Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-24

teaching men how 20 see the truth of life
that they may make il better, they teach
men how ~ fool Themselves.
HELD FICTION cHIAF
America had proceeded on the aswfmp-
tion that stories we're but trivial things,
the amusement of nm idle hour. The writ
ers accepted this estimate ~ their place,
az they were bound 20 do, and they gave
America trivial things. And thereby they
made Of America IN many ways D fatnous
fool. blind 10 her own faults For men
must have stories. They have never been
able TO live without them And they have
always believed the stories they hear,
however prepostefOus That is Why you
may measure the actual civilization u
country 40 accurately by It's writers.
Even the great writer's u that period
after the Civil War obsyed the popular
behest 10 produce pretty trities Bret
Harta was an artist of the highest skill,
but he wrote about California IN ~
with all the brutality and hardship left
out, making il ~ sad and pretty as
fairy tale, taking his cue from the sloppy
teaffulness Of Dickens, bat lacking the
greatEnglishman' q power Of caTicatufe and
humor. Mark Twain, the giant of them
oil, wrote one book which was 3 far
picture Of barbaric America 10 "Huckle-
berry Finn" and then wasted the best
part Of his life writing such things ~ his
iJoan Of Arc" and "1he Prince and the
Pauper His final Judgment u human
life he did not allow 10 be published uni'l
after his death.
WHAT HowELfs ACHIEVED.
Into this period Of greed and intoleT
ance Uowells emerged ss q young writer u
brilliant gifts and clear vision. Into p
alec emerged Henry James, who died re-.
Gently an Englishman. James looked
America over and then went n Europe
and never came hack when be wrote o
America il was only to satirize II bitterly
In him America lost great man because
j she did not vet know how 10 use him
/ Howells, 100, vent 10 Europe. and tn
/ felt the charm 81 that older and richer
4 civilization and falt by cornparison how
greedy and ignorant and lntolerant wss
America Nevertheless, unlike James, hs
Deliberately chose 70 stay n his own
country and he resolved n fnd his sub
lects in It. TOO More than that. he de-
termined n paint i az y vas HE pic
tlgre of Silas fapham was a daring thing
IN It's day, for IL showed a typical Amer
can business man - an iRnorant, vain and
sycophsntic fellow
/ But Howells was after AT tne cfestlfs q
hiz time He drew some true pictures u
America, but he kow-towed ~ the stuhy
nabobs If Boston, representing them as
beings exalted and perfect And be he'd
the American squeamighness az n So
AN hig love affairs we're bloosliess, ali hls
hproines sweet, proper and somewhat IN
real. He fell short of the achievement II 2
great novelist not FOR want ~ skill h9t
for want of courage. Yet ne dared much
and accomplished much And ~ cri'in
and editor, he fought long and fiercelv
against the pueriie rornancers who, until
tben had dominated the public mind He
was the advance guard If American
rea.ists, and prepared the way TOT those
I Who have come after him, and those who
arc vet 10 cone-the writers who will
teach America 10 see herself ~ she y
yoling. lustv. ignorant. full ~ illusion and
dnergy. 4 loutish giaatess on the way %
great things, needing only clearer com
erchension of herself.