The San Francisco call., 1899-04-16
EDITORIAL VARIATIONS.
BY JOHN McNAUGHT.

'7T OF &: Il OK 9: g 4 @ x 6: q X 8. u q sS
He frankly accepted both statements
as correct, and in writing of Boston
said: Benjamin Franklin was a twins,
having been born in Boston in two diff
ferent houses, simultaneously at the
same time"
1t will not be too much of a strain
to follow that precedent and humor
Democratic friends by conceding the
validity of the claims of both Jefferson
banquets on the ground that Thomas
Jefferson was a twins, having pro-
claimed and supported two opposing
platforms of political principles Sim
ultaneously at the same time"
A short time ago w. G.. Morrow,
doubtless encouraged by the favor with
which his literary work has been re-
ceived in the East and in London, de-
termined to put his talents and his
fortunes to the supreme test; to cut
loose from the occupation in which he
has been engaged and to devote him
self to the production of literature;
making 1t not the mere avocation of
his leisure hours, as in the apaSt, but
his vocation in life-the business that
is to engage his working days and have
the service of all his energies. 1t has
since been announced that Ambrose
Bierce has determined upon the same
course, and it is to be hoped the re-
port is correct. In the noises of busi-
ness and politics and the f1utter caused
by the miserable wars in the Philip
pines and in Samoa, the actions of
these two quiet literary men will be
value of literature it is probable that
foreign nations and future genera tions
will give more attention TO this change
in the nature of their work than to any
other event of the year in California.
Up to this time America has pro-
duced but two literary men possessing
sufficient creative power to bring forth
work having the quality of primal
element-something not built up out of
existing material, but created. as il
were, from the infinite itself and fash
Toned into form by the divinity of orig
inal genius. One of these men, HaW
thorne, was of New England; the other
Poe, was of the South. Their environ
ments were diverse and the professions
of their lives were in no respect alike.
monplaces of outward existence to
study the things that are hidden Each
IN his own way revealed the abysses
In which the soul lives and depicted
the grisly terrors and phantoms that
haunt 1T and fight it there Their in
f1uence has been more profoundly felt
abroad than at home. At the present
time there are but two men in America
who, while not in any respect imitators
carry on the work of Hawthorne and
Poe, and develop still further that liter
ature of the unfathomable abvss which
is originally and distinctively Ameri-
can. These are the writer's who have
now determined to give themselves
seriously to literary work-NIr Morrow
and Mr.. Bierce. Each has already nro-
duced genuine literature of such excel
lence that his new departure can hard
~ De regarded as an adventure They
out set sail to the mysterious isles
Where they have often voyaged before
Inc only dlfference is they now pro-
pose TO settle there, and the we'll
ploWed fields of journalism are +o
know them no more
While l have a genuine admiration
Tor the genius and the exquisite literary
skill OF Hawthorne and of Poe, and also
Tor the same qualities in the work of
Mr.. Morrow and Mr.. Bierce, and some
times indulge the belief that 1 can an
preciate them at something near their
true value in the world of letters
have never had a full sympathy with
their work. have never been addicted
to the weird. have never had nor
desired, that penetrating insight which
sees quite through the flesh that covers
mortality and discerns the skeleton
within. l prefer humanity with tba
fiesh on and the skin over it. and the
roster the complexion the better I like
IT, Nevertheless whatever may be in