The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-04
A CRITIC OF LITERATURE.
The HernId Errs In Its Esti-
mnte OF DicIseHs and Thackerny.

Editor The Washington Herald:
Your literary reviewer. while making an
error IN giving the last anniversary Of
Poes death as the ninety-eighth. in
stead Of the dfty-eighth, writes q Just
and sympathetic comment on that desc
late and much maligned story-writer. crit
&c. and poet Nothing in that tortured
spirits bitterness and starvation was
more bitter than the mOckeTy Of a liter
airy club holding a banquet in the cottage
at Fordham. where Poe spent his last
years IN want. II is q wonder that they
had not been struck by lightning. Why
could not they give aid and comfort TO the
poet while he lived. instead Of waiting
until he is gone and can no longer ap-
peal To their pockets, and then posing as
his friends and admirers? Yet. the world
goes on crucifying genius to-day, not
only in its poets. but in IFS prophets It's
reformers, and its inventors. Some few
have the good fortune 20 find patrons 20
guide them into success. but as a rule
the greatest suffer while they live. 90
be lauded and embaImed in stone after
they are beyond the enjoyment Of it,
while the mediocre ones who have the
business knack Of riding on the wave of
popular favor are rolling in prosperity
and luxury and the smiles OF the rich
and powerful
Another literary comparison made in
your ideal Sunday edition was that of
/ Thackeray and Dickens The editorial
was manifestly written by a lovar Of
ThaCkeray. who is prep0sterOus in calling
attention 10 the frequent new editions OF
Dickens, and at the same time claiming
that he did not write for universal time;
he IS old-fashioned, his faculty Is largely
/ objective, while Thackeray's genius was
subjective and richer, and he will be long
/ est remembered. The facts are exactly
contrary 10 this view Dickens editions
are multiplying. the love OF his characters
is widening among new generations
/ scores Of his characters are such UniveT-
sal types that they are quoted as gener-
/ ally as those Of Shakespeare. An edition
! Of Thackeray is seldom seen, an admirer
OF his work is rare. few Of mis- characters
/ are quoted and he is to-day almost fallen
/ into oblivion. This is because Dickens IS
an optimist Thackeray is a pessimist
/ The great soul and wizard eyes Of Dick
ems peer along the highways and into the
/ novels, seeking the gems of human senti-
ment and humor. and reporting them IN
broad human sympathy. ThaCkeray goes
squirting about and hooking what he
sees like a mountebank his hUmor is bit
ter and trihing and always SItiriCal- How
can his work Iive2 Tt does not live In
spite of William Dean H0wells. Dickens
is alive and immortal He was 4 reporter,
( yes, but so We're Shakespeare and Homer
/ may be as partial To my favorite as you
are 10 yours, but I am partial 90 the
I Bard Of Avon and the poet Of Gad's
Hill for identical reasons. When I was
boy of fifteen I was clerking in a store
/ in Terre HaUte, where, one day, I found
/ a row of books eli the desk top, One Of
/ them was entitled Martin Chuzzlewit"
/ I had never heard of the author before.
/ but when he died soon afterward, I wept
/ as / should have done for my dearest
\ friend Recently I read that first book
again to assist me la writing a criticism
| Of Wizards tom Finch. and the story
\ with its universal types was far sweeter
and truer and stronger than it was a
/ generation ago.
RICHARD LEW DAWSON.
/ Nc<e-The mistake I'm the book column
was fine example of a writer saying
] precisely the opposite of what he in
/ tended. He meant birth, instead of
/ death"