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

no purpose whatever? Ia his work all
lost because II has rot a flavor of old
bookstalls like those on the Strand or
commonplace ~personages In commonplace
little towns centuries old who do only
what is expected of them In a fusty but
rather interesting way? Is II a smaller
achievement to write of great reClama-
ton schemes for great forests In terms
of fiction than to note the i~nterpsycho-
logical reactions of the marital ieln-
tions OF some dull old English gentle
man who has married "A wife too young
for him.. even II the hero of the Western
novel does use something less than class
ical word construction?
And then again We certainly have
numbers of twin sisters TO Nine. Ravary
and we write Of them in our novels, but
they do not infect American life to such
an extent that we a to write all our
classics about them W. must. II We in
tend TO hold the mirror IN to all Ameri-
can life. give "A small, volume TO Mrs.
Wigs and ! don't believe Mr.. Fickwi'k
will refuse TO cordially pass the time 81
the day with David Harum IA the book
heaven they must both inhahit. And
again after having rear Iiardy's Tess
let's sit down with lie'.ra Richie and
| think she will not seem to US UNDER
sized. Again THE House Of Mirth' and
Lady Roses Daughter can be put next
to each other Justly on anybody's book
shelf.
These comparisons could 90 on In
definitely and nothing be really decided
In the way OF superiority ~ merit. The
English novel will always he good red
beef and the American will for many
years to come have a flavor Of venison
from the forest. hut let's don't refuse
the young novel from the young land "A
place under the literary sun. Would it
not be possible to persuade the critics 10
be hopeful about the jocund humor Of
the literature Of the day IN America?
Can't we believe that the smiles and
tears In dialec, are Just bubbles that rise
to the surface Of new wine That In time
will mellow
Then can we no, encourage the young
singer TO go on seeing the love and the
lilacs OF life AZ much as he chooses II
he will only promise TO hunt up all the
dank. ugly spots and corners and tell
us about them and what he thinks q
them with the amt enthusiasm N" Law
lsh.s on u" natural pretty SRI who sets
,he mar in the end? And after all a
writer must give forth to some extent
the cosmic philosophy which he brcItAes
into his heart from the people around
him and y those people are young and
hearty and lusty and spirited his nov
els to be true must reflect that spirit.
A novel is great II II i%nterpretS a phase
If the life from which IL is evolved. and
American novels are great because thcy
truly reflect the American life. when
IL Is necessary one Of our writers sees
and smells the Chicago stock wards aud
writes II great novel about them. Some
straight out blows have been Struck at
swollen fortunes and n, least one good
novel has asked what is the matter Will
the church in America. We slash AZ
the cancer II Broadway occasionally and
the children In tho mills have been
spread in all their fcchloness on 'hc
pages Of several very tender and impas-
stoned novels.
Yes, the young novelist ~ America has
grasped thorns az well as rose and I
believe the clan can be trusted 20 meas
ure up as adequate when they are Judged
several centuries hence, despite the
critics,