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

dom In the least agree with Miss
Glasgow. but this would no " .lreary
worfd II we all thought alike. or EVEN
made the same deductions from the same
set of premises. Miss Glasgow certainly
has won her right to form her own
opinions n have them listened to with
respect. but this time IT seems Ia me
she has narrowed her vision.
In the first place there il no more. IL
great body OF American readers for
cheap optimism and silly sentimentalism
than there is in England. nor are there
as many tenth rate books written. Amer
lean publishers have told me tina; an
Incredible number of poor English
novels are offered here. and rejected
promptly. that attain a fair circulation
in Great Britain. / know that when I
lived there and during many subsequent
visits I was often moved IN wond
that so practical n race should appar-
entity devour go great an amount Of
wishywashy trash. II a certain class Of
readers. no doubt the most highly spe-
cialized in the world. is ever on the
alert to recognize the major gifts for
literature. no matter how modestly they
may be put forth. there Is no question
that the mass of readers In Great Brit
ain. as here. prefer trash. Something
light and sweet and full Of love. Was
not THE Rosary written in England"
As to our seutimentalists. it does not
seem to be known here that Miss Gene
Stratton Porter has sold a million or
two of her books in Great Britain in the
shilling editions. ! know. for my pub
Usher. Mr.. Murray. has brought three
of them out, and ] contemplate his
printed statements to that effect in my
own books. Naturally ] am devoured
by envy.
II must never be forgotten that one Of
Great Britain's prime favorites. the be-
loved OF the, late Queen Victoria and
the recipient Of a postcard from Mr..
Gladstone. Is Miss Marie corclli.
As to the distinguished group OF Brit
ish authors who before the war At all
events were so deservedly president.
thlnk-to he perfectly ~frank-that We
kowtow to them disgracefully. We
should rcad them of course just as we
should read the best literature of all ma
tons. both past and modern. Good
novels are good current history, AS l
have tried to persuade some OF our in
trenched Western women 30 given to
remarking that they cant take any In,
teTeSV III vi We Nv. !" - "
and America Is good enough for them
anyhow.
But why this group or any other for
eign group of authors should he held up
constantly as models OF perfection and
to the dctriment OF our own passes my
comprchensiOn They are no more sin
cere. no more true to life. no more inter-
esting, no better craftsmen. and al
though there may be more Journalists
among them (God knows we are afflicted
with those too, but their day Is passing).
they write no better than the best OF ours
NJ, une-haif as wildly fcc 4 very Socd
reason. which I shall return to later.
II any one Of these men had happened
To have been born an American he would
have waited many years longer for his
fame It Is the seal of London which
causes the new vintage to be swallowed
AT a gulp on this side OF the water. The
impartial Mr.. Gladstone. who also dis
covered Mrs. Humphry Ward. used 10
he almost Indispensable M a starter, but
to-day the combined opinion OF tho Brit
ish critics and II must be admitted
they take the trouble to read a book and
then to understand ~ IL all that In
necessary. Immediately after the Amer
ican drums begin to play, and not only
are the hrst rate men n women Of our
mother country tho subject Of a sort of
meticulous ecstasy. but q number OF what
Charley Towne wtttily calls the Younger
sons Of English authors set by. These
have ~ almost equal vogue (hsrs. ~