The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-22

Far as human eye could see,' and pre-
diets an age Of balloons in commerce.
1t would be good thing for our @higl,
school pupils to do for those years what
Irving did in his Rip Van Wrinkle. The
contrast made by those twenty years
would be equally striking. Now what
was literature doing III these years? They
brought fourth Tennyson. Browning. Mrs.
Browning, Dickens, rhackeray, Ruslsin
and Carlysle.
American Life.
The effect Of the three periods Of
American life was discussed by Dr..
Smith. The first found America a patll-
less jungle; tho second in the vortex OF
d struggle for national life; the last Of
these periods found one section Of this
country admirably adapted to react on
the industrial revival.
1.-The same wave which made New Eng
land the leader in industrial and manu-
fac turing enterprise. brought forth Long
fellow, Lowell, Emerson, Holmes, Whit
| tiersnnd Floreau. 5
Now, why did not this wave affect
| the South?" he asked. Mr.. Fage has
4 given five reasons, which we will cX-s
4 anime:
8"ilst The South was AN agricultural
4 section 81
#"2d.Th absence of cities in the old
1 South, the nuclei of literary move
! nlonts. s5 f
ed. The institution Of slavery. Not
|5its debasing influences, but the absorp-
ton Of the intellectual life in the
|Eproblems of slavery. Ut
"Ath. The pre- elninence or politics.
The men of the South have made this
1 nation what 1t is to-day.
I. 9&"5th.& The absence Of q widely diffus-
1 ed reading public
.1Thesc are Mr. Page S reasons Let
us look! for some other reasons. The
i year 1890 Witnessed the Hayne-
i Webster controversy, and politlca'
i problems became paramount, a change
i came at last, and the South or#to-day
/ thanks the God of battles that
4 slavery is no more The year 1870
(which is the birth of the newaindustrial
j era in the South, is the birth Of the
NEW literary era. Irwin Russell's
4 first attempt o portray negro life open
4 Sidney Lanier, Jeol Chandler Harris
4 Chas. Egbcrt Craddocll and Geo. w. ca.
II BILE filed the first decade. The years
Il from 1850 to 1890 witnessed the dc.
cnde Of Thomas Nelson Page and Jane:
Lane Allen. NJ i 3a
Yet to Come.
II believe that the most distinguish
Il ed contributions of the South to litera
"A ture are yet to Gomez In all the world
!. literature has turned to a lost cause
4. provided that honor was not lost. Flo
4 mer's greatest character was the van
#|3quishcd HectorSof Troy; and Tennysol
!. does not siorify his Saxon ancestors
: hut the defeated King Alfred. Whel
n men have fought for the right as Co
! gave them TO SEQ 1t. and when nllsii
2 lost save honor. it is then that til
muses. OF literature stoop to lift tn
lost UP into the great field Of litcrar
!. glory. NJ
i 'Leonidas and his 30OHstill stand on
i as the symbol Of Vaor. Lord Cardi
. gan and his GOO at lsnlaklava are rid
n Ing yet wherever valor is lionorcd
J, s"Forty-to years ago Pickett an
! 5Pottigrcw charged the Round Top c
Gettysburg. and the time Will com
: when in y literary sense they wi
!. ride on forever ,4
!, "lndustrialism is the body, lltcratur
=, the soul of our lives, and it Is Joint
IS that they produce their host fruits
f 10 f d g Z