The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-10-14
THE FLOOD OF BOOKS AND
THE MAKERS OF BOOKS
DIR. Henry Van Dyke on the Literary Life. Its Rea
Value in the Quality of the Ideas that
Possess the Author.

years ago. There are O0oES herr =
Jerusalem. ana il Theo.s. ana in baby
Ion. and il Niceveh even Is TER aat
Siion among the Phliisrues a1 deult
cne would fnl books StI. t4.n IS IS.
scribbling out their thoughts and o} .-r-
~yations IN spite OF the fact that There IL
nothing new under the sun. Whore ara
the readers TO come from. | nonIer. for
much study is 4 wearlE,ss 81 tn ac.n.
and yet OF making many books yaer, -
no end.
But what would the writer thar ua>
king say II ne Were aliy. toIty. when
he annual output OF books iii TINS roun-
try alone is between 200 AM 5000. and
when the printing press mult8pliss these
volumes into more thar ) .1Uo. COO corteS@
Doubtless ne would bc much astouisn.a
and perhaps even more 3ispita9,l. lot i
conjecture hat he would 20 en- writing
hi. own books. and that when They were
done he would look for a publisher. FOR
each age has its own thoughts ana feel
ings; and each man nho is born NTH II.
impulse OF authorship thinks that hc has
something 10 say to his age. ana trga
II il 5 nothing more than d criticism ~
ether men for writing so much and So
poorly. h wants 10 say ~it in his own
language.
Thomas Carlyle. talking yoIably on ,1c
virtues Of silence. represents a rol" which
IS never left out in the drama Of litera-
turc.
After al. is il nor bc;tor that a hun
drei unnecessary books should be pub
lishel than that one good and useful
book should be LOST Natures law OF
parsinony S arrived At by 4 process OF
expense. The needless volumes, like the
/ jDfarti1. caalS soon .;ni- at - .f.l,-
and the books that have life III them are
taken care of b. the readers Who are
waiting somewhere to receive ana cher
ish them.
Reading IS a habit. Writing is 2 gift.
Both may be cultivated. But | suppose
there is this difference between them
the habit may be acquired by any who
Will, the gilt can be developed only
by those Who have it. How to Giscov-
CT it and make the best OF il. ani use
the writing gift so thai it shall supply
the real needs and promote tho finest
results of the reading habit-that is the
problem.
l DO not know of any rcady-madc an
swer in the back Of the book. The only
way to work It out is fer the writer's TO
try to write us we'll as hey can. and
for the publishers to publish the best
lHdl tttN d XII, AIT - iHt Al tIl
company of readers to bring q healthy
appetite. a clean taste. and q good Ill
s~cstion to the feast that is prepared
for them. II any one partakcs not wisely
but too much that is his own fault.
I have been thinking today OF TIE prep
~aration of the feast. How much hard and
pleasant labor has gone into the making
Of the be oks that Will come out this an-
tumn: The group of workers is not
: large, compared with the number Of peo~
pie who live in these United States. and
of whom perhaps 20, goo. coo are in some
sense readers. But this small company
of literary folk have had a good time
with their work, | Will warrant, in spite
of the fact that some CT it has been diff
cult.
Not a few OF them l know, good com
rades and honest craftsmen; and my
thoughts go out to them from this LITTLE
workshop-a deserted farmhouse, with
nothing but a table and a chair for furni-
ture. ana with a tranquil outlook from
the open door over rolling hills and shin
Jig water-my thoughts ramblo away %
the other writer's who have been busy
with their books during these summer
days. and who are now probably putting
on the last touches in the way OF 4 pre-
face. the garnish Of the dish.
Scholars have been sitting and arranE
ing the results of their studies in great
libraries. Observers Of men and man
ners have been travelling and taking
notes in strange lands and in the foreign
parts of their own country. Teachers q
life and morals have been trying to give
their lessons q convincing and command
irg form. Critics have been seeking =
express the secrets Of good Work in art.
- 4+1,, C+,1l,t- ~ nc -ttr In y4 l.lF
bringing together the records Of thcil
ccmpanionship with birds and beasts anc
flowers. story tcllers have been fol
lowing their dream-peoplc through Il
kinds of adventures 10 joyful or sorrow
full ends. And poets. . few, have bee
weaving their most delicate fGncic5 an
their deepest thoughts into verse.
IN what different places, and pnde
what various conditions these men an'
women have been working. Some Of then
in great cities, in spacious rooms file
with books, other. in quiet countr
places. in little "dens"of bare and simp;
aspects; some among the tranquillizing in
fuences Of the mountains: others Wher
thew could feel the inspiration OF an out
look over the tossing, limitless plain
of the ocean: a few, perhaps, in tent
among the trees, or IN boats or the seq
though, Tor NY part. IL Is ulIHcIIt 4 uA
; derstand how any one can actually writ
out Of doors. The attractions Of natur
! are so close ara so compelling that it
impossible to resist them. Out Of door
for seeing and hearing. thinking an
feeling. In doors for writing.
It is pleasant to reflect upon the grea
lamelioration which has been made in tn
worldly lot Of writer's. by the increas
! and wider distribution Of the p~acuniar
I. rewards of authorship. It IS not neces
: sary to go back 10 the age OF Cru
: street for comparison. There has BEG
a change even since the days when Low
ell wrote, Il cannot come Ito New Iorl
without any money, and leave nv VII
with G2l2 cents, such being the bUGg'
brought in by my Secretary Of the Trea'
urv this week; and when Hawthorne
4 friends had TO make up a purse and sen
r it TO him anonymously 10 relieve the pei
lrv caused by the loss OF his position
the Custom House at Salem. NoTadav
n people who certainty do not write al
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