The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-26
ENGLISH HALL OF FAME,
By a Richmond High School Girl
The interesting paper which follows,

The interesting paper which follows.
was written by girl in one OF the
senior classes of the Richmond High
School. The S. Y. o. NJ. Coffee House
is the name of an organization they.
formed while studying Addison. The
S. Y. o. n. meaning Speak you own
mind" This is the paper:
AS long as there are many men of
many minds the creation of literary
hall Of fame is necessarily the cast
Ing OF the bone OF contention among.
the lovers of n country's literature.
We can but feel that those whose;
writings have touched most deeply
our own hearts are of the highest
priesthood of their calling. There are
few men In English literature whose
magnificent genius is acknowledged by
all. Throughout the length and
breadth OF English-speaking countries
the rights OF Chaucer. Milton and
Shakespeare to place in the Hall Of
Fame will be undisputed. Had Eng
land nineteen such names the choice
wore easily made. but the worlds his
tory does not furnish that number.
While we SEQ that there are few of
these pre-eminent masters Of litera ture,
there are many elbowing each other
In the second position. and should In
dividual favoritism be made the basis
1 Of I'D gment the decisions would be as
diversified as the temperaments and
intellects of the Judges. But this
should not be made even so much as
one factor in the selection of those
of English authors. That man Is
! greatest whose work is most far-reach-
i ing In both its influence on the indi.
yidual and on the mass Of humanity
4 Some writer's have written a great
deal that appeals deelly to a great
number of people while others have
! mot been so voluminous in their writ
ings, but have given to the world {
y few soul-stirring thoughts that would
! live In the mind Of the nation. fol
many generations. even though Atht
arts OF printing, reading and writing
all became things Of the past.
Il All OF this Is but the introduction t.
a discussion which took place amont
5 the members Of the S. y. o. NJ. Coffee
Il House, when the English Hall of Fam,
] and the names selected therefor wer,
!. first brought before that body. Th'
; rights of the three ma sters We're, .
! course. unquestioned; nor did any den.
/ Spenser Bacon, Addison, Pope, Gibbor
J. Scott. Byron and Tennyson the place
= assigned them, while of the remaining
, eight there was not3one to whom som
one did not object. Locke was tn
least popular, while of those omittc
!, Burns was the most popular. Words
!. worth, Carlyle, Macaulay and Brown
ing shared about equally in popularity
7 Some claimed that though Caxton'
gift Of the printing press was OF in
8 calculable value to literature, still
WAS not literature itself. and conse
t Iquently scarce gave him the right I
ltasplace iii this particular Hall Of Fam,
/ Ono member Of the Coffee Hous
SIargued that the fact that Tyndall fur
d finished us with the first translation r
the Rible did not give him the righ
& to claim a literary standing with til
q highest. From8the same urce Swit
& was bJected to. ainly on the DIR, TIE
ground. @ Z
Now, after each member had regis
tered her criticisms, she was Gale
on to replace those She had struck OIL
with others deemed by her mo,
worthy. AS I have said before, BUR-
was a. universal favorite, and muc
wonder was expressed as to why ii
trustees left him out, That master.
B allegory, Bunynn,, surely Stands wit
+ thoughts capable of influencing ever
Heart and divine lessons taught In
masters manner. "Pl lgrinls Progress.
4 is universally admired and indiylduul,
treasured. Robtnson Crusoe is ne
Ihaps. or II might say beyond IA douL
y the name OF the most popular hero
81 the English World Since t he days !,
III Defoe he has delighted the Young
n generations and been a sweet ilnelln.
al to- the older. 4 In liomes In ~ htcll% MAJ
IN SorSaourj create est tiers would lie 81
4. lmost as q treat isc In q foreign tong,