Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-04
LITERARY GOSSIP.
THE WORKS OF SEVERAL VIR-
GINA LADIES DISCUSSED.
"TRE DESCENDANT" CRITICISED.
The Hebrew Has Not Received Fair
Treatment nj Writer'S Hands-WiII
Dialect Stories and Scotch Heroes
Have No End.

Have No End.
II one h. the nine lives Of a cat and
the longevity Of Methuselah he could not
read the books of the last ten years, nor
could a score of Siamese-twin combina-
tons keep abreast of current literature.
Books are literally flooding the world, and
If there be a spot that for a moment es-
capes this inundation, IL will ere long be
swamped by the magazines that are born
Of the day. Thousands or pens are hour
~ weaving the fabric of myriad thoughts
and thousands Of mouths are fed through
the medium Of literary effort. Ideas are
scattered around us like autumn dande-
lonesome good, many bad, and still
more Indifferent, but all contributing
their quota OF amusement TO the reading
public. Virginia, perhaps, has been back
ward in her contributions. though she bids
fair soon to have an excellent representa-
ton among the army Of authors. Her
sons and daughters are coming 10 the
front, and nearly, if not all, Of them are
acquitting themselves well.
In 1.-THE Descendant" strong novel,
just from the press of Harper &c Brother,
the southern public have n work of which
they may well be proud. The story IS the
creation OF a daughter Of the Old Do
minion. who. for some reason, signs no
name though she might well be proud of
her achievement. I think I but praise in
directly when / say that the termination
Of the romance was the deepest disap-
pointment 10 me-a disappointment most
cordial, because / had followed the cha
racters with absorbing interest and my
best good wishes. The hero of THE De-
scendant IS a most unheroic fellow and
yet one finds him irresistible. as did the
noble little woman OF the plot. He has
unlimited ability, invincible determine
ton, and, most natural Of all, immeasura-
bic selishness. Embittered in early life,
he becomes a pessimist of the sourest Or
der, and throughout his career he Is a
sort Of metaphorical lemon, whom but
one attempted TO squeeze, and he with lit
tie success. 1t was only natural that this
unfortunate should drift into journalism.
On an edgedtool sheet called 'rhe Icono-
clast" he found an opportunity TO vent his
spleen against the world In general and
everybody I'm particular. Incidentally he
falls in love, brutally dlscards a lovely
woman, and then closes vigorous but
useless career by losing his temper and
Staying an old friend. All through ths
book one hopes for his moral improve
ment-nay, almost yearns for it-but the
deep-grained prejudices Of his childhood
are never eradicated.
II IS not local pride which prompts me
TO say that there Is not a page OF THE
Descendant which fails TO attract or
lapses into the commonplace Of the
amateur romancer. With Madame Sarah
Grand's name, or that OF Mrs. Hum
phrey Ward on the title-page, the story
would be material for many
critics praise, and would command
widespread attention AS il is, 1.-The De-
scendant" bids fair TO answer a promi-
nent place in current literature. The
book, however, Is most unsatisfactory In
its termination, and lacks the "lived-
happily-ever-afterwar features which
usually attract Us. For my part, 1 pre-
fer a beatifc situation on the last page
OF every novel, and would beg the tall
ented authoress OF The Descendant"
to handle her future heroes and heroines
with more consideration. She need not
make them pious-as Ian Maclaren al
ways does-but she can at least give us
a hope Of their redemption. why the
writer of this morbid, yet strong and
able novel, should wish her name with
held from its title-page, Is TO me mys-
terry But literary mysteries are OFT
times interesting, and II the authoress
should some day become sufficiently IA
nous. she might, after the manner of
her contemporaries, publish a work en-
titled "Why / Failed 10 Print My Name
With The Descendant
Miss Ayr of VirGinia," by Miss julia
Maeruder. OF this state. has received a
cold welcome at the hands or literary
critics-or more strictly speaking, II has
received the stab OF several sarcastic
comments. Witness the maliciousness OF
the following from the March Book
Buyer" which says, in concluding
raneorous criticism: 1.-THE book Is very
prettily bound and printed, bur these
fine clothes seem hardly worth while "
Ii IS almost as wicked 10 repeat SIAN
der as IL is TO originate one, but II can
at least be said by way Of extenuating
myself that tie northern world Is none
too prone 70 praise US. Our literary
achievements must be OF the first water
TO run the gauntlet Of their critical pens.
/ have vet 10 read Miss Ayr, OF vir-
ginia." and until l do, judgment shall
be reserved.
Miss Ietitia NJ. Burwell, another
daughter OF the Old Mother State. has
lust presented An attractively bound
work 10 the public. 1t is tho second
edition OF "a Girls Life In Virginia Be-
fore the War;" and tells OF that peace
prosperity, and abundance OF food which
appears TO have existed In ante-bellum
days. 1t certainly would not hurt the
present generation to give glance to