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Show MUCH TALENT, LITTLE GENIUS. i, Justin McCarthy's Idea of the English Literary World. Justin McCarthy, whose own activities activi-ties as a writer linvo extended over moro than half a century, does not agreo with the despondent noto often heard In tho discussion of English literature. lit-erature. "It is true," ho says, "that we havo not tho old giants with us. Wo havo much lino talent, but not, perhaps, much real genius. It Is the quiet sea nfter the billows. What I mean Is that In literary history yqu havo times of great minds and then again times of mcroly gifted minds. Tho present tlmo Is ono of high average aver-age talent rather than ono of genius. Tho averago quality of English literature litera-ture has nover, perhaps, been higher, and then people nro reading more. When tho next flight of groat, geniuses comes along thero will bo a public such ns oven Thackeray or Dickens, did not have." i , |