New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-10
LITERARY TASTE IN WOMEN.
MARY Z. BRYAN. AUTHOR. SAYS THE SAGE
SCOTCHMAN SHOOTS AT FOLLIES
WITH RUSTY ARROWS

WITH RUSTY ARROWS.
The sage Scotchman who asserted that women
possessed no literary taste and merely followed
fashion in their choice OF books as in their choice
Of clothes himself merely following the fash
ion OF decrying woman's mentality, which has
been favore form of ridicue with satrists and
would-be cynics since the days OF Swift and Pope.
The latter's weknown epgram. Most
have no character (meanng individuality at all
was allowed to pass almost without protest by
sisters of the last century.
But women have ou;grown such sheeplike sub
mission TO being cOnfemptuousy rated. they
have outgrown the narrowness which made Pope's
assertion possibly true Of the average woman OF
that day.
The water-mark OF womans individuality Is con-
sderably higher at the present time a fact which
the learned critic might have discovered II he had
looked about him. instead OF hunting up the rusty
arrows OF the past with which to shoot "follies'
that have long since flown.
The woman OF to-day is characterized by an In
dependence Of thought and taste which expresses
itself through her work. her ways and her ut
terances
As to the books she reads. II follows as a matter
OF that. wishing to keep In step and
thirsting for selfmprovement. she takes for her
guide the Scriptnral injunction: Prove all things
hold fast that which is true"
The bee. when foragng in field OF flowers
alights upon many that are honeyless or poisonous
but. after testing them with sip. she HES away
and buries her brown head only In the cups that
contain sweet food she
Woman would not be descendant or the hrst
mother if her investigating mind did not seek to
sample all the fruit the Eden Of letters and be-
cause she takes a bite OF some crude or unsavory
pppin. which fashion or clever advertising mas
painted In high colors II does not follow that she
is pleased with It's flavor lays 1t away In her
desk to feast upon leisurely as she might per-
feet fruit which had garnered a seasons dews ana
sunshine into its mellow round ~,
1t would be tame world indeed II tastes did
not differ. and If the same people ga not nave
different tastes to accord with their varying
moods.
the trashiest novels relaxation from brain
work Why not accord the same privilege to
women? $3.50 ..,, MT,
Are there not moods in which ANYTHING like
only simple strains be endured?
IT IS folly to say that because woman AN. rsads
fad. a freak. or a fashion. these are the books
she prefers; How is she to know that book ok Is
glance. at least. through its pages?
NOT be- Fsnsed BY sm one Of her
may chance to miss something really good by neg
Letting TO read book because its predecessor was
when Miss Frances To oS,.c, az
reporter as to the books She preferred.
admitted that she liked Ouida whereupon her lit
erary tastes were published abroad as low by
such papers delight In picking up sensational
crumbs Now. Ouida had just published Wanda"
and pure devotion: enriched. too. with pictures Of
sublime sfemsry Sprng to the 9r 6r int
same author. that the Presidents iancee frankly
owned she liked.
The days OF sweeping cpigrams are past. If the
Scotch critic would leave off looking at women
through the spectacles of dead and gone pedantic
satirists and listen quietly to the opinions of few
'averagely" bright women Of the present day. ne
will find that though they may glance through
books which are the fashion by accident or In