The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-10

| nature OF the empire OF fashion,
In modified form the same idea was ex-
pressed FIVE years later when Dickens
was Acknowledged TO b, a most minute
and sagacious observer Of human nature
sanm su' DOUBT ssiaasd in az" The mind
cording the virtues OF humble life. will
altogether counteract the danger 81 th I'M
literary mob was still dominant.
DICKENS PERSONA NON oRATA.
These criticisms were made before
Dickens first came 10 America ana thsy
Indicate that the dsfasor In which ~,
was held by some southerners uiu nos
grow entirely from his structures upon
Slavery. The Englishmsn's book making
tour in the States had become Arn"iInne
feature Of American life. Mrs. Trohope
and Captain Marryat nad aireary ,hn,,
sena ~ated brethren. Harriet Martineaii,
after inspiring a sonnet during her vlsi.
to Richmond and taking observa,,,ronnSS
sim nD the carolnian. 10 a sharp review review
Of her "Society in America" and others
were to follow. Dickens Ams .n az
Notes" Transformed tn n,olty SO that no
regret was felt by the Messenger when
his visit 10 america, made ostenslDD ~
arouse interest IN favor nd or an IN the The re-
publication OF Martin chuzzlewil ~
he United States at a ridiculousiy 10"
figure. ,,,o,,or of rreiudice
the magazine published Simultanepusiy
two reviews of the Notes, one ny a
northern man, the other by a Soutn
csrolinian. The former dealt with the
hook as a literary production contrlDu-
ting nothing TO Dickens fame Inc m,eer
with logic and justice assailen ,ne tn-;,
lishmans bias against the inslltution,
n bias he had taken little pains TO cor
rect But there was show OF TEMPER
in designating as literary jackals tnose
to whom the book was dedlcaten anu ~, w
the framing Of the concluding seh'encss
81 the review: His bitter assaults ana
foul calumnies in relation TO an insutu--
ton which nc has not troubled hlmse@
10 understand in any of it's bearings de,,
serve the indignant Scorn or an lnsuiten
and slandered people II Would nav
been difficult aftorward for the soutn
Carolinan 10 see any good in Dlckens
or for the editor to change his opinion OF
the novelist, due TO the fact that ne
drew his material from humble life that
he knew so thoroughly and depicted so
truly.
His compeer. Thackeray. received n bet.
ter reception. 1niquiues were not absent
from his characters, but they, were NOT
the iniauities of the humble classes. AT
times his plots were broken by essays as
exclusive az those OF Dickens. but "nere
the latter used club. the former handIed
the rapier. Moreover. he wrote OF th2
times that TO many before the war were
the good old times. That was enough
10 insure him a welcome TO Richmond,
visit there was the verse That ne wrote
one morning at the table Of the Messenger
and which was published Few months
Upon VANITY Fair" was placed the re-
sponsibility for his standing in English
literature The book was published In
monthly parts. and when he resorted 10
the same plan in issuing THE New
comes" ne missed some praise. The pub
LEGATION of THE Nirginians' In continued
parts contributed probably 10 the feeling
of disappointment about that book Per-
sonal friendship for Thackcray. the
adept in "doxtrous management of rldi-
Guile and satirical humor, prompted the
suggestion that lovers of literature were
to be congratulated upon his defeat in
1867 in the oxford election for Parlia-
ment.
About the time of the change of senti-
ment toward Bulwer the poems of Tenny-
son were becoming familiar to Amori-
cans. He was then "a man of decided
ideal tenderness and pure sensibility,
but in 1874. when the magazine had
changed hands, IL was proposed that he
might confer a benefit not only on the
world, but on himself. If he would only
convert his pen into pruning hook and
his inkstand into a watering pot and
in 1917 ULYSSES and "MOrte d'Artuh"
were thought TO be compensations for "a
great deal of stuff as monstrously non
sensical as ever issued from the brain Of
any other frensied rhymster" And yet
Tennyson survived. Browning failed TO
arouse a passionate admiration, and the
southern editor was gratihed in discover.
ing that other persons beside him had
been puzzled by his poems Carlyle was
a man of Vagaries. Jane Eyre fixed the
fame Of charlotte Bronte" forever. The
younger dIsraeli was one OF the most
gifted men in the world. The writings Of
Macaulay, original and profouns. were
popular among those whose thoughts fire.
| quently ran I'm the essay. owen Mere
dith's 'Clytemestra," the proof-sheets OF
d.
| Paris i'm 1854. was received more favor
| ably than LUCILLE, which was called
the rouge ct nOir or pea-tcp-breeches-
end-airy-a spiration kind Of verse.
Occasionally a mild protest was made
against the leading English authors Let
us be thankful" said the editor in a re-
view of Lady Lees Widowhood" that a
clever work has at last come out which
was written neither by Bulwer, nor
Thackeray. nor Dickens. nor Charlotte
Bronte." Yet George 3. Lawrence. an
English author. attempted in 1863 TO break
into the South. and was rewarded for his
prison at Washington. He may have de-
sired TO collect material for book or to
furnish British writing upon southern
soil. Had he been successful in his ven
ture he would have been treated hospi-
tably. but he might not have been a lite
rary lion.
FAIR IN JUDGMENT.
Attention given to English works did
not diminish the interest in those OF
Americans. Nor did the wish TO be free
from fore gn trammes lead TO whole
sale COMMUNICATION of native productions.
The aim OF the Messenger being TO stft
the wheat from the chaff, it was as care
| ful i'm favorable criticism of southern
| authors as II was generally fair in its
| treatment of northern ones, though the
| personal equation on the one hand and
| on the other the defence of the institu-
| ton" were potent In estimates OF the
| value of some publications. Simms was
| hailed as the most prominent novelist OF
| the south and It's most eminent author
! but when another Southcrner published
| his cavaliers Of Virginia" he was en-
| treated to invoke thereafter "a little
| more reflection, a purer taste. and a more
| enlightened judgment IA his labOrs' If ne
| could not overcome his "rabid propensity
to write works Of fiction" The reviewer
| of James Russell Lowells Years Life
| said i'm ls4l: when we think how many Of
| the mighty multitude Of writers among
| us, daily increasing, must necessarily sink
! into Oblivion. though much merit may 90
| with many thus fated, as time rolls OIL
| little hook Will still go on its mission
] aided in its work by still further pro
| ducts from the same mind But in lSis
| the editor warned southerners not 10
touch any book Of LowelIs. with John
| G.. Whittier, who had, with the exception
! Of Hawthorne. welded the most polish
| ca pen In America" he had come under
| the ban.
Nathaniel p. Willis. who. in 1884, was
| defended by his former class-matc Hugh
| Blair Grgsby, of Norfolk against harsh
| criticism In the North, had for years q
| friendly ally IN the Messenger. The e1j-
| tor believed al first that he was a mar
likely to have his life written some
low James Montgomery. Mrs. Hemans.
| Rogers Halleok, and Bryant. From tht