The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-23
THE LITERARY OUTLOOK.
The "Garden Patch" Period in Lit
erature--Records of 1301-Books OF
the Past Season still Popular.

erature-Records of 13O1-Books OF
the Past Season Still Popular.
New York, Feb. 21.-It is a curious
fact that, in this country, there is no
organization of authors of more than
local Importance. Aside from there
not being an Academy of Letters which
shall grant honors to the profession o.
writing in the best sense OF the term,
there is not even a local club or so
ciety which has made its existence felt
beyond a very limited circle. The Au
thors' Club Of New York city may,
indeed, lay claim to such a distinc-
ton. but the proportion of well known
writers in this organization to those
in the city who are not members /.
very small. Almost every large CITY
in the United States has some sort OF
more or less recognized society OF
authors, but, in most cases, the same
condition as prevails in New York
holds true. There is something radi-
cally wrong with our men and women
/ of letters When they congtegate-th
love of the chief offices, personal jeal-
ousies or some other harmful infiu
ence. Boston, the boasted Hub of
learning. is jdst now passing through
a literary sensation of this kind. The
Authors Club of that City proposed
recently to compile and publish a booH
entitled "The Authors OF Boston,, and
Immediately there was a tempest in
teapot over the question of who were
to be included in the volume. Several
hundred writers not on the rolls o.
the club applied for membership and
when most of them were. refused ad
mission to the select circle a howl went
up that was hear beyond Cape Cod.
Now the editors of the proposed book
are in a quandary. Shall they go
ahead and include in the volume only
the biographies of selected bers
of the club and run the risk of limit
ing the sale to those only VINO are in
cluded or shall they attempt volume
which shall include the many? When
the club was being organized not long
ago. it was suggested that member
ship be limited to men and women who
had written at least one book. Then
it was found that several thusand peo-
pie of Boston had fulfilled this require
ment and other restrictions had to
be placed on the privilege. The con-
test is still being waged and, mean
time, even the members of the organ
ization are quarreling among them
selves. The book, it may be added,
has not yet been published, and the
question as to who are the real au-
thors of Boston is as yet unsettled.
A new period in American literature
is just beginning. In title, at least,
it seems to be natural product of the
novel of rural life and realism. 1t Is
the garden patch period. Signs of its
coming may have been noted some
months ago when a leading magazine
published a series of articles on Next
to the Ground" and another firm
brought out a magazine, new to this
country, entitled: Country Life in
America" Even before these events,
we had had Cabbage Patch novels,
"The Garden in the Suburbs" Hand
books of Practical Gardening" and
doubtless we shall have many Sum
mers in a Garden before the close of
the season. Nature books have been
increasing in popularity very rapidly
of late. One of the best books of this
kind was brought out last year under
the title of Lovers of the Woods" by
w. H. Boardman. In a sense Mr..
Boardman has done for the woods In
prose what John Burroughs has done
In verse. The demand for this sort of
literature has been felt to be so strong
by one publishing firm that they en-
gagged Mr.. Burroughs to compile a
volume of nature poems. The book
was published a few weeks ago and,
already there has been many calls for
IT. The other day the publishers re-
ceived a letter from a woman In an OBJ
scure small town in the West, asking
for a copy to be reviewed in a local
paper. The writer added that she be-
lleved such a review would create a
considerable sale for the book In her
neighborhood, since there was In the
community a nourishing wild flower
club and consequently much interest IN
nature books.
one OF the best OF last falls books
is "The Usurper," by William j..
Locke, story OF an Australian who
by curious circumstances comes into
possession Of another mans name and
fortune. with his many millions the
hero--a conscientious great-hearted
man-comes 20 London and spends
enormous sums on charities and ben~y-
oient schemes. Everything he touches
turns 20 gold. which fact he regards
with superstition ~ sort of accusing
spirit haunting him, and his wealth,
with its uncanny secret becomes a
burden. Life and romance are impair
ted 10 the tale through the characters
or Lady ANcis Harden. the warm
friend ~ the uaurper, Tom cuday his
secretary. B0nainy TredROla, me poet
with hif ardent love fer a bewltchipR
aap0llfnn. ana Burke, fhr supposed
fFasHfftN feaurF - fns ff.TfuUH u.HNaa