The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-04-04
Literature for Arts Sake.
The Writer, Boston, Mass. I


In an article upon George Michel,
the painter Of Montmartre, in the
Century for November, 1893, Vir-
ginia Vaughan says: ITO a more de-
liberate intellectual artist each new
work is an event, the record of a
step which brings him nearer to his
goal, OF which he never loses sight"
This, IL seems to me, would make
q good motto for all writers who
earnestly desire self.improvement
and the uplifting Of our national
literature. America has not yet at
tanned high place in letters. Posi-
bly, she is still too young to be adj.
mitted to the elderly company Of
the East, but close observer may
find other causes for this than ten
derness Of age. How many Of our
writer's are working for arts sakes
II needs little more than q glance at
current American literature to de.
tect the absence OF the "high serious.
ness which makes classics. Do our
writers set up a goal--a lofty stand
ard OF excellence-and make each
new effort a serious step toward its
attainment Do we not rather have
in view the ephemeral fitness Of an
article or story for the pages Of
certain well.paying publications.
There are few Grays these times to
labor three years on "An Elegy,'
and there are few poems written
which are not their own epitaphs.
Oliver Wendell Holmes is, indeed,
The Last Leaf" OF a literary sum
mer when an American literature al
most bloomed.
The competition Of business has
invaded letters. The magazines vie
with each other in announcing at
tractive lists OF contributors for en-
suing volumes; aud the newspapers
have captured illustrious names and
advertise "Our new $4,000 story
Columns Of literary notes are pub
lished, exciting literary aspirants
with stories of the amounts which
have been paid for popular tales
and enumerating the editions into
which they have run. But when
have We seen IL heralded that a story
or a poem has appeared that will
entitie America to a place in li,era-
ture, and that bears the certain evil
dence Of unselfish love for art and OF
being a distinct stride toward q
goal?
In this spirit OF mercantilism, we
are in too great haste to print. We
seem not to look beyond the glory
OF print and remunerative strip OF
paper Shall some future critic
have just occasion to write that our
characteristic Impotence was what
prevented the making OF a national
!:teraturs7 II does require job like
patience, sublime self-denial, aud
courage to labor upon one article,
or story, or poem, selected, possibly
from q wealth OF ideas, as leading
most directly to high goal, while
the writings Of others are being
printed, and talked about, and paid
for,-all for pure love OF the art.
In these days Of making literature
a profession one is compelled to
the forego self-satisfactiOn OF doing
| the best for art 5 sake. We seem to he
forced to write according to the de-
mand. How many are honestly striv-
ing to elevate the standard OF this
supposed demand! Surely there are
themes Of paramount interest, pow
erful emotions pulsating American
life, which are ready for the effort Of
the true artist for arts sake, and
which, il treated in a true literary
manner,-not the affected, tradi-
tional sense OF literature, but in a
broad, progressive, earnest, artistic
manner,-would make us a national
I literature.
There is no reason why the writer
who does his work from pure love Of
his art should he dreamer. He can
toll on in as practical a way as in
any other pursuit. The most useful
inventions have been made only
through years OF experiment, and
often OF sacrifice. A novel, a poem,
or a play that will become an Amer
lean classic cannot DO dashed of and
hustled into print, any more than a
sewing machine or locomotive can
he devised in day. Shall it be said
that in all our broad land there are
no disinterested lovers OF the most
endur ing OF all arts? Possibly in
some luxurious library or some I'M
carpeted attic there Is a mute, in
glorious Milton" and a generous
public is waiting for him to burst
the bonds Of his obscurity. And il
his work have the undying quality,
he startling discovery will be made
that the demand has been adapting
itself to the supply, rather than the
reverse. II. NJ. HogE.
Harrishuru Damn