The sun., 1913-11-16
u, IDA PRENTICE wmITCOMB.

@ULONIAL literature has two di-
visions-one treats of James
town and the Cavalier" the
other of plymouth, the Pilgrim
and the Puritan"
II VAS in the winter of 1906 that a
party of romantic aristocrats, unruly
sliiants. mechanics and farmers. and
tcsgars pushed thither by friends. ad-
V,nturcrs all. set out in a pigmy fleet
If three ships from England for Amer
IcA. They We're under a charter to n
London company TO seek here gold
mines and precious stones.
Four months they sailed over 5000
ru."S of unknown sea, and finally In
April. 1907. were driven by storm into a
l4r-- river. its shores blooming with
do-Woud and redbud, and on a bright
D., they landed on the bank at a per-
iuus spot and James River and James
town were later named in honor of their
Wu,trious English King.
There may have been imaginative
rcsourceful spirits among these pioneers,
bu, what wonder that they had scan,
leisure for literary pursuits, for drama
or pageant or smooth narrative. No
r,"' or novelist could assert himself
TA->e We're days Of action, not thought
AMI Yet in compacts and journals and
letters home We may discover. even a,
'h.~ remote date the beginnings of our
story Of American literature, for we a,
once descry the picturesque figure OF
the redoubtable John Smith. soldier
captain, Governor. savior and historian
ot the colony.
He stands at the gateway Of Ameri-
can literature just as the old tramp-ex-
plorcr. Sir John Vaudeville, stood 300
years before, at the gateway OF English
literature.
Lowell calls jamestown and Plymouth
III" two great distributing centres Of
the English race In America" From
eICl flowed a stream Of Colonial litera-
tur. which presently united into a swift
deep current. This current Is symbolic
OF the new, broader thought that in the
ei-htecnth century was at work, devel-
vp.ng our story into its revolutionary
period.
The first chapter Of this era must be
granted to benjamin Franklin. because
he served his country so faithfully In
politics and literature; and though much
Of his life belongs to Colonial days. his
sas alike fo.aative and very modern
uiilenCe.
The Youngest son Of ataNow chandler.
Poe was born in Boston in 1906. and his
.lhood was passed under Puritan in.
HIences. He had ,neagre book learning
''r n"fore he was 10 his father took
h.'n from school To assist him in the
'.t, and as Ben cut wicks, filled Dip
p'n- moulds and ran on errands he was
a'"a. either wishing that he might he
S4..pr OF wondering how ne might se-
cure IN education.
HIS father. observing his booksh turn
Of mind. apprenticed him at IL to his
brother James. and he learned easily tt
So; types. He was even then an om-
nN"rouS reader. and every penny that
be could spare was spent on literature
srl there was no variety from which Ia
.Lpose.
\ born printer, publisher and editor
No. bcean business by shrewdly advertis-
in2 his proficiency in all three. He alst
opened statloner's shop and, like the
young Jonathan Edwards In spiritua
matters he too drew some resolutions
In regard to managing the Temporal
affairs Of his life, some Of them beine
N t"mperance, silence. frugality anC
industry.
Think Of some OF the things that hi
dd hat early converted this town int
%" '"r"most Of American cities. He or
Ranz"d here the first regular fire ant
pol" forces Of which our country cOult
b'l- invented the Franklin stove Il
f|' "lt more heat with less wood. HI
ue.W1 To- establish hospitals Ill
i'''n"i debating club called "Tht
''t.' the members Of which kept theiI
n''. H' the rooms. and so easily out Oi
the first circulating library. Ht
"' % i'pt an academy. now the Uni.
YER 4 Pennsylvania. and he always
"'''t ~ the principle that II he
,%''.H 4 hing well done he must do Il
hn,,t
.lb'h b" started his Poor Richard'a
hh''Ua', ,t',' which, AZ we shall later see.
l"d Ia" ihiladclphians In forming
usu'' saving and industrious habits
~ "' 'n" clerk Of the General Assem-.
~ "i' l'"Slrnastrr Of Philadelphia.