The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-02-02
A Defense of - - -
y Second Rate Writer'S.

By common consent there really good books
being written at the present day in England than the
case before in the Ezahethan Those read
ees who accustomed hear the critic that
this the Of inferior literature and that the literary
plain desoate from Dan to Beersheba hesitate for
moment TO admit the truth OF this assertion Yet we think
that little consideration will change their opinion. Wher
ever We look it is impossible deny the high level of
copshmcnt which our writers have attained That IS
not universally recognized is perhaps due its very album
dance producing kind OF mental dyspepsia in the reader.
whose perceptions further dued by the hashh
novelist and the bhang OF the daily papers We need only
the English book Of today with that of the
last two or three generations AS rule we make the
comparison with the great books which alone have
yycd Let take the department which is often allowed
to uurp the whole of Instrumentation and poetry
and Mr. Lang is entitled that maintain his
preference for the novels written before 1860 those pub
hshcd since But think Of the dozen OF
living noycss Mr. Meredith of course, is hors coaeoHys
We are inclined to challenge any to produce their
equal from single year OF the Nineteenth century bar
FIRST class genius
In poetry again, have great writer; but we have
sixty seventy minor poets who would all have got
the collection of Chalmers if they had had the luck to be
born hundred and fifty years earlier In depart
ments OF literature the is the Matthew Arnold
used complain with great truth, OF the miserable way in
which the "ourneyman-work OF literature such trans
latiou and newspaper work done in this country.
Nowadays skill and conscience are brought to both tasks
We need only such transatons Baizae
which Mr.. Santshury edited Dr. Rendars Marcus Au-
rclius or Mr. Frazer's Pausanias TO show how great
change has taken place.
1t remains consider whether the great increase in
literary ability Of the second order is good thing Ones
NSt instinct is 70 unheSlatnSy yes once rcadlnR
practically universal among the rising generation, it IL
surely well that the greatest possible quantity of good sound
work should be given them TO read. Good, wholesome
writing is always better than the bad, sensational and
often ohnoNous stuff which much prevalent
the days when Sir Anthony Absolute banned the cir
cuatnC library down 90 the last generation but which is
almost killed by the greater popularity Wilhelm the
ultimate decenoy OF thnsssttends the better writers
who now tell such good stories We do not how any
con seriously that increasing percentage Of
good second literary work be harmful hut there
good deal Of still to be cleared out Of critics
minds that subject
The other given for the dislike of this dead level
Of excellence is that Is likely hinder the eloresccnca
OF works of genius This appears 10 rest the curious
theory that q Of genius will tend TO assmiste his
work that OF tho majority but the usual practice OF men
of genius just the Experience shows further
more great writer's have appeared most freeyso far
be any Classification OF times and seasonsrI
the midst general literary movement OF considerable ex
creucc say that the general abundance of writers OF
hndancc 10 the appearance of genuse is about
say that because most women in France can
cook It must peculiarly hard supremey meri-
! tcrious dinner in Paris.-The London Spectator.