The morning call., 1894-07-27
SCHOOLS OF LETTERS.

The efforts of Hamlin Garland to plant
somewhere on the central rivers a purely
American literature are suggesting IN
quiries into the genesis of schools Oh
letters, which, though they have not thus
far resulted in definite formulas, nave
thrown light on dark places by the way.
When a community reaches certain
stage of development it Graves for DOCKS
describing its daily life, and the cream oil
the intellect of the day flows in the dlrec-
ton of the production of such DOCKS.
A corresponding development occurs In
the other localities with the same results,
and thus literary efflorescence buds In
three or four spots simultaneously. by
and by TWO or more of these sources OF
activity merge together and the result is
the establishment of school of letters,
with more or less prospects of vitality
according to the soundness of its prin-
ciples and the vigor of its leaders. The
first stage of the evolution is interestingly
pictured in an article on the correspond
ence between Mr.. Lowell and Edgar A..
Poe in the last number OF Scri6nerS
Magazine.
There was q resolute effort in the
forties and fifties to plant New England
school of letters. with Emerson. Long
fellow. Hawthorne. Lowell. Whittier,
Wendell Phillips and the other members
of the Cambridge coterie at its head
Mr.. Howels Is now dashing off, in
Hdrper'S, vivid sketches of its early stage.
1t had promise; its purpose was honestly
American; its aims were high. New
York had no literary circle to compare
with it. There was no force in Washing
ton Irving or Pauldng or Cooper OF their
SET and the historians. Prescott, Ban
croft and Motley, were rather cosmopoii-
tan than local. Thus. till after the war,
the American school of letters meant the
Cambridge school. But the school was
narrow and, to a certain degree. hybrid.
When its founders died no young men
arose to carry their 3ntle. Though they
were American their work was not so
distiDctively and aggressively American
that it generated apostles to carry it on.
At the present time the Cam bridge school
is nearly extinct.
But, in its place. other localities have
produced writers who, if they ripen with
their work, may found schools. Miss
Wilkins has undoubtedly created for New
England a literature whose realism may
cause 1t to outlive the finished classicism OF
the Cam bridge set. Ii instead OF abusing
Mr.. Gable, Southern readers realized that
they ought to be proud of him, and to
nurse him and cherish him. so that he
might found school that would voice the
feeling of the New South, it would
soften and polish the tone of community
which needs little polishing and soften
ing. 1t is not too much to say that Miss
Murfree has introduced the BORDER
States" to the world. Her power of
world-paint ting finds dramas in woods,
tongues in trees and books in the run
ming BROOKS" and brings before US
stranger people. who are well worth know
ing; she has found followers in John Fox
Jr. and the author Of the Kentucky Car
dinal."
CALIFORNIA; school of letters, about
which something was said at the time the
exposition was opened, has had two ex.
ponents, Bret Harte and Joaquin Miller,
and it is not certain yet. though Mr.. Harte
has long been resident of England, that
they will not leave a posteritv. Up to the
present time they may be said to be child
less. For, though lbrary-shelves groan
under romances of California life, and
some of them possess undoubted merit,
no modern writer has combined in one
book truthful picture of the color of
California backgrounds with true con-
ception of the California spirit-the spirit
which divides the resident of this coast
from the resident of other States. and
which with all its blemishes offers a
tempting field for high artistic treatment.
Some day, perhaps. some mute, inglorious
scribbler will perform this feat, and then
a phase of society which will naturally
pass away as manners and customs and
habits of thought assimilate will be pre-
served for the analysis of the historian of
civilization.