The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-09-04
OUR LITERARY BUDGET.
MISS MOLLIE ELLIOTT sELWELL.
Lang, OF London, Has Some Inter-
estinK Words to Say In the Daily News
ofLonden about this Virginia Writer.

Miss Mollie Elliot Seawell Is a young
lady who sticks TO her guns. Some
months ago she boldly maintained the
thesis that women, in art and literature,
were no match for men. This she did
in an American journal, and some OF her
sex, with their own noble logic, ceased
to subscribe to the paper, while many
others wrote refutations. Miss Seawen
pulyerized them, and retired on her lau-
rels. But, 10! there came forth cham
pion from the camp Of the men, the re-
doubtable Colonel Higginson, who was,
as il were, the Columbus of Miss Emily
Dickinson, and discovered q continent OF
poetry where others had only seen
misty ocean Of bad rhymes and bad
grammar The gallant Colonel averred
that Miss Seawell had omitted many Gel,
ebrated ladies from her argument ana
spoke of her 'outburst against her own
sex The fair Penthesilea of common
sense then grit on her armor, and she
does battle with the Colonel in The
Critic. She did not make outbursts
against her own sex, she declares; she
only put them in their own proper place.
Women easily take the prize as far as
the affections and emotions are con-
cerned. See Sir Barnes Newcombs lee.
ture on The Poetry of the Affections.
where he charged heavily in favor OF
woman. 1t is only in the mere intel
lect' that men, If we may say so, nave
the inner track Each sex has its pro,
vince, and Miss Seawell thinks 1t would
be highly unreasonable to claim for wo-
men complete and universal superiority
90, "a
anything to do with the question. Nor
does Miss Seawel hold that new exam
pies of superior females have really
been discovered. She rather DOUBTS
whether Sappho wrote her own verses
and here, we think, she is less than usu-
ally candid. The poem quoted by Lon
ginus would alone establish Sappho
fame, and nobody says that IL was
really written by Phaon. She still AYERS
chat no immortal work by women can
be found. Mr.. Samuel Butler, to be
sure. thinks that the Odyssey was COM
posed by lady; but the learned have
not yet come into his view, when we re-
spectfully commend to Colonel Hlggih-
son. . 1o-o
Women did rot begin to write IN iSIG'
this lady says. They nave Deeh .llliih,
ing working. and writing ever since men
Legan doing the same things witness
Sappho. Erina. Louise Labe, the match
less Orinda,' Mrs. Bsrbauld, and many
other examples. The Colonel thinks that
Fanny MeLdelssohn, not Felix, wrote
Songs Without Words Miss Seaweil
saws that it is very likely. They are so
inferior to Mendelssohn's own that 1t Is
extremely probable Fanny did write the
oreater part of them Miss Seawell
even doubts whether Mrs. Greene III
vented the cotton-gin. Finally, the Colo
mol thinks Uncle Toms Cabin contains
the only great fictitious character OF the
last half century. Miss Seawell replies
that Uncle Toms Cabin is not literature
at all. and to that magnanlmous hero she
prefers Becky Sharp. Uncle LON rs
beneath criticism as a literary enort'
What a terrible young lady. and where
Is respect for The Flag
The truth is that the clever young Wo.
mon of the States. being emancipeted OF
course. have delivered themselves from
popular claptrap They have suddenly
taken 10 admiring what Is old and ciassi-
cal and of good report. They like BOOKS
for their excellence, not for their Amerl-
can origin. They recognize the calm
facts Of the universe, and mock at MI
r. p. Roe. This is rather discomfort
ing result Of education-for Colonel Hig-
gibson. Bnt we hope that Miss Seiweil
will be cautious about the Mortal Muse,
the Aeolian capitalization DAILY
News