Birmingham state herald., 1896-09-11
PRE-RmprED LITERARY FIELDS.
How the Universe Has Been ApportIoneo
 to Successful Writers.

How the Universe Has Been Apportloned
 to Successful Writers.
 London Leader.
 An editorial friend insists that there are too many Keep-of-the-G Grass signs appearing in the world of letters. There is something amusing and irritating, too, he writes, in the way the critics do- nate large and elegant sections of the universe to successful authors as their private hunting grounds. If an author makes hit with novel on any special country or theme, the critics pre-empt that country or theme, and hold it as a trust for that individual author. They constitute themselves literary game keepers and with jealous eyes look for poachers to warn them off these private grounds. An author who has lived in India, perhaps for many years, writes a strong and graphic story of the life there; it represents his. original thought and ob- servation. When it is published, 1t is judged, rarely from itself and for it. self, but as relating Kipling's work; the irritating compliment of "a second Kip ling' may be given him; he is, perhaps, referred to as entering upon field so fully and ably covered by MT. Kipling," or as .one of MT. Kipling's numerous imitators." It is folly to attempt to fence in a country of about 1,250,000 acres and 25O, 900 people and call it "Kipling Park, Private"
 AntnO0y f1Ope uOW OWHS oOCiclyB 1iA playful cynicism in dialogue on matters mundane and feminine is pre-empted by MT. Hope. Du Maurier owns the Latin quarter and all Bohemia artist life, though he graciously permits 1t to re- main in Paris for a time. The ground it. self, the realty still belongs to the city and to individuals, but all realty, all as- sociations, literary material and poSS1- bilities, are held by the critics in trust for George du Maurier. MT. Stanley J. Wey- Ia Lo1 txr,n thrna French history marked as his by the critics Any new writer entering into the historic field of French history must expect,to be met by the critics ana com pelled to show his passports and nave them examined under the searching light of Weyman comparison. Barrie for a time owned Scotland, but he was crowd ed out of his pre-emption by Maclaren, Meldrum, Crockett and a host of other bold claim-jumpers. Bret Harte's patent on California has not yet expired The young writer foolhardy enough to write a short story about a western mining camp must expect to hear how inferior it is to Bret Harte's delightful little classic, The Luck of Roaring Camp. Africa is the only continent left unpre- empted, though Olive Schreiner's "Af- rican Farm" takes a good southern sec tion out of the coming partition. Some bright, industrious novelist with real long and wide story might appropriate all the land adjoining Miss Schreiner's farm as far north as the Mediterranean. | The whole world seemed to have been duly apportioned until, doubtless, dis | couraged by the gloomy terrestial out l look, John Kendrick Bangs fearlessly sailed into the internal regions with his House Boat on the Styn," Stephen Phil lips following with Christ in Hades." But even here they find filled and pre-
 empted territory, held in the name of one Dante, an Italian.