The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-15
MEREDITH

Is 4, possible that I am backing into
another sy mpos UNI? Only A few months
g sofne remarks Of mine In the Allan
tic Monthly. in which I undertook to
defend American writers from the sings
and arrows Of Edward Yarnett. was
made the subject of a symposium in
the value ScS. To my surprise and
chagrin my modest efforts to throw a
protecting arm around American authors
brought me few thanks and many
knocks. Even my old friend and fellow
townsmau NJ. Roo,h Harrington poked
me slyly IN the ribs and had the IN
deccnCy 10 quote me against myseif-a
gross breach 81 hospitality. as the re-
mark he drew on me rad been In the
s~anrtity Of his own study. In that same
collection OF comments Mr.. Samuel Mer-
win, one OF the best of fellows, implied
strongly that my affection for Walt
whitman was all sham and hypocrisy.
and that II any one wrote an American
novel OF Whitman breadth and power |
would be the last man to read ii. There
fore ! may be pardoned for a certain
iiindtty ~ entering the Lists again.
For all I care American novelists may
continue in a state OF unpreparedness
and suffer the fire OF the British critics
IN meek submission.
As Miss Glasgow has recently de-
scribcd TO me on the occasion OF her
hrst visit to our Hoosier capital the
fragrance and c~rispness Of Virginia mint
~ this time OF year I have no heart 20
co'nba; her conclusions as to the de-
piorahlc condition OF American fiction.
Virginia IS a Commonwealth dear 10 me
and remembering the julep as IT -four
ishcs there ! shall not by unwise utter
ances cut myself on from the hope OF
Miss GlasG"w's hospitality when next
fate carries me over the hills OF en-
chantment to Americas land Of true ro-
nance, I adopt without the slightest
hesitation all Of Miss Ghsgow's views
or the burning question, What's wrong
with the American novel" Tlhre's too
much sugar In the Julep there we have
II as plain al a mint bed against q white
Virginia veranda. What our people
want. a y Miss Glasgow. II the cheap
est sort Of sham optimism. and they
want " uttered by a picturesque wh,m-
seal character In humorous dialect.
Books, she continues, made according To
this recipe sell by hundreds OF thousands
The type Of tale thus described is one
with which every reader of American
fiction is familiar. and ! am glad that
Miss Glasgow has taken a shot at il.
thought il has been my hope for ten
Neals to contribute to the list OF s,Ich
books. The fact that I haven't done SO
is attributed solely to my inability Ia
devise the essential whimsical phiioso.
pler to build 1t round. 1t has been
my greatest ambition to create such "A
hook to the end that I may u an
automobile OF highest power and en-
roll myself among the fortunate mem
hers Of the writing fraternity who tray vel
de luxe upon the seven seas and owl
IA NJ tt.v ,,.N eN,nn 1900. =
Those lucky ones are covered all over
with my mcalsst envy. I haven't written
one OF those forty-thousand word bond
buyers simply because I have neither the
genius nor the philosophy required "a
com,s,sc such a work.
But am glad Of an opportunity TO
throw a brick at that false optimism
which the attitude OF many Americans
during the discussion OF preparedness
has mad odious. I'm disposed to think
tina, we've had too much provincialism