Show LITERATURE AND BOOKS In the Jeremiads Jeremiads' of the overworked ed critics the o i i id of literature litera itera- ture tune has come up lately for much dis dis- dis- dis If for literature we read books i th the case is Ia easily made out for the writing and the publishing of o ks have become becom commer commercial lal Indus Indus- of tries tries of many books at least Such an ind industry stry Is a as an te legitimate as the making I and md the selling of soaps scans soaps soaps' ar and d pills I but bitt ar less often than the public Imagines i it i is a pr profitable Q o occupation cu- cu pation for the truth is t that at almost if not quite as ac much mon money y has been I lost in recent years in exploiting some somes s sensational novels novela as has been made by bybe bythe bythe the be sale of others The busine business ss is not hS as safe as for example the manufacture manufacture ture tune of patent medicines or er as the thep 1 management p of a great circus s and ItIs it itis is more closely akin to these occupations than it is to the production or even to the he e sale of literature For literature lit lit- That is another thing and the production of literature and even Its sale has nothing in common with the manufacture of romances for kitchen and railway cor consumption To the impatient writer and to the critic whose desk is loaded down with the new DeW b books the whole world of pub- pub Jt may seem for a despondent l moment ment to o have ha changed but the de- de mood is not the mood for kIe conclusions The best books are j Writt n and are published and are sold and are aie bought and arc read by men and women whose standards have not suffered red permanent confusion They are arc not hot many nor dr tic many of them sell by byth th the million half-million but they endure at t least for a season Th The writing and I th the publishing of such have reier never never nev- nev er b been en occupations that men have pursued pursued pursued pur pur- sued primarily for profit and there ave ace yet t authors and publishers who do their high service to the public because c it is isH H l. l high service and because they like tp do it Let Us not lOse our standards of judgment or be confused by ephemeral ephemeral ephe ephe- meral successes The Thc The Worlds World's Work |