The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-11-25
what's the Matter with Our Young
Writers?

We print on another page OF this paper
a discussion by Prof. GOODWIN SMITH Of
the subject Of the increasing tendency to
suicide in contemporary civilization. Apart
altogether from the merits OF It's argument.
which we shall not now discuss. it IL well
worth reading IA an example Of the chaste
and lucid English style OF which the author
is so delightful a master; for to that rather
than to them we shall now refer.
Facility In writing, In literary expression.
wa, never SO general as 1t Is In these days.
yet Of style having the quality Of distinction
we discover so little among the newer and
younger school Of writer's that We are In
clined to think that there ia now less Of 1t
than there was at the period when men
like Prof. GOODWIN SMITH were first win
ming their spurs In the Literary arena. To
find 1t must we not look to an older school,
now. alasl too rapidly passing awayi 1t
il a luxury to read even a casual speech
Of Senator HoAR OF Massachusetts, for
instance, so mellow Is it with the tone OF
a mind beautifully moulded by nature and
refined and developed by reflection and
study and love Of genuine literature. But
MI. bOIDN IN oNlih . W tlO
eighth year Of hi age a d Mr.. HoAR in his
seventy fifty year.
This clarity. this perspicuity. this grace
and this charm. this richness Of style are. OF
course, characteristics a. peculiar to the
writer who can WELD 1t az are his physical
features; and style accordingly. to deserve to
be called style. must be the natural and in
diviGual expression Of the man exhibiting
it. 1t cannot be borrowed or purloined any
more than by thought a cubit can bs
added to the stature; it must be q quality
native 70 the man; a talent. which. pos
sessinG by the gift OF Cop, he may increase
10y use and cultivation. and Ike the I'M
faithful servant make proftless by dis
use until 1t becomes atrophied.
That primary possession Is Indispensable
TO give u writer a place in true and genuine
and artistic literature. Writing with
ont It Is no more literature than IL a COM
merclal letter. 1t may be correct In Eng
lish, full Of the indications Of study and
knowledge, sound in its argument and
unimpeachable In its fidelity to logic and
rhetorical rule. but falling in that quality.
a gift OF the partial gods. It belongs
only in the saw du-t Of literature, along
with scientific treatises. commentaries,
law books and Congressional documents.
Nor has this literary decadence for
such it l.. the excuse that IL IL the natural
consequence Of a simultaneous degra-
dation Of literary taste in the public. so
that nothing better would sell" The
demand for the old and true art il still
persistent and is increasing in this genera
ton; its distinction is recognised and en-
ioyed. But the circle Of readers has ex-
banded so enormously. The appetite for
reading has become so pervasive that
even spurious art Is also gobbled up by
It in its greed.
Now. the books which our younger gem
Grafton OF writers are producing so pro-
iically seem to us to belong almost wholly
to this saw -dust heap: and We do not refer
TO obscure writer's. but to those who are
most successful In turning out books, novels
more especially. which sell by many more
thousands h ever did In the past the
productions Of the truest and most lndisut.
able literary genius. SoorT. TRAcxxRAY,
CooPR1 and HAWTHORNE never wrote
novels which were sold In editions sp-