The times., 1897-08-29

II is the highest ambition or great
many authors to get their writings bar
red from the mails or excluded from pub
lie libraries. In this country that sort "f
thing makes writer fashionable. Whether
by intention or design, Mrs. E. ID. f. n.
Roulhwnrth, the aged novelist or George
town, has succeeded in having her works
barred from the Enoch Pratt libraries
OF Baltimore, although her success in this
capacity does not arrive until her works
have been before the public for nearly
half a century. IL would, or course, be
unkind to say that Mrs. Southworth has
connived at having her books excluded
from the library in order TO increase her
sales and royalties, but the fact remains
that her sales and royalties viii un-
doubLedly he incre ased th hereby. The
librarian OF the Baltimore library did not
realize that he was comforting a great
financial favor upon Mrs. Southw orth,
and that he was making her as popular
as even Laura Jean Libbey once was
with nursery maids and boarding-s school
misses.
Mrs. southvorth's novels, are, however,
OF a mgch higher literary standard than
the novelist OF the back kitchen and board
ing house. In fact, Mrs Southworth's
novels have obtained for her place ia
literature that corresponds somewhat to
that held Toy Jane Austen, one OF the ca rllesi
of the English novelists, and who was
really the founder or the romantic school
of adventures of heroines and their perse-
cutions by designing villains. MIS-. South
worth's novels are of the sensationa style,
depicting thrilling adventures of fatr
young giIls who come very near to being
led astray through young noblemen who
masquerade as music teachers, and govern
esses who are OF gentle blood tut reversed
fortunes, and young lords who cannot cone
into their own on account of graudfathers
and fathers who refuse TO die and lequeath
immense fortunes TO the hero. Al these
things are wrought into thrilling and very
entertaining rCnianCes which the librarian
of the Enoch Pratt libraries says have
penicious and demoralizing effect upon
the moralities of young girls. Hence Mrs.
Southwvrth's novels are scratched from
the handicap race for popular favor.
Mrs. southworth, who lives in pic
turesque cottage overlooking the Potomac
seen yesterday by a Times reporter, as
she was indisposed Her son, DR.. South
worth, however. undertook to defend his
mother name from the charge of having
written immoral books. He claims that
there is nothing in all her mass of fiction,
which has been read by. countless thou.
sands IN the past fifty years, TO provoke
comment or criticism OF the kind that has
been heaped upon it by the Librarian OF
tie EDooh Pratt libraries.
My mother is SO sure OF the hold she
has upon the hearts of the thousands ul
American people who have read her works
during the past fifty years. ne said.
THAT she is not In the least concerned a.
70 what libraries exclude her books. Her
readers are her judges. No one who has
ever read her works would dare say over
his own name that they were immoral.
] assert that all OF them are Of a high moral
tone, and, although they do excite the
passions of the young, The passions are
only stimulated to noble efforts and laud
able ambitions
Mrs. sOuthworth, in her senli-century Of
novei writing, has written over seventy
novels. As early as 1872, an edition OF her
works Of fiction was published. including
over Jhirty-five novels. Since then she has
Written as many more. Her writings, as
rule, possess strong dramatic power, but
are highly coIored. Mrs. SouthworUhis now
well on ia years, but at times writes a
little, and is at present understood TO be
engaged On another new novel which is
shortly TO be published.
In the same class with Mrs Southworth
when the ecict of eXpurgation went forth
from the Baltimore Library was Bertha NJ
Clay and other writers of fiction as wei
known. Perhaps the cruelest blow of al
inflicted upon Mrs Southworth was 10 class
her in a literary sense with Bertha NJ Clay
who has long been looked upon as second
only 10 Laura Jean Libbey in the matter
OF turning out sensational reading matter
Bertha NJ. clay's greatest effort was 4
novel called Dora Thorne," which woI
for her thousands OF frenzied admirers o
the feminine sex who delight 10 bruws'
upon such literature. All OF her early novels
were pdblishedin sensational weekly family
story papers, hich circulated among peo
pie OF the lower classes, who almost liy,
upon their emotions
Although some of Mrs. SOuthworthi
were published In similar publicat lions
they were, as ii rule, much more elevated
in tone, and more deserving Of the epithe
OF true literature which win live and b
enjoyed by the masses long after tn
author has passed Way. In that re
spe1t, MIS-. southworth has a distinct ad
vantage over Bertha NJ. Clay, whose popu
larity OF several years ago hls alread
passed into the sere and yellow leaf
In, fact, IL is said that Mrs. South worth
novels, or some OF them, will be of srea
historical -alue in the future, because sh
depicts with a true pen and a yiyit
imagination, but none the less truly, slav
life in the South before the war. Thos
of her novels which treat of Southerl
life and manners ere said to be anon
the best ever written on that subject, no
excepting even Uncle Toms Cabin
As for Bertha NJ. Clay, placed in th,
same category with Mrs. Southworth, he
evaEeseent popularity depends only upol
tile vivid irnaginations and fleeting phan
tastes OF those lovers OF polite fiction wher
virtue always triumphs in the end, an,
where everything is sacrificed for the SAX
OF a dramatic climax absolutely unhear
OF. Such people VIII no doubt like Rerthi
NJ. Clay, and her books will doubtless sci
TO certain extent, but il wasInost unkin
IF this Baltimore libra rian to classify Mrs
Southworth with Bertha NJ. Clay.
The list OF books which were strickel
from the catalogue of the library include
the following:
''AIlsworth Abbey" "a Beautifr
Fiend,' The Bridal Eve" 18th
Bride OF Llewellyn," 1.-The Bride
a Ia -