
iss9J9O. Collected and Arranged by
Thomas L. Wood II is dedicated :. to the
memory Of Henry w. Grady" aud tho sdi-
tor tells us in 8 abort preface that his pur-
pose Il = . faithful reproduction Of student