Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-10-17
LITERARY FLASHES.
Writers Whose Star of Success
Is Apparently Setting.
Hardys Fame Was Won by Single
Novel Not Since equaled.
Is Rarries Day Overt Gable and kiplinq
Is Barrie's Day 0sef!--cab!e and kiplins
Going Into an Eclipse.

prise has been expressed recently in literary
circles in New York city at an editorial
reference in one Of the greater New York
papers Of the work Of ]. VI. Barrie, who
has been hailed by some critics as the nov
elist of the younger generation who has
the finest promise of achieving great things
as writer Of fiction. The success of MIR
| Barcie's novel The Little Minister was
almost as conspicuous in the United States
as in Great Britain. More than $1,000
copies of this charming story have already
been sold in America, and ii Mr.. Barrie
does nothing more the merit which is i'll
that work will cert rtt.nly cause him To be
esteemed as one OF til most successful OF
modern novelists.
But the editorial which has caused so
much comment, written, it is understood, by
man who has much literary ability and
| considerable capacity as a critic, asserts
! that Mr. Barrie's day is over; that he put
the best that was in him in that story, and
| that his $ ar is settingNs rapidly as did The
| stars of several others who "a few Years ago
| were prominent in the literary sky Mr.
Barrie is accused in that article Of having
| committed the grievous otfense of attempt
AAi- w liAfaAC lf4'Ay "4bh
| Sharp as the leading character, an attempt,
| the article says, which has failed as il ought
| to have failed. \ good many dramati,ts have
tried TO stage some of Thackeray's crca-
| tions, and none of them has succeeded
because the creatures of the great novel
lists Imagination and the stories with
which he has surrounded them are not sus-
ceptible to dramatic treatment.
That Mr. Rarri,, hos failed In Il ~ IN,
two reasons. There is romantic story
that he wrote this play for one whom he
expects by and by to make his wife, and
his personal interest may have been SO
great us to interfere seriously with his lit
erary art. Another reason may be that
Barrie has The same difficulty which Charles
Dickens and Wilkie Collins and Charles
Reade had to contend with when they un-
dertook to construct dramas from stories
which they or other persons had written.
1t has been said that none Of Dickens
stories can be dramatized Yet there WAS
no impersonatiou Of the late William j.
Florence which was more popular than his
portrayal of Captain Cutie, and the foun-
dation of Lotta's fortune was in her dual
representation of Little Nell and the Mar
chioness, and many of Mr. Jefferson : ad-
Dtl4t'f tiittA iip iilOtC tN'lui0lLt 1lItl
acterization has ever been made by him
than that which he has taken from one of
Dickens christmas Tales"
Barrie, however, may prove to be simply
a meteor in the literary horizon. If that is
the case, he has good company Some of
the novelists who have written and gained
great fame in the last 10 or Is years are
now almost forgotten, at least unread.
l. 4 -,
there is demand for new work from his
pen, and the general opinion isthat his star
is in the ascendant.
One of the most successful of English
novels in recent years was the silence Of
Dean Maitland" 1t had qualities which
made it popular and merits which brought
to it high praise from the critics, yet the
writer has survived her popularity, her lat
est BOOKS attracting but little attention, so
that it seems that i'll her case Emerson's
theory is correct that every one has mate
rails for one commanding story i'll his or her
experience.
About Is years ago there appeared novel
in England. published anonymously or over
a nom de plume which gave no indication
Of the sex of the writer, a story entitled
Mr.. Smith" 1t fell upon willing pub
lie, and it had literary charms which
brought to it favor from cultivated circles
The writer was hailed as one who had great
talent, possibly genius. There was much
inquiry as to the identity of the author,
who was discovered after awhile to be
woman who had even to her intimates
given no indication of literary ability. But
the fame of the author of Mr., Smith has
departed Other books have appeared from
that pen, but they have attracted very little
attention.
John Incleseant appeared few years
ago and took England almost by storm and
gained considerable popularity as well in
this country, The writer was an unknown
person. but when his identity was revealed
he became literary celebrity. His fame,
however. rests entirely upon his first book,
and although he has written others they ere
ated not thu slightest ripple of interestin
the literary world.
J. r. Gilm ore, better known by his nom
de plume of Edmund Kirke, is one novel
man, his story Among the Pines having
very great popularity and being read to
this day with keen interest. But his other
stories commanded no especial public In
terest JudSe Tourgee attained in a day
enormous literary popularity through his
"A Fools Frraud, and although he has
written one or two other novels yet none
Of them has Won anywhere near the meas
ure Of popularity that one did.
Arthur :. Hardy, professor in Dart
mouth COLLEGE, won fame with single
novel, But iet Woman" That gained
popularity which nothing that he has done
since has equaled. There are indications
that the popularity of Kipling is passing
4 ('aBI.'s ~
TO have had their day. Therefore if Barrie
is gong into eclipse he is simply sharing
the fate which has been the lot Of the vast
majority Of those who have won sudden
literary repute, usually with their first no.