Show Foreign Literature I A reviewer of the literary scosou In tills ccuutry could not fall to l nJ fino f notice that during the last two or thnu 3 cars Americans have turned with their once wellknown fondness fond-ness to European literature as a I source of the mccl jirofitablu enter talnmcut and instruction The lay vorltu authors studied In literary clubs lure been Robert Hrownlns Tolitol and Ibsen The most talked about and probably the widest read book of the winter has been the Journal of Marie llashklrtscir those frank revelations which the I most audacious American girl could l I not have Imagined nor disclosed The repeated Dew translations if foreign authors show that the publishers pub-lishers are sure of a dnnand among American readers With this marked mark-ed eagerness In following European thought them has arisen a half expressed ex-pressed dlsatWactJoa with literature litera-ture In this country Sir George Parson Lalhrop says In the current Atlantic There Is a lack lr Independence an insulllclent I variety of bold opinion an indefinable disposition dis-position to discourage or modify salient Individuality in our writing which Is detrimental to vigor and diversity And from other critics come equally positive opinions in regard to the nerd of more force and downrlghtetlness in American literature liter-ature Informer days when there were no hooks worth reading In tills I I country and when our dependence I I upon need of foreign i was literary iiecesary 4ipport was the I not surprising The attitude nt present may be interpreted either as neglect of our own authors or asa I as-a sign of cosmopolitanism in literature litera-ture It may be regarded as the necessary condition of an interregnum I interreg-num when the process of assiinlla non is going on In preparation n brilliant period of future creatlou i With few exceptions the efforts of the younger generation of American Amer-ican authors seem to be I lenitive often liaractenml Jby a timidity which deserves i even the severe criticism of Mr I Lathrop Hut thee efforts are not I restricted to a email circle of writers writ-ers Dr Holenw has uttered his protest against the vast quantities of commonplace verso annually issued I by small poetasters Magazine editors edi-tors often give their wearier tetl I mony upon the mass of prose Issued I by apparently untiring American writers From this eagerness to produce literature and from the sincere efforts made to develop local peculiarities of custom and dialect a brilliant future of American literary work may be predicted Toe time may come when the study of our authors maV be as eagerly pursued by clubs and Individuals as that of foreign authors at the present time American history is a branch of recent popularity but It may be a forerunner of more enthusiastic appreciation ap-preciation of our literature llotton Journal |