The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-04-13
LITERATURE AND SOCIETY.


 It occurs to G.. w. Smalley, the New York correspondent of the Times of London, to discuss in recent activity of a certain few accredited members of New York society. This takes on the form, as he views it, of an altogether exceptional manifestation, if not in American literature, at least in that sglitering company of men and women of such complicated ancestry and de- scent" whose doings are so extremely important to all the less glittering throughout he United States. What particularly calls forth his remarks is Mrs. Clarence Mackay's new book "The Stone of Destiny,' which he finds a challenge and almost a revolt. He is reminded by it of some other revolts from the tyrannies of New York socie- ty, and what has been achieved there by; of Mrs. Edith Wharton's distin- guished place in current literature, which she acquired with the handicap rather than the help of position in that society; of Mrs Eustfs' novel; of Mrs. Payne Whitney's volumes of verse, which may be better recognized as the work of Miss Helen Hay; of Miss Caro- line Duer's magazine stories; of Mrs. Van Rensselaer, Cruger's activity as a novelist, (which he somewhat ungal- lantly characterizes as known in other days and to a limited audience,"D and of Eliot Gregory's far-off echoes of Charles Lambs delicate humor. But he is constrained to speak of them as of altogether shining exceptions.
 Mr. Smalley who, no doubt, beholds the relations of literature and society from a twofold point of view, cannot be suspected of any of that tendency to disparage and deride the "glittering company that Is so lamentably rife in certain circles outside of it's own. But he has some things to say that seem doubly severe for that very reason. Literary fame, he admits, does not irl- volve any separation from society for one who is already of society. It is not quite so bad as that. But when a wo- man who holds such position as Mrs. Macxay enters the field of literature she parts company with her associates. From all that she has had she has turned away as inadequate. to enroll herself among the writers of books. Mir Snalley is not sure that it is quite prudent to say how much courage this implies; all the more as Mrs. Mackay' s book is one that runs counter to the set tied habits of thought in New York so- ciety. To nothing else is it so inplaca- ble as to that.
 The few examples which MT. Smalley is able to mention are of literature, as it were, from the inside. Literature rarely ''gets into'' New York society from the outside MT. Howells has ex- plained this by saying that there is nc society into which men of letters show so little desire to enter. MT. Smalley' $ statement of it is that there is none from which hey are so rigidly excluded At any rate, they are not there. And ir 1 this respect the society of New York is 1 in striking and by no means brilliant contrast with that of some other cos mopolitan capitals-with that of Lon don for instance. where, as it has often been pointed out, society appropriates to itself those who have to their credit substantial achievement i'll almost any line of endeavor. and especially i'll lite rary and artistic. The difference is, of course, easily applicable by those who understand the ideals and motives that control New York cociety at present.