The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-10-14
AN EXCURSION INTO THE
DOMAIN OF LITERATURE
mr. Kingsbury Discourses Delightfully."- Of RooLo -,
Writers. Bishop Wilson's ''Witness to Christ,
The Day of the New Literature

OF trial for the South what he is said 70
have done With much of mover ~ 49,
&C.,, 10 era. The Leopard's
spots continues to sell well. The NH
ilshers announce that IS, 900 COPIES have
oeen published. The New York Rookman
1or September gives nformatio as 70 lie
continued sale in certain cities az tho
SIX greatest selling novels in August !.
was nrst at Atlanta, sixth in Chicago
Cniio IN cincinnati, third in Cleveland
Onlo' IiSt at Dallas, Texas. fifth at
KANSAS city, Missouri; fourth in New
orleans, second at Norfolk. Va and
SKIN at Toledo, Ohio. | note with pleas
ufe that It sells we'll in many cities in
the west. 1t should have a great sale
IN the South. for it is Southern warn
and Wocf, and a revelation OF the devil
try and iniquities placed upon the South
efn whites by the cause of the North
IL Is a far and richly deserved Roland"
Tor the slanderous oliver" of Mrs. H. B
Stowe, one Of the New England's literary
saints and idols. Mr.. Dixon's lecturing
tour VIII no doubt prove a pronounced
success. He is in favor with some North
ern monthlics of standing and excellence.
He is indeed a very brilliant, aggressive.
decided writer and speaker, and is master
= hih1 -. lis 1AloSd1 tS III SduClll6U OUT
rage in the North. 1t announced that he
has al article on yachting in Country
Life in America for October. He describes
life on an S0-foot yacht and shows how
much cheaper it is, at any rate during
the summer months. to live on the sea
than on the land. He also has an arti-
Gle in the October number of The Worlds
Work entitled From the Horrors of
Cities
One European announces hat the day
of novels is ended. and that the romantic
must die. The great mass of readers
With but little literary taste and discern
ment- are not yet surfeited with recent
fiction, and by a very great deal. They
cry weekly for more like little oliver.
No one pretends that the present very
numerous breed of fctive writer's are
really great Or fairly comparable to the
acknowledged masters. He would be a
rash reader who would parade the
writer's of the last decade as great mast
ers in the art of fiction with Scott, Dick
ems and Thackery, not to mention to
offend the best, supremest productions
of Reade, Mary Ann Evans, George Mere
dith, Hardy, Blackmore, Kingsley and
Woodhouse. The imitators abound,
'thick as autumna leaves that strew
the brooks in Vallambrose," but they re-
main inlitators and not original giants.
A spirited, dashing writer, Frank Norris,
in the New York Critic hits from the
shoulder after this wise:
Then comes the reaction, and once
more the group of giants towers up from
out the mass. We are probably living
through the era of the Fourth-Raters
just now. and one believes that we are
rather near to the end even of that.
The imitators Of the Romantic school
have initiated to ten places decimals and
have diluted and re-diluted till they
can hardly go farther without producing
something actually and really new. At
any rate, the time is most propitious for
a Man of Iron whO can be bent to no
former shape, and diluted to no old-time
essence. Then will come the day OF the
New Literature, and the wind of Life it
self will blow through the dry bones and
fustian and sawdust of the Imitation,
and the People will all at once realize
how very far afeld the Fourth-Raters
have drawn them and how very different
q good novel is from a bad one
1t is a fact that the great novels, as
newspaper puffs and publishers beguiling
advertisements called them, that had their
little dav of life and flattery six months
ago, have disappeared. Nay, those that
fourished as the best selling novels
but three months ago, have BEEN showed
aside into the limbo of forgotten favorites
already. and other Haunting romances,
famboyant and clamOrous, nave gone
to the front to sell for two or three
months by the hundred thousands and
then to be engulfed in the Dead Sea OF
forgetfulness.
/ would like to direct the attention OF
thoughtful readers of good books TO a
small volume Of 24S pages that was IS
sued in 1894. 1t is entitled The witness
to Christ. The Saviour of the World.
1t is a series of six lectures delivered
before the Biblical Department OF Van
derbilt University at NashVllle' lthh''
bv Alpheus w. Wilson, d. D., of Mary
land an eminent Southern Methodist
! Rishop. l read these lectures tWice-ln
1884 and again in 1893. 1 hope to read
them again, and not long hence. | 40
NOT think ever read a book the Englsh
of which more accorded with the thougnt
and was more accurately responsive 20
/ all demands put upon it. The thought Is
exact and luminous to q very uncommon
degree. and the vehicle OF expression -
equal to all the requirements ho"eeel
continuous and peremptory. 1t is aellSl'-
full to read-so forceful, so clear, 50 eN-
hilarating, and we'll deserves repealeo
reading. In this connection | must take
leave to add that the greatest sermon
the best sustained and the hlsh-
est keyed, to which l ever list-
ened was by Bishop Wilson, =
the First Presbyterian church III WI
mington, over ten years ago. lie preacn'
ad for one hcur and five minutes, ana /
was indeed, mastery in thought ana eA
nression. l am satisfied that neVel
heard any intellectual effort o. any XII
in q legislative body, on the hustlhss' =
,oo+rra hall in the pulpit, OF Int