The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-19

NV run across story which in-
 terested me considerably. It was choice between books. or authors--in fact, the story was en- titled. The Scarlet Letter" or Huclx- leberry Finn?"
 was so interested In the story-it was by Dr. William Lyon Phelps. a review of The American Nover- that it at once centered my attention around two novels l had just finished reading, Helen of the old House" by Harold Bell Wright (The Cosmopoli- tan Book company publishers, New Aork cItyl, ana ruer Father 8 Daugn- ter' by Gene Stratton-Porter (Dou- pieday. Page Ss Co, pubhshers, Gar den City, N, Y).
 These two very recent novels follow the hne taken by Dr. Phelps when he questions which of the two. The scarlet Letter. or "Huckleberry Finn" 4s the typical American mover, for when you stop 10 think of it, Harold Bell Wright and Gene Stratton- Porter sell more books than any other present. day writers.
 In speaking of The American Novel; by Carl Van Doren, pr. Phelps quotes from the bgDk as follows;
 In the futile critical exercise of contending which is the greatest American novel, choice ordinarily mar rows down at last to "The Scarlet Letter" and "Huckleberry Finn"-a sufficiently antipodean pair and as hard to bring into comparison as trag- edy and comedy themselves. Each in HnT nrfYR books do seem to be supreme. The Scarlet Letter. offers. by contrast, practically no picture; "Huckleberry Finn" no problem.
 pr. Phelps then adds:
 T think we might say that the greatest work of literary art pro- duced in America is The Scarlet Let ter" while the great American novel is 'Huckleberry Finn" meaning tha. novel which best expresses America and Americans-American scenery and American life"
 Following this Review" of Dr. Phelps of The American Novel" Il then happened to see @ review" of Harold Bell Wright's Helen of the Old House." which was headlined, Why Is Harold Bell Wright?" Naturally, as l had Just finished reading Helen of the old House" Of II. B. W's, l took great pains to find the answer to the question, and here is what l learned:
 Certain things we have with us always. To death and taxes has been added the name of Harold Bell Wright by many querulous critics who have sought in vain an answer to the question. Why is Harold Bell Wright" The astounding success of Vg among those thinkers who desire above all things to improve the qual- ity of American literature. Ono won ders, after all, whether or not liar old Bell Wright has anything to do with American literature. Does he represent the tone of American let ters any more than Marion Harland's Cook Book does? Thousands read both writers for recipes; in Harold Bell Wright's case the recipes are both moral and uplifting, He is anx- ious to improve not the tone of American letters, but the tone of are tracts; Helen of the Old House. in particular, is tract"
 Harold Bell Wright was a clergy man before he took to writing, which may account for his books being called tracts" and the reviewer" of Helen of the Old House" says:
 And right here is where many critics fail to do justice to Harold Bell Wright. He is still & minister, still preaching to a puplic--but he has found a new form for his ser mons. It is form that reaches hun dreds of thousands of people that he could not reach in his pulpit days. The fault of the critic is to take this man and regard him as an exemplifi- cation of the American literary spirit. He is no more a living demonstra-