Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-21
LITERARY KINSHIPS.
INHERITED TALENT IN THE WORLD
OF LETTERS.
HI Relationship of Authors II an
Interesting study, Which Often
Demonstrated the Direct
Descent of Genius.

According TO the Philadelphia Record
one OF the most curious and interesting
studies in the world of letters is the rela-
tionship of authors. When some new as
pirant for literary honors appears in the
field 1t lends an added interest if he or she
bear an honored name, or is remotely re-
lated 10 some Nestor of the pen. Thus our
interest in Mrs. Humphry Ward is inten-
s!tied when We learn that she is the niece
of Matthew Arnold. and our belief in hered-
iity is strengthened when we recall the 1act
that the apostle OF sweetness anu Isns
was in turn the son of old Dr. Arnold, or
Rugby fame.
One readily recalls many. striking in
starccs of this heredity in letters or re-
latIonship of authors. as for example the
Bronte sisters. all three remarkable writers
and two of the trio brilliant novelists; IN
our own America We have two famous
~sister-authors. Phoebe and Alice Cary.
while in France the de Goncourt brothers
Icing stood pre-eminent in the literary world
Thomas Adolphus Trollope, the latter a
really clever writer, though ~overshadowed
Famous brother and sister authors we
know, too, as Charles and Mary Lanm;
and the maIehiess Dan'e ,a and Gabriel Dcei
of direct descent of genius from father TO
son, as that of Samuel Taylor ColeridSe
and Hartley Coleridge. though the fame
of the latter, as one of the most ex-
Quisite sonnet writers in the English Ian
guage. pales beside that of his brilliant
Dumas pere and Dumas fills come next
TO our minds and difficult. indeed, would 1t
b. to decide which of the two creations;
the Count of Monte Cristo or the i'll starred
Camille. is better known to the world at
large. In French literature we again have
Alphonse Daudet and his son Ernest. who.
though by no means the peer of the author
OF "Sappho,' gives brilliant promise Tor
the future.
Owen Meredith, the fameof whose "Lucille
at one time almost equaled that OF the
brilliant novelist. are again noted ilustra-
ticns of direct heredity in letters, as are
Disraeli, the elder. author OF "Curiosities OF
Literature" and the sta~tesman-autho Ben
jamin. whose "Lothaire" set the literary
world agog, scarce more than a generation
age.
father to daughter We have several in
stances-that of Bronson Alcott and that
riost Spontaneous of all girl,story-writesTfS Rs:
daughter. Mrs. Ritchie: of William Dean
Howells and his daughter Mildred. a most
Necker and his thrice brilliant daughter
Madame De Stael: of Charles Dickens and
his daughter Mary. who shows decided lit
erary ability, and last Bryan Walter Proc
tor, better known as Barry Cornwall, and
his poetess daughter, Adelaide Anne Proc
There are rsrer instances of several mem
bers OF one family where inherited talent
has evinced itself. as witness G. T. r.
Jr.; old DR.. Arnold. Matthew. Arnold and
Mrs. Ward. already noted; Nathaniel Haw-
ytLorne. Julian Hawthorne and Gwendoltne
Hawthorne, the last named a clever young
magazine contributor; then there are
Mrs. Rebecca Harding Davis. Richard
Harding and Charles Harding Davis: and
doubtless may others of'greater or lesser
note. -,
So though the query 'what'sina name?"
may be quoted again and yet again, We
are fain to answer. much! An illustrious
name is a spell TO ~conjure with, and many
a writer has owed his first opening in the
--lrIl nf 1nttnrS mot tn hiS nyyn talent huf
to the fortunate fact that he was the son
Of his father.