The New York herald., 1921-02-20

Englishmen. Perhaps 1 should note an eX-
ception. 1t is a book / read over and over,
and always with new pleasure, Helen's
Babies That book in England became
permit me to say it without apology, but
write something different if you refer 70 the
book-a household word in England, where
everybody knew it was written by an Amer
lean, for the good reason that no English
man could have written it,
"But The Autocrat of the Breakfast
Table is not so nationalized. 1t was as
good in England as in her ancient colony.
L read 1t, re-read it, enjoyed it, re-enioyed il
without asking whether a countryman of
mine or not wrote IL.
when the 'Autocrat was sensiby mould
ing my rough generation there was little
difference between English and American
literatures. In ideal, in aspiration, in crafts
mauship they were essentially the same.
AS have said, English children in the last
quarter Of the nineteenth century were
brought up on American books How many
matrons I have known who break into en-
thusiastic "reminiscences at the name of
Louisa NJ. Alcott, Every English girl of my
Gay read and delighted in Little Women.
Calls the Lighter Writings
Most DistinctiveIy American
"Yes, it is very true that in the great day
Of the Vctorians writing people of our stock
resembled that stock stemmed from il as it
is now the fashion TO say, and it would
have been difficult then to distinguish books
of the same class as being English or Amer
lean. The literatures OF the two countries
have grown very far apart i'm the last thirty
or forty years. There is a distinct American
literature now as there was not then.
Especially is this difference noticeable in
the lighter more humorous vein of writing.
That kind of writing here is very national,
very American. Christopher Morley for in
stance in whose column / have found pleas
ure writes. indeed. as only an American
could write and it would be very difficult TO
parallel him with an Englishman writing to-
DAY. | could not indeed, fail TO believe him
to be a countryman of yours.
speaking of nationalism in literature. II
is not long ago when we were all talking that
il would soon die out. II has. on the contrary,
taken a new lease OF life, for which we
should be very glad It would not add 10 the
gayety of life that there should be too many
Punches, one published in every city Of the
world AS things are i'm England there are
few persons more boresome than the well
meaning individuals who remember their
Punch overwell.
signs of vitality are apparent when
nationality persists In literatures Ireland
has a quite dissimilar kind Of writing from
any that could be supposed by any stress
of imagination TO thrive in England Her
poets and playwrights have cultivated them
selves, and thus the quick, versatile, melan-
choy and lively mind Of the irish is pre-
served 10 us in her books and plays. We
could III spare, we readers that double feel
ing, fun of pathos and irony, which is one
Characteristic common to Yeats and synge
What do English people read? IL you
should put that question to Arnold Bennett
or TO II. c. Wells or TO Anthony Hope or
even TO Hugh Walpoe. you would get a new
answer in each case. or they might well
shrink, as I do. from answering. Seriously,
believe there has been n revival OF interest
in Dickens. His legend Is all powerful; II Is
almost n figure Of mythology in its general
credcnce and acceptance. Dickens did not
make his own legend. as they tell US Dumas
and other Frenchmen did; Il made itself,
and Il has become universal because Of his
many sides. He studied so many mon In so
find the picture he drew faithful II IS
not considered intellectual nowadays, as It
was a few years ago, TO sneer at Dickens.
II have heard the young person say that
she did not care for Thackeray. because,
while he might have known his monde. he
could not know hers and this in presence
of the fact that Thackeray wrote OF re-
stricted circle of gentry of his own day
becomes plausible. He did not write for all
times and all peoples indeed, but he wrote
um. um--delghtfully.
1T Is rcgrettable about Scott Thcv call
him slow circuitous. tlresome; they say he