Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-11-07
Gossip from the World Of
aooks-Review Of New
Books Authors Plans
for The SeaSon-Notes.

country. AS ;tex represented Il kind
OF matinee girls .uol, they proba Oily
helped TO give the book start De-
tails of the career OF this Imaginary
! author were also printed until the pup
| lie began 10 grow interested in the new
/, celebrity The story was the outcome
of an idea suggested to Mr.. McCutcheOn
| by his brother Ben as theme Tor
short story. In discussing II with MS
publisher Mr.. Stone thought the
scheme large enough for novel. and
wanted it worked up for immediate
| publication. But as another new novel
| by Mr.. McCutcheOn had already been
| announced and advertised. ii was de-
! cided to publish "Brewster's Millions
I anonymously in order TO see II the pub
! lie really liked the work as we'll as 1t
liked the author. Its popularity has
| been notable enough to justify the be-
| lief that Mr.. McCutcheon's name is
! not the only factor in the sale of his
stories.
! Probably there have been men in every
age who deplpred what they called the
decadence in the literature of their day
Certainly We are not without such critics
at the pIesent time. brilliant woman
writer a few weeks ago declared that
our literature was bourgeois. and one only
needs to read the current criticisms to
| discover that there is much disSatisfac-
| ton with the character Of much OF our
| ii.rIaty WORK. That some OF II is we'll
| tourled there can lie no doubt. We SIN
to have reached Il sort OF dead level OF
literary achievement, which ItW Writer'S
either rise above or fall below. The doc
: time OF the average mas been unco.ISci-
barr
| years ago " alter Bagehot wrote in his
shakespeare The Man thus:
Inc reason that so few good books are
! written is that 50 few people that can
write know anything. In general, an au-
, thor has always lived in room. has read
books has cultivated science. is acqualnt-
ed with the Styl- ana sentiments oil the
best authors. but he is out of the way OF
emplo ying his own eyes and ears. He
has nothing to hear and nothing to see.
Ills life is Il vacuum.
1t is true that those who write know
nothing. perhaps it is quite true to say
that thoS. who know anything can not
write 1t is Il fact that our great writer's
knew much OF life. Lowell was states
man and diplomat; Bryant was fol years
an actively employed editor; Poe knew
life bitterly through his misfJrtunes;
Irving was diplomat, and so We're Mo-
lev ara Bancroft; DT. Holmes was prac
titing physician; Hawthorne held office;
t.mtr-on and Whittier We're deeply inter
tsIt Il III lue great pOIlti' Oh ilicN VIheHtH VI
their time. But al present there seems to
he d sort Of turning away from active lie
by the M n who write, growing dlStaste
on their part for practical affairs. Posi-
bly, thu, defects 50 often noted in our writ
ing due in no small degree 10 a lack
OF original. frSt-hand knowledge of the
world of men, and. as consequence,
lack of sympathy with it. In the old, sad
unhappy days of literature-which are
also its great days--thiS was not SO.
; Grad. street was Il hard master, but what
mon we're trained in that school. No man
! then would persist in "A literary career I'M
! less he felt that he mad Il vocation for 1t.
! Poverty. even of a peaceful and disgrace
tut kind did develop a quality which is
] rot now seen in our writing. From the
| rngucs. such as Nillon. understood some
| thing OF the great human problems. How
| ever. the knowledge OF these men was ac-
| rJIred. it was acquired. and their work
shows it. What they say rings true be-
cause you know that they write out OF
ti"ir own experience 1t was not neces-
S.try fOi them To get local color. for
they could not get away from it. This is
! no argument in favor of poverty, suffer-
il < ard crime as necessary qualifications
tor great writer. But it Is meant 70 say
that Tor some reason or other our authors
do not have that contact and sympathy
with Humanity. that deep and Otter pain
fui knowledge OF life that was possessed
10y III" royal beggars and even the prince
iN criminals OF an older day. Really,
many OF the tailings of men. in literature
and everything else. are the result OF III
WIS sure that the reason why 80 lew
good books are written is that so few
people that can write know anything:
EUt can ore who knows nothing really
write in any true sense of the word? He
can put words together. and may even
compass a Pleasing and beautiful stNlr.
But Is this writing? Hardly, one would
say knowledge is essential not simply
10 tho writing of good books. but to the
writing of any books deserving to be
called books. a man must have some
, thing to Say-and this means knowledge
which means style. And the two are
close of kin. For style is the product of
know ledge-for it is the man himself.
And If he is without knowledge ne is not
much of a man. and his style-which re-
veale hm--is a poor style How this
Knowledge is 10 ne acquired is not easy
to say. 1t does not come simply from
contact with affairs. for man may
move through the world. and even take
part in great affairs. and he in no way
Influenced by his experience. There
must be power to appropriate. and prob
ably this will operate chiefly through
sympathy. Sympathy with men. and in
great things. An attitude of intellectual
detachment is bad. and still worse is a
contemptuous Indifference to what is
going on ir the world. Possibly Il little
suffering is good for those engaged In
what is called creative work Disap-
continent that does not embitter; priva-
tt,,n If a man is Of the right mettle; inter-
est and sympathy all tend to bring one
into vital relation with mankind and with
the great forces of society. all develop
know ledge But however ii he gained
| know,. dge IS today, as ii was in Pa ge-
/ hot's time. the thing to be chiefly sought.