The evening times., 1900-05-26

| second or still lower class whose books
made sensation twenty or ten or ever
i've years ago are now little regarded
There are somewhat old books OF a elias.
Of which Ben Hur'' is a representative thai
still hold their own in general estimation
but these are few in number And the
majority OF women writers Of novels WHO
shone wheHA this generation was young
with few exceptions. shine no more as for
meriy. Mrs Southworth is dead now only
. year or se.e but her sixty volumes were
all nearly as good as dead some time be-
fore her death
There was no more popular writer in her
day than Fanny Fern, but her writings
! are now passed over in most reading cir
eles and by most individuals. .'Uuele Toms
Cabin" scrvises and continues to have
great popularity. but hundred books that
! once were thought TO rival it are as dead
as the good Moses In England, and con-
sequentiy In all other Engiish-speakiDe
countries. there is noticed the same ssca-
denee Of former popular writers and the
rising OF the new Ouida is eelipsed by
Marie CorelL. and already other women
writers Of the hysterical school are Affect
ing 10 hold their candles TO the author Of
"Barabbas"
! 1t depends upon how old you are whether
| you ever had personal knowledge Of some
books that were favorites before the mid
/ die Of the century. Really Il is a disad-
, vantage, mis- Ortune, TO be young. The
/ present generation probably never saw a
: copy OF Sanford and Merton and yet
when the Oldest citizens were acquiring the
6 reading habit there was no more popular
I book, and few more helpful. tEan this Is
! the name OF IL and the name OF its author
/ forgotten, or did you never hear Of them7
Thomas Day was the author. as he was
OF several other works, for all of which
he received In his lifetime a great deal OF
honor He was born in London in I74s and
died in 1IS9. He was educated for the bar
and he did read law perfunctorfly, but
afterward gave himself to literature He
was follower OF Rousseau and became SO
! great an enthusiast that he selected from
a founding hospital twelve young girls.
intending to educate them after the prin-
eiples OF the great Genevan and ultimately
10 marry one OF them Instead he married
rich woman of Yorkshire having opinions
IKE his Own and went into partial retire
ment on his estates in Essex.
There he wrote eioClentIy against the
slave trade pamphlets that were pub
hshed and had large sale. and-for this
and gratitude by the people OF the United
states-he took an active part as an advo-
cate OF American independence. His his
torS OF Sanford and Merton contained
much learning. was written in a fresh and
vigorous s.yle. and inculcated the virtues
OF philanthropy. II had many readers in
THIS country during the period from 1854
10, say. about 1850. and more is the pity
II II has not some readers still
But II is almost certain that onIv vrch
copies as have been inherited from old
people and mainly preserved as curiosi-
Ties are nowadays 70 be seen out OF the
great public Libraries A c McCfurg &
20, nave not copy OF il exposed for sale
and Nj Smith Of that firm does not re-
member when they have had an ord..r for
H. 50 it is TO be regarded as dead. There
are three copies in the public library. bur
they are never called for.
- Evenings az Home by Mrs BaTbauld
was another favorite when some OF us
were young as II merited TO be but This
work, too. is dead II is still IL, oId-fash-
Toned print, and some of the book stores on
application may produce a leathersovered
copy from a neglected corner. but nobodv
buys II The public library has four eopies
OF II, but not oGe Of them is ever in the
hands OF reader
The Scottish Chiefs once 50 uopulsr
and Thaddeus Of Warsaw" two strong
books by Miss Jane Porter, may be said 10
be stiil alive. but they are largely neglected
by city young folks.
They sell" said Mr.. Smith. "au the
time on small orders from the country bur |
II is seioom that customer comes into the |
store 10 Ssk for it."
In the public library there are fifteen |
copies OF each-the Scottish Chiefs and !
Thaddeus Of Warsaw''-and Yesterday
three copies Of one and FIVE of the other
were out They are. then. not dead but are |
IN danger CT dying They are being crowd |
ed to the wall by the translation Of |
Liable Cons;antin," by Haieyv. the |
Frenehman, and the BLACK Beauty bv |
Miss Sewell.
Before many of US were born. or our
fathers either. James Kirke PauIding was |
a popular author. He was born in DufcheSe /
County. N Y. IN I77s. and died in the /
same county in 1860 He was a prolific
writer OF novels, essays, biographies. and 1
and besides a number of long
poems Who now remembers his diverting
history of John Bull and Brother iona
-han' or his Merry Tales of Three Wise
Men OF Gotham Yet these writings and
many others By this author were keenly en-
Dyed by the generation before the last ami
even by some OF US thirty years ago.
And there was Charles Brockton Brown
inother prolific writer, and a much better
writer than some at the present day. He
vas born In Philadelphia in 1771 ana died
u That city in 1910. His best two novels
Netland' and -Ormond" were very sue
sessful, and held their place with the pub
lie TIL Cooper began putting out his
Leather Stocking Tales The historian
Prescott was an admirer Of Charles Brock
on Brown, and wrote admirable reviews
II his principal works An edition Of his
complete works was brought out in PhiIs-
ieiphia few years ago. but only some of
he great libraries bought them A few
Students and teachers are occasionally
oune looking into "Ormond" or Wei
and, but nobody else ever thinks OF turn
ng their pages I.
All OF Coopers novels are still found in |
variety OF editions and perhaps ali of
hem are stih read by a few persons. but
rly the Leather Stocking Tales" car be
aid to be alive really. and there is a
hcice even among them. The Last Of
he Mohicans" is the most popular. Poe's
rose tales are read by a great many and ,
robably will be read always for their
rewsomeness- Mrs GaskelFs ..Cranford-,
5 still read and seems likely 70 hold lie J
lace with the best English worksFf do /
lestic ietion.-Chieago Chronicle.