West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-10-06
KNGWOOD PRESTON COUNTY WEST OCTOBER 1904

TIC income Tor reasonable number OF
years. All this begets timidity. and
timidity n a leech at the throat OF
originality.
Let ns examine the canons which
govern the "nrlstocracy OF American
letters" Originality, except I'm the
mlldest form. is prescribed what
never has been done never can be
done" may be said 10 be the motto OF
American literature.
The second canon IL firm adherence
TO the most curious convention that
has ever been insisted upon In any
country--that this world IL not as II Is,
but as II ought 10 be-. The sole taboo
is not sex by any means. Many anoth-
er tendency OF the human mind, many
another exposition OF life, must be for
ever ignored and denounced. Whether
or not tbis convention originated with
certain men. powerful I'm shaping Amer.
lean literature, who had seen nothing
OF the world, or whether there was
deliberate concerted attempt on the
part OF the literary powers to make
American literature refined" aristo-
cratic, undemocrntic, n rarened thing
In the third stratum above mortals,
II would be hard to say. The result,
however, IL may be observed here, is
not aristocratic, but distinctly middle
class. II Is the expression OF that
bourgeoisie which Is afraid OF doing
the wrong thing, not OF the Indifferent
aristocrat; OF that element which dares
not use slang, shrinks from audacity,
rarely utters bold sentiment and as
rarely feels one. IL Is as correct as
Sunday clothes and as innocuous as
steriiiSed milk, but II is not aristo.
cratic. The natural result OF its sue
cess is that American writers feel no
necessity TO sec the world. Too much
knowledge, indeed, would upset the
prescribed poise, and they spend their
years comfortably describing the little
life about them. adding nothing what
ever TO the knowledge Of mankind.
Their utmost range is after dialect
T. G., illiterate phrases local color
They mildly interest people who are
used TO them and can get nothing else.
A third canon, which is indeed but
Il part OF the second, is that fiction
TO be literature-American literature
must be Rnaemic. Vigor, vitality, rich
ness, vividnsss, audacity OF thought or
. phrnse-any quality, I'm short, which is
disttnctively American-must be weed
ell out, bleaehed out, OF the ambitious
author, would he receive recognition
as an American of letters. Here, again,
II they arc trying TO be aristocratlc
they are making n curious blunder.
The qualities | have enumerated rs
anathema distinguish the aristocracies
OF all nations, and, as your true demo-
crat is an aristocrst, therein lies the
close rela ationship between the high civ
ili1ation OF the cid world and the SUI
perb Ameriesnism which laughs at an
cient forms and superstitions, goes It's
own gait with apologies 10 no one Our
literature fairly represents the bour-
geois spirit OF Europe. but II does not
represent the United States in any
thing but matter OF q sort
A fourth canon, still 20 subdivide the
second, n what might be called the fe-
itch OF the body. Magazine editors, their
confederate publishers, their writer's
and readers, defy the body grovei in
the dust before It. II never has done
and can do no wrong. At all events II
AAhnN " RIUNtNttu NJ tNtlF nhLhIu hhlu
cost. Let the brain rot. The brain is
invisible and insignificant Let the
mind close It's doors 20 the best OF
literntures. to the immensely OF life,
but LET IL keep It's physical framework
evensRs little child. That the body
was mAteriaiized for no other purpose
in the world than for reproduction and
hs more tangible expression for the
mind. and that the mind II given us
that We may put into II all the knowl-
edge that car be found In this world.
has never occurred 20 any OF these
teachers.
A NTH caaon is that sleep must not
be disturbed nor even the nerves it'll
lated. Come years ago there was an
institution In New York known as "Un-
cut Leaves" Before It's assemblages
authors read stories, articles and poems
designed for the magazines The tick
cts sold At a high price; the gather
ings were attended by the demfashiOn-
able. At one time they were almost
as notable as Bagby's Monday Morn
ings A young author who had not
made her debut In the magazines. but
Ind attracted considerable attention
was, with rare audacity. invited to
read, but with prudent reservation she
was asked to submit the manuscript
first The story the writer selected
was impeecable IN It's morals but Il
was extremely though briefly tragic.
and its climax was rather terrible. It
was submitted and returned. kindly
and politely, with the excuse that there
might DO sensitive ladies present
whose nerves would be dlstressingly
affected" The Obvious reply that
women whose nerves were I'm n deli
tate condition had better stay at home
may or may not have been made
To be great II Is above all things
necessary TO develop your ego. your
power. and there Is only one way 20
do it-by dlvorclng yourself from all
that Is SNUG. that is easy, that is com
Portable, that is orthodox and conven-
tional. by seeing life from its peaks
to its chasms
no writer with a real gift and with
real ambition has any business with
home, children, the unintcrmlttent
comforts Of Hfe which stuiufy and
sti6e. n = man has the gift to write,
to creato--the greatest OF oil gifts
what more does he wont7 10 insist
upon the right 70 lounge amid the
commonplace comforts and the mild
distractions OF society" IS not only
ungratefui. but fatal Art, the most
Jealous Of I'll mistrosses, is always
prompt 20 desert him Of the divided al
ieEiancc and leave him 10 finish HIS
career with tho husks with the shoil
from which the soul has gone.