The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-08-28
OUR LITERARY BUDGET.
crnruRz IN THE WEST AND EAST.
Ralf-Esked Culture of Book CLUBS and
Browning Clrcles-Thsro are bipfafies
in Chicago and Art Galleries.

There are a good many vulgar things on
the surface Of Chicago, and by the same
token there are f. good many vulgar Things
on the surface Of New York. There mas
been a deal Of fun enjoyed over the half
baked culture on book clubs, Dante Club'
browning circles and other outDursts oil
pretepsion or expressions Of culture III lne
"Ph9nix City," but there are a hundred
points of kindred righteousness III lhe
alleged literary circles Of the metropolis
There are people who come out OF the " es'
with as much claim to recognition IS cuIt-
waited men and women as Is pOssesseu U!
many of the best among u.s. iIele arc
libraries in Chicago, and men ana " ,,i
who read the books that are IN theih' Ancl'
80 ~, Galleries ia Chicago just as mis-
oellaneols. lust Az good and just as Dad,
as the collections made by prominent new
Workers. with whose merits ana ueheIllS
we nave been made familiar by various
contributions TO our public an galleries an"
to our occasional loan exhibitions;
A. is ALI very we'll for the New OIk ana
Po.ton newspapers 20 ridicule the literary
ana artistic pTetensions OF western clies'
but how much wealth would De accumu-
lated by the proprietors OF these SAM
newspapers il their customers were con
fined 70 really cultivated pe0pies Iahen
day after day, the best OF the Eastern news
napers are not more mentorlous, IRON
literary or serious point Oh view! "sn "ie
their Western contemporaries
1t is true that culture cannot be Dousus
with money, and that the hrst otl'insS y,
tine newly rich after elegance are ludlcIOus
in tho evtrerne. If il not 50 many years
ago however. that Mr.. Curtis wrote lhe
P9tipbar Papers, ana the people whose
vulgar features he so accurately portrayed
.,,ere of New York and Newport. Even To-
dav our satirists ind food for their fancy III
the doiuqs of New York society, ana the
Master of Reyels cannot compose selecteu
list of $50. 10 say nothing OF lle sOV, vi Tue
s.fringe Of the inner circle" that ooes nOl
smell of the shop. An American family
tbat has been ont of trade for TWO genera
tions would find il difficult 10 keep up win
the mace of the "best society,"" ana, as
ruIe il on its rapid way 10 the loot OF the
ladder. ND which il may climb once MORE Il
il is unusually lucky, IN four OF h'e gene
rations. Fortunes, like other mundane
things. are broken good deai more easily
than they are mended' .,-- . -
IL is possibly true that there are more
cultivated people III thc ba91 ' - ~
West. for intellectual cultivation depehos
good deal on social atmosphere, ana IL re-
Guires repose-the repose that accom- paIlies
accumulated wealth and enables us happy
beneficiary 10 contemplate the minus OF
books-to ind out why writers write ana
painters paint, TO realize that there Is
success in this world besides success III
gaining wealth, and 70 appreciate tnat
snjritual possession is more beautiful than
many blocks OF houses. g s,,tir,,
1t IS the existence Of this sort OF leenng
that constitutes the atmosphere In Wblcn
artistic people like 10 live and manGuVIe.
The market for literature and art ls III the
East. and especially in New. York. 1t goes
without saving that the workers IN the helo
of art and letters Outnumber the amateurs
and that being so. there are more people IN
New York and Boston than IN younger
places who are calmly Indifferent TO the
rush of trade and commerce. and who know
and appreciate what has been done ana IS
doing M the intellectual world. But that 10
no reason why New York society or New
York business men should deride tneF
Western brethren Tor lacking what they
want themselyes.-H. l.. Nelson, III Har-
NORA WppklV