New-York tribune., 1909-06-06
= Anglo-Arnerican Memories
Copyright. 1909. by George W. smaIleyD
BOSTON AND NEW YORK IN ENGLAND.

so, with his change from pen and ink to dicta-
ton, a perilous experiment but, whatever else
may be said of 1t, Mr.. James has gradually
won back his English public. To them the mat
ter is more than the manner. in Mr.. Mere
dith's case also. The American is now thought
a more distinguished writer than before l use
the word distinguished he uses it, meaning
that he has more distinction as a writer and
turns out more distinguished work They
longer repeIled by his colloquialisms, by his
Gallicisms. by his obscurities. by his involu-
tons of structure by the labyrinthine length
of his sentences Through all these, they now
perceive. pierces the true genius of the man.
Therefore is he another ambas assador, another of
those Americans who, from having become
known abroad have added lustre to the fame
their own country wherein European esti
maton-it most needs lustre namely, in the
domain OF letters.
BY the time the New Yorker Of to-day has
read thus far-if he has read-t may have be-
come clear TO him how great part of ali the
renown in literature have abroad comes to
us from Boston. Ali the American writer's best
known here and most read Whitman excepted,
are of Boston or of the state of which Boston is,
or was, the final expression. II another excep-
tion were to be made 1t would be Lincoln. whose
greatest pieces Of prose, and, most Of ali. the
Gettysburg address, are we'll known to English
men who know anything of America. If what
DIR. Johnson said in the preface to his diction-
ary, THE chief glory of every people arises
from its authors" be true then what do
Americans not owe TO Boston? Supposing. that
is. We care for the judgment of a foreign nation.
which Browning declared to be like the judg-
ment of posterty
For some of these Bostonans London has a
personal affection. Emerson is beloved. Lowell
was an immense favorite; favorite notwith-
standing his combativeness in a society which
prefers liberation to excursions on the warpath
Holmes during his visits here was idollzed. and
as the Autocrat OF the Breakfast Table he is
idolized and quoted day in and day out. OF
Longfeow's Poems in the pre-copyright days
more copies were sold than of Tennyson. and
when he was here the English thought him al
most one of themselves Dana's Two Years
Before the Mast is the one story of the sea
which. among many rivals. seems likely to be
immortal in England: and is, meantime, the one
which in circulation year after year far exceeds
all others. And Dana was one of those Ameri-
whom the English found an English
birthmark
There a time when Mr. James and Mr
Howells used to be bracketed. II they hunted
in couples; which not discriminating view
though popular view. II expressed itself in
the Jingle about "Howelis and James Young
Men," OF which the music hall was the proper
home; and there It related to a firm in Regent
street now extinct. But It sung by the
daughters of a house where Mr.. James was
guest, and almost in his hearing. to the horror
OF its mistress. To all popularity there are
penalties But the popularity OF Mr.. James is
perennial. g. w. s.