The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-01-31
assume that public affairs will now pro-
WILLIAM DEAN HOwELLs.

WILLIAM DEAN HowELLs.
There has been great deal of advertis
ing of Mr.. William Dean Howells anent
his departure from 1.-The Editors STUDY
of Hdrpsrs' Magazine to connect himself
with The Cosmopolitan. AT the same time,
The Cosmopolitan, periodical which is con-
stantly and merltedly growing in popular
ity, has also achieved much gratuitous ad-
vertlsing. There has been some quito
superfuous show OF sympathy with the
Harpers in their supposed loss, which
doubtless they do not feel, since they
have .ected as Mr.. Howels' successor
man who is in every sense, and,
especially in literary sense, his superior.
And, primarily, for this reason: Mr..
Howelis is handicapped by an overween-
ing, and, inaeed, Overwhelming self-cOnCeit
which has made him lnsufferabie to the
thousands of readers oil the magazine
with which he so long has been con-
nected. One need only to turn
to the pages of his Study to see that
he considers himself and wishes MS read
ers 10 believe him the greatest author,
novelist, playwright and poet that ever
lived in any land or ever wrote in any
tongue. This he has espt cially emphasized
by his studied depreciation of all other
authors, and conspicuously, for near ex-
ample, of Thackery and Dickens, neither of
whom, according to Howells, were artists,
! scarcely even authors, and neither of them
knew how to write novel. This estimate
of Howells and of his absolutely
amazing self-conceit is founded upon
no prejudice, but is based wholly upon
what he himself has proclaimed He stands
confessed as the embodied literary impertl-
nence of this century. No doubt he is, and
will be, acceptable to the Cosmopolitan or
| he would not have been chosen as its editor
| but the impression is general that the Har-
pers are delighted to get rid of him.
MIR. Charles Dudley Warner, who has
been promoted from The Editors
Drawer" of Hdrper's to the highest seat in
THE Editors Study" is much more
| widely and much more favorGbly known as
an American author than Mr.. Howells
ever was or ever will be. Considering his
merits, and as Thackeruy once said of him
self, 1.-THE great deal he has to be conceiteC
about he Is q marvelously modest man
His literary career may be said to nave
begun by his publication of series Of
sketches, from week to week, in the Hart
ford Courdnt, of which he is, with Senator
and General-the two titles are almos
inseparable-"Joe" Hswley, an editor
and proprietor. These charming effu-
sions were actually experienced il
his own garden, and when they Were
collected and put in book form il
Boston Warner suddenly found him
self famous. Irving and even Addison
upon whom Irving confessedly based hi
style, never wrote purer or more graceful
English His subsequent books cover 81
ext aordinary range-travel, romance
criticism, essays, all acceptable and all ad
mirable He is conservative, full of com
mon sense, exquisiteiy humorous, and Their,
is rare refinement in ali he has written
1t would be hard to pick out an American
author who is more thorough artist il
every piece of his work. His new fielC
will afford fresh opportunities for crafty
ing his large and constantly widening
circle of admirers. And, with all tn,
rest, he is thoroughly American to tn,
backbone. He has travelled extensively
abroad, has been everywhere and ha
seen pretty much everything, only to maxi
him more American than ever. And We
he is thoroughly cosmopolitan, especiall,
so in our somewhat cosmopolitan city, fol