The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-01
Literary Mountebankism.

1t is a question whether famous lit
erary men add to their enduring repu-
tatOn by going about the country like
some variety Of show, and lecturinS
or reading for people at a dollar a head.
That they do add to their bank ac-
count is undeniable, but this is at the
expense of some advantages which as
persons Of exceptionally fine sensibil-
tiles they must secretly deprecate. OF
course, the public likes to see all noted
characters at close range. According
TO its several tastes it delights in shak-
ing the hand Of a great writer, a great
statesman, n nobleman, a popular act
ress or murderer. Any one of these
is reasonably certain to be surrounded
by a throng whenever the occasion per-
mits. People like to know all about the
inner life Of a prominent parsonage. If
IL could be accomplished they would
rejoice in turning the very souls of
himself, his wife and the maid servants
wrong side out. What is almost the
same, they would like to camp in
convenient location where they could
accurately determine what the great
mans family had for breakfast every
morning and whether he invariably
kissed his VIII" when he went down
toWu. Particularly would they be
pleased To know for a certainty whether
he is nice 10 live with or the contrary.
Much Of this information being de-
MED them, the next best thing is to
flock 10 hear and see him when he
makes a tour Of exhibition. Perhaps
they do not care so much for his books.
often they could not name a character
in single production Of his brain, but
they want to sec what manner of man
h" is, 50 they buy tickets and OCCASION
ally feel that they have been swindled,
and not infroquenuy they come home
saying; "Oh. he isn't such a great man
after AL He is only five feet six, and
his hair is growing thin on the top,
ana MS dress coat doesn't fit"
The very withdrawing from the null
titudo the cXcluSivcness which angars
The American public particularly ana
all other publiCs somewhat, constitute
a priceless charm. The fine reserve
which forbids a man to yield his en-
tire personality TO the scrutiny Of the
mob is in itself a hint of his rise in
literary value The soft, impalpa Bile
veil separating some great soul from
the common herd is wont to resolve
itself into a halo above his brow in the
eyes Of the world If he should emerge
from its glorifled encircling and slap
Tom, Dick or Harry on the back, say
ing, "Come on, boys let's have a wTest-
ling match" he might be loved. but
the revcrential alteration which had
been his before would be left behind
the veil.
Thus it is problematical whether
Anthony Hope, Marion Crawford, Hall
Caine and many others who have torn
across this continent snatching dollars
from the lecture platform as they sped,
have not lost something more beautiful
and more desirable than they have won
by these tours. Imagine Tennyson
from his far, pure distance, before he
left it for another beyond our ken,
giving readings from In Memoriam'
and remarking betimes, Here, I
thought Of my sister. widowed before
she was a bride, as wrote" Here I
often paused to weep for my dead
Arthur, and l knew its pathos would
touch the public"
Rudyard Kipling, too. has held that
reserve which has not especially en-
deared him to the newspaper makers,
as he has steadfastly declined to fur
nish opinions OF American women and
American customs, or to confde his
domestic affairs to the public through
the medium of the press. He works
at prodigious rate and is most fas-