Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-04-23
WHOLE WORLD I'M LIMITED
STATES.
Has Conquered in Commerce, and
Claims Distinction in Literature

Has Conquered in Commerce. and
Claims Distinction in Literature.
To the sons Of a small island land
the smaller we realize it TO be the
prouder we feel entitled to be of if,
the United States of America-to
leave the rest of the western con-
tinent out of the question-seems
properly described not as a country
but as world-a world marvelouslv
rich in varieties Of climate of natural
features, of human types, and of
social environment. AS the English
writer of novels must envy the
Frenchman his language, so he
might be pardoned for grudging TO
the American this extraordinary
wealth Of material There have been
eminent English writer's who have
made various parts of the country
side their OWL need instance onIv
Rlchard Blackmore and Mr.. Thomas
Hafdy-but Great Britain offers no
such salient contrasts and no such
striking variations as may be found
within the boundaries of the union
from this springs the first line of
ueFeIopment of the American novel
the novel OF a locality, of a state or
OIL some district marked by distinctive
characteristics. The function of this
CLASS Oh looks is to interpret one mart
OF the land to the jewellers in anotbor
part-to picture the west for tho naer
the south for the north. to ma1zo
kentucky understood in New York
10 speak in the voice of California to
the cities of the Atlantic seahoard
Inc interest Of such work is obyious.
II a stranger may express an opinion
on such matter, it's national va1un
must also be very great. And lust as
pFesent-day conditions vary 50
enormously in different parts of the
country, so tradition and history vary
also. Hence comes another line o+
development which has been followed
with marked success of recent wears
and IS, | think, very far from having
reached its limit yet. The charm and
romance of American history seem of
late to have drawn with a new-at
least with a much fulIer-revelation
on American readers. The past of
their own country, the story of their
own struggles and wars, the fignres
OF the heroes Of bygone days-the
men their fathers followed-have
come by their own in story. Henry
~ yields place (not before he has
done a good days workD to Wash
lngton, and if the days of the Stuarts
are treated of, it is the days of the
Stuarts in Virginia. The great men
OF the Civil war pay toll to legend
and begin to be the centre OF
romance. The work Of Scott and of
'Ihackeray is being done-or begun
Tor America by her own writer's
And lastly the present hour-the
latest and most urgent expression Of
the national characteristics it's
voice IN fiction. The novel of trade
OF commerce, Of competition and the
struggle for life, the novel of the
great busy city, makes it's appear
ance, written with a zest and well
coined with an interest to which it
would be hard to find a parallel in
any other country Of the world. It's
tragedies, it's struggles, the sense of
effort, of fight, of a satisfaction won
only by constant activity and held
only at the cost of unresting
vigilance, reflect as truly one side of
the nations life as the quiet of a
New England village or the spacious
freedom of the plains show forth and
interpret others. Three lines of
development go on side by side, CO
operating in the Interpretation of the
national history and characteristic
life of the past and the life of to-
day.-Anthony Hope in Golfers.