The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-08

"a ~ citing q part IT ere- 64N 4
20 "vTh that was not literary showed
hat al writer's would H. better a~
Il they were obliged To- make $ living
!. some ether way than ID writing
'hf- fo"e}s gave his answer with
CONSIDERABLE NEor. lis caIu bl1e
eyes lost something OF their k!ndh
ness ana his lips were compressed
aid
4 certainly do not think - The
artist IN letters or in lines should
nave leisure III which 10 perform his
NaI4abl" service 70 society. The his
Tory of literature Is full Of heart
~breaAing instances ot writers whose
pouGctiVe careers were retarded by
their inability 70 earn a living AT
tnelr chosen profession. The belief
that poverty helps i writer is stupid
and wrong. Necessity i ret and
never has been an incentive. Poverty
is ISt and never has been an incen
1--WE Writer'S and other creative art
ISIS are hindered. q helped. by lack
Of leisure.
Il remember my own early ex-
per1enCeS and | know that my writing
suffered very much because | could
not devOte all my time 10 il. / had
10 spend ten hours III drudsery for
every two that | spent on my real
work The fact that authors who
have given the world things that il
treasures are forced TO live in a state
or anxiety. over their finances is la
inevitable. This anxiety cannot but
have a restrictive influence on ltera-
ture- 1t IS not want, bu. the fear Of
want, that kills"
Still. in spite Of their precarious
financial condition, modern authors
are doing good work. are they not?"
asked the reporter.
HoWeils, the noyelists especially
There is Robert Herrick. for example.
His novels are interesting stories. and
they also are faithful reflections Of
American life. Will Harben's work Is
admirable. 1t has splendid realism
and fine humor. Perhaps one thing
that has kept it, so far, from an APP
probation SO general as it will one
day receive. is the fact that it deals.
for the most part. with one special
locality, a certain part of Georgia.
And in Spain what excellent nov
elists they have there and have had
for a long tirnei The realistic move-
ment reached England and the United
States. In fact, the English-speaking
countries were the last to accep it. ]
have taken great pleasures in the
works of Arrnando Naldes. Then
there are Perez Galdos and Emilia
Pardo Bazan, and hat priest who
wrote a Realistic novel about Madrid
society. All these novelis,s are real
lists. and realistic Of power.
"Then there are the great Scandi-
n%ayians- [ hope that / may SONS
time attempt to express q little Of M
gratitude for the pleasure tha'
Bjornson's works have given me-"
The reported asked. What do you
think of contemporary poetry"
Il admire chiefly that of Thoma.
Hardy" said Mr.. Howells. His poem:
have force and actually and musi'
and charm. MaSfield | like, with
l reservations. Three modern poet
who give me great pleasure ar,
; Thomas Hardy. William Watson. ant
: Charles Hanson Towne- The first on
l of Mr.. Towne's poems that / reat
was Manhattan | have not for
gotten the truth Of hat poetic inter
I probation of New York. His poem
are beautiful and they are full Of hu
mainly. In his latest books there
, a poem called A Ballad Of Sham,
and Dread that moved me deeply. l
is a slight thing. but it is wonderful
powerful. Like all Of Towne's poe
s try, it is warm with human sympa
thy"
: "Do YOU think" asked the reporte,
l that the great social problems o
= the day. the feminine unrest. for in
e stance, are finding their ezpressio,
in literature?"
a No" said MI. Howeils, Il canno
:, call to mind any adequate literar
( expression Of the woman movement
S Perhaps this is because the woTne
e who know most about it and feel
f most strongly are not writers. TIL
e best things that have been said aboU
woman suffrage in our time have bee
: said by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
y has written the noblest Satir
IS since Lowell. What Wit she has, an
e what courage. Once I heard the ad
dress a meeting Of Single Taxer
Now. the Single Takers are all riCf
= so far as they go. but they don't E
e far enough. The Single Take
: heckled her, but she had 8 reto1
n ready for every interruption. Sh
2. stood there with her brave smile ar
Is talked them all down"
k Praise for Bricux.
II DO you think that Ibsen EXPRESS
the modern feminine unrest in tt
t. Dolls House," Mr.. Howell VI
g asked.