Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-08

lea and that it is very good and condo
scendng of me to consider their wares at
all. l should give well-known English au-
thor from $500 to $500 for the sole Amerl-
can rights of his or her rewest production
and proceed to make $4,000 to $4,000 profit
out of it, That kind of thing is always
called business" [ should never suspect
the English author of being so base as TO
send over and get legal statements as 10
how his or her book selling or to take
note of the thousands of copies stacked up
every day in the stores to melt away as
soon as stacked in the hands of eager pur-
chasers. No, AS strictly honorable per-
son l should hope that the English author
would stay at home and mind his or her
business. But let US suppose that the
American publishers latest delicate 'feeler'
respecting the mo demand for English
literature" were true it would seem that
Americans. even more than the British, re-
quire to be taught how to read. If one
may judge from their own output Of litera-
ture the lesson is badly needed. Ralph
Waldo Emerson remains as yet the biggest
literary man. He knew how to read and
from that knowledge learned how to write.
But no American author has come after
him that can be called greater than he or
as great Concerning the art of fiction.
the American make" of it as exemplified
In David Harum and Mrs. Wigs of
the Cabbage Patch is whatever the imme-
date catching on of 1t may be. distinct
~ ephemeral OF the utmost ephemeral. Such
literature would not exist even in Amer
w
is called the yellow journal would not
exist either. Because a really educated
reader of things worth reading would not
read it, and it would, therefore, be a case
of the wicked ceasing to trouble and the
weary being at rest.
There is general complaint nowadays,
especially among authors, of the 'deca-
dence' of literature It's true enough. But
the cause of the decadence is the same,
simply and solely that people cannot and
will not read. They do not know how"
TO do it. If they ever did know in the by
gone days of Dickens and Thackeray they
have forgotten. Every book is too long
for them Yet scarcely any novel is pub
lished now IS long as the novels of Dickens,
which were so eagerly devoured at one
time by tens of thousands of admiring read
short, risky. rather nasty book
reviewers would call it strong, but that is
only a little joke of theirs; they speak of
this kind of literature though 1t were
cheese finds most favor with the upper"
circles of society in Great Britain and
America. Not so with the million, though
The million prefer simple fare, and they
read a good deal. though scarcely in the
right way. 1t is more a case OF skim
ming than reading. II they are ever
taught the right way to read they may be-
come wiser than political governments
would like them to be. For right reading
makes right thinking, and right thinking
makes right living.
Dear sir or madam. read Don't skim"
Learn your letters. Study the pronuncia-
ton and meaning of words thoroughly first
and then you may proceed to sentences.
Gradually you will be able to master a
whole passage of prose or poetry in such a
manner as to actually understand it, That
will be a great thing! And once you I'M
derstand 1t you may even possibly remem-
Der it! And then, no matter how much
you may have previously been educated,
your education will only have just begun!
MARIE CORELLI.