The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-30
LITERARY OUTLOOK.
Hope For Present Day Critics in Fail
ures of the Past.


Present day writers, who have been
severely criticised because of some or
their books, will probably take consider
able comfort in reflections over the Sc
we're handling in former times of au-
thors whose names now occupy high
places in the roll of literary honor. Mr..
w E. Garrett Fisher, an Industrious
Englishman, has recently collected con-
siderable information along this line.
Both Coleridge and Ruskin, he says,
abused Gibbon, now recognized as the
greatest English historian. Coleridge
called Gibbons history of Rome, an
effectual bar to all real familiarity with
the temper and habits of Imperial
Rome" Scott, as is well known, was
the subject of much attack by his con-
temporaries. Southey declared that the
Ancient Mariner was the clumsiest
attempt at German simplicity" he ever
saw. Byron did not hesitate to pro-
nounce judgment on Shakespeare and
Milton by saying that they had their
rise and would most certainly have
their decline. Byron also declared
Spencer dull and Chaucer contemplate.
Wordsworth, Dryden and Burns fell
under his displeasure-
More recently have men in high
places dared to speak disparagingly of,
ers who are now looked upon as classics.
William Dean Howells, Anthony Hope,
Cutcliffe Hyne and others have con-
fessed that they never cared to read
Dickens. Examples might be multi
piled in other cases. The present gen.
Grafton has improved, in that Wen
known authors are not accustomed to
attack their fellows. There is also some
comfort for the critics of today. Rus
kin, undoubtedly one of the greatest,
said that any bank clerk in London
could have written a better history of
Greece than did Grote. From his list
of the 100 best books, Ruskin excluded
Voltaire because of the sting and
stencil of him and Darwin, because all
the literary imbecilities of Europe fol-
lowed in his train" The critic of TODAY
is not likely to go further wrong in his
judgments than did Ruskin in these
cases.
A new novel by Marie Corelli is an
nounced for publication on both sides of
the Atlantic this week. Temporal
Power is the title of the story, which is
further described as a study in SUI
premacy." 1t is the first novel that Miss
Christian and. according to the author.
herself, it is the strongest book she has
ever written.
fists to go to Martinique after the great
disaster and the first to go to the crater
of Mt. Pelee after the eruption, is I'M
ishing up a book which will treat the
scientific side of the volcanic disturb
ance and also relate his experiences. DR..
Heilprin was a true reporter; he stu
died the seismic movements on the spot,
even though his observations were made
at the risk of his life. Professor He'll
prin is probably better equipped to
write the real story of Mt Pelee than
any other man. His first story of the
eruption, which was published in one
of the magazines, was a clear-cut ae-
count of what had happened He is a
scientist and explorer of wide reDuta-
ton and the present book will not be.
by any means. his first contribution to
geologic Topographic literature The
book is to be well illustrated with re-
productions of photographs and draw
| ings made on the spot.
At the last meeting of the Authors
club in London. Conan Doyle related
| the manner in which he was informed of
| his knighthood in the distribution OF
| coronation honors. In his mail one
morning he found a letter addressed to
| 'tSir Sherlock Holmes" The envelope
contained a statement from his gun
| smith, respectable tradesman of Lon
| don. Filled with indignation. the au-
| thor Immediately wrote a letter to the
| firm to the effect that hereafter he
would not have any dealings with them.
Early the next morning he was con-
fronted by a most abject individual who
| exclaimed to him:
Il am to blame. 1t was /, Sir, who
| addressed the letter. I read in an even
| ing paper that you were about to be
knighted and, as I always thought e
man changed his name when he received
| a title, and the paper stated you would
| be known as Sir Sherlock Holmes.
| addressed the letter that way"
| Whereupon the author wrote to the