The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-06
PROF. c. ALPHONSO SMITH
ON THE NOVEL IN AMERICA
Work of Great Merit Something of Americas Gen.
Jus of Weird and Sombre Power, Edgar
Allen Poe.

/ see from his facile and elegant pen,
and am rewarded both with pleasure
and instruction. The last contribution
from him, but one, is on THE Novel
in America" and it appeared in the
Chrlotte Presbyterian Standard of
October 5th. 1t is an address. ana
was delivered before the Teachers In
stitute Course in Washington. d. c.. on
25th of November, 1902. 1t is excel
lent from start to finish. 1t is enjoy
able and quotable. / marked enough
to fill a column, but / can only COPY
few passages. gathered here and there
from his rich critical fruitage. He
wiselv says that the great Sir Walter
Scott freed the romance fl ON af-
fected sentiment and melo-dramatic
diction." Scott was not only the
greatest creative British author since
Shakespeare, but he was one of the
sanest, most generous, most winsome
of all writer's. He practically created
the fascinatilg and immortal modern
Romance, and all the great writer's
of that kind are indebted to him
much, and this includes not only the
greatest English authors. but also the
very greatest French novelists-Rugo.
Dumas, the Elder, BalZac. Sue and
others. Scott was not onl-' marvel
ously creative, but healthful, and full
of common sense. He was genial. low
able, free and appreciative and never
failed to recognize genius whether of
the past or in his immediate rivals and
contemporaries. The old English crit
les did not over-estimate Scott They
appraised him rightly, and saw his
manifold gifts while not failing to see
some blemishes. He was a very great
author, and while a poet of superior
parts, original and yet Homeric, was
unsurpassed by any writer of antiquity
or by any modern in the fertility and
originality of his productions. There is
no author to be found in literature
whose works exhibit SO perfect an
embodiment of united power and ac-
tivity as is to be found in Walter Scott
He is as prolific as Lope de Vega. as
absolutely original as Homer" l do
not think he was really as prolific as
Lope, but he was no doubt as much of
a creator as Homer waS-his equal in
originality at least.
Prof. Smith writes with proper and
pleasant appreciation of that most low
able of all Northern men of letters.
Washington Irving. He is a writer of
fine parts, of admirable personal quail
tiles, of no little invention There is
positive charm in his writings as re-
plete with simplicity and attractiveness
of style. He wrote many delightful
volumes, and some of them should be
preserved for MAJ generations to
come. With me his two inimitable
books, re "Diedrich Knickerbocker )
History of New York. most amusing
satire and full of fun. and his enjoy
ables"Sketch Book" Though the kind
and sympathetic offices of Sir Walter
Scott, so characteristic of that great
hearted and noble gentleman. the then
famous London publisher. Murray,
bought the copyright paying $4,000
for it. Murray also later paid Irving
$1,000 for "Bracebridge Hall" and
$500 for "Tales of Traveller" Irving
wrote many other volumes or works.
/ mention most of them: Life and
Voyages of Columbus" CHRONICLES of
the Conquest of Granada - 'Voya res
of the Comnanions of Columbus 1.-THE
Alhambro Astoria. &C. Life Of
Oliver Goldsmith" "Mahomet and His
Successors" and Life of Washing
tom The last was his most extensive.
most laborious undertaking. and was
finished only three months before his
death, which occurred on the 2Sth of
November. 1859. aged 76 He was the
greatest of all American authors of his
time. His work on Washington has
distinguished merit. as to style, nro-
portion of parts, amplitude of details
and unity of design. l read it with
great satisfaction soon after publica~
tionNs Great authors and many dstin-
guiShed writer's of less merit, paid high
tributes to WASHINGTON Irving. Loro
Byron declared that 1.-The writings OF
Irving were his delight" Sir Walter
Scott said. that Il have never read
anything so closely resembling the
style of Dean Swift as the Annals of
Diedrich Knickerbocker.' If you
would read a splendid specimen of the
pictorial and the grandiloquent read
the chapter in his most UNIQUE ana
original work beginning 1.-THE wal
drum rumbles from affair."" 1t is fully .,
4, e,;x, II 4
never forget the delight it afforded me
when in "life's young sDring" The
very gifted, able son-in-law of Scotr.
John G.. Lockhart. editor of the ola
London Quarterly" and a poet OF
parts as we'll as author of the best of
all biographies but one-BoswelTs
Life of DR.. Johnson refer of
course to his life of Sir Walter Scott
had a high opinion of Irving. OF him
he wrote: "Mr. Washington Irving is
one of our first favorites among the
English writer's of this age. and he is
not bit the less so for having been
born in America" Having a genuine
admiration for the amiable. gracious
and very gifted New Yorker. l have
thought proper to give some little ac-
count of the man and his works.
Prof. Smith writes with proper In
sight and appreciation of that most
lovable of Northern men of letters
Washington Irving. He SAYS:
1.-THE position of Washington Irving
i'm the evolution of American fiction
is strikingly analogous to the position
of Addison in the evolution of English
fiction. Neither Addison nor Irving
was a novelist. yet both made of the
essay a stepping-stone to the mover
proper. Richardson wrote the first
English novel, pamela " in 1742; but
Addison's "Sir Roger de Coverley,"
written thirty years before Pamela
had proved that the essay could al
most do the work of the novel. Irvings
sketch Book" appeared in 1920. 1t
was merely a collection of ESSAYS liz
the Queen Anne sense. Irving said
with characteristic modesty. that he
had aimed only at the familiar and
faithful exhibition of scenes of COM
mon life In these words and in the
stories of Rip Van Wrinkle and The
Lege4d of Sleepy Hollow Irving has
anticipated both the theory and the
practice of che SAAx~-school of writer's
the mild-eyed reaais tss ssaAst arose fifty
years later"
Prof Smith cherishes great admira-
ton for rip Van Winkle." but saws
he was not a national type He pays
fitting, and perhaps not exaggerated
tribute to James Fenimore Cooper