The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-01-26
THE LITERARY OUTLOOK.

Parodies on ktpltnE, an Answer TO
"The IsInnders"-Mr. Grognn's
walking From Cairo TO the Cape
Excites Booth Harrington to Jok-
ing-ArIor Bates Advice on the
Literary Life.
New York, Jan. 24.-Some time ago
the publishers of ''Tarry Thou Till 1
Come" the reprint of Dr. Croly's "Sa-
lathiel," gave out a story to the effect
that the author had written the novel
because of wager made with Sir Wal
ter Scott BY the terms of the wager,
the minister of the gospel was to try
his hand at writing a novel and the
distinguished author was to attempt to
write a sermon. In commenting on the
wager, 1 remarked in a former article
that, since DIR. Croly's novel had proven
to be such a success, perhaps Sir Wal
ter Scott's sermon or sermons would
have a large sale. Scarcely had this
opinion been stated when discoverer
tells me that he has found the Scott
sermons in a volume of Religious Dis
courses, published in New York about
seventy-five years ago, from the pre-
face of which are taken the following
facts:
THE history Of the following re-
markable productions of their illus
trious authors mind may be very
briefly told. They were written some
time ago with the kind intention of
serving a youthful friend, then pursu-
ing his theological studies; but without
the slightest idea that they would ever
meet the public eye. Circumstances,
however, which have occurred since
that period, induced the gentleman for
whom they were composed, to request
the authors permission to publish them
for his own benefit"
In reply to the request, Sir Walter
wrote:
THE Religious Discourses which you
call to my mind were written entirely
for your own use and are, therefore,
your property. They were never in
tended for publication, as nobody
knows better than yourself, nor do 1
willingly consent that they should be
given to the press now. They were
meant, / may remind you, to show
that rational and practical discourse
upon particular text was a task mere
easily performed that you, in your
natural anxiety, seemed at the time
disposed to>believe."
The name of the youthful friend"
is not given in the preface or the body
of the volume and the above evidence
may or may not be worth considering
in connection with the reported wager.
There are many readers of Scott, how
ever, who will be surprised to learn
that he even attempted to write a SER
mon.
without doubt Mr. Kipling is the
most parodied author that ever lived.
When THE White Mans Burden" APP
peared in this country scarcely a week
had passed before the browns and
! blacks and yellows were carrying their
burdens, all marching in time to the
swing of Kiplings verse. Just a week
or so ago the London Times published
a new poem from Kipling's pen, THE
Islanders and already an indignant
Australian verse maker has brought
out an answer:
Lord of the loud-lunged legionsl
Prince of the Purple Press!
Are we but plgmy people
Lost in the wilderness,
! That we of the Younger Nations
| Should call back our fighting men
! At the blast of your tin war-trumpet,
! Or the scrawl of your scathing pen?
| Safe in your inky dug-out,
Flinging your gibes about,
What do you know of England
Or the quest that brought us out?
We of the Younger Nations,
Reared on the range and plain,
Scornful out of battle,
Hurl you the lie again.
We of the Younger Nations,
Are we but sickly spawn?
Spoilt little lambs of the Empire
On whom the elders fawn?
Willing and freely we sought 1t
Out of the range and the plain,
Freely, unbridled, undriven,
AS we would seek again.
Lord of the lound-lunged legions!
Scribe of a jaundiced age!
We of the Younger Nations
Were taught from brighter page
Have read of the old time leaders
How their stirring deeds were done,
How on the fields of Elton
The great war games were won.
So when the war-worn horseman