Boston once did through writers whom all the young writers wished to
resemble； it does not give the law； and it does not inspire the love that
literary Boston inspired。 There is no ideal that it represents。
A glance at the map of the Union will show how very widely our smaller
literary centres are scattered； and perhaps it will be useful in
following me to other more populous literary centres。 Dropping southward
from New York； now； we find ourselves in a literary centre of importance
at Philadelphia； since that is the home of Mr。 J。 B。 McMasters； the
historian of the American people； of Mr。 Owen Wister； whose fresh and
vigorous work I have mentioned； and of Dr。 Weir Mitchell； a novelist of
power long known to the better public； and now recognized by the larger
in the immense success of his historical romance； Hugh Wynne。
If I skip Baltimore； I may ignore a literary centre of great promise； but
while I do not forget the excellent work of Johns Hopkins University in
training men for the solider literature of the future； no Baltimore names
to conjure with occur to me at the moment； and we must really get on to
Washington。 This； till he became ambassador at the Court of St。 James；
was the home of Mr。 John Hay； a poet whose biography of Lincoln must rank
him with the historians； and whose public service as Secretary of State
classes him high among statesmen。 He blotted out one literary centre at
Cleveland； Ohio； when he removed to Washington； and Mr。 Thomas Nelson
Page another at Richmond； Virginia； when he came to the national capital。
Mr。 Paul Dunbar； the first negro poet to divine and utter his race；
carried with him the literary centre of Dayton； Ohio； when he came to be
an employee in the Congressional Library； and Mr。 Charles Warren
Stoddard； in settling at Washington as Professor of Literature in the
Catholic University； brought somewhat indirectly away with him the last
traces of the old literary centre at San Francisco。
A more recent literary centre in the Californian metropolis went to
pieces when Mr。 Gelett Burgess came to New York and silenced the 'Lark'；
a bird of as new and rare a note as ever made itself heard in this air；
but since he has returned to California； there is hope that the literary
centre may form itself there again。 I do not know whether Mrs。 Charlotte
Perkins Stetson wrecked a literary centre in leaving Los Angeles or not。
I am sure only that she has enriched the literary centre of New York by
the addition of a talent in sociological satire which would be
extraordinary even if it were not altogether unrivalled among us。
Could one say too much of the literary centre at Chicago？ I fancy； yes；
or too much； at least； for the taste of the notable people who constitute
it。 In Mr。 Henry B。 Fuller we have reason to hope； from what he has
already done； an American novelist of such greatness that he may well
leave being the great American novelist to any one who likes taking that
role。 Mr。 Hamlin Garland is another writer of genuine and original gift
who centres at Chicago； and Mrs。 Mary Catherwood has made her name well
known in romantic fiction。 Miss Edith Wyatt is a talent； newly known； of
the finest quality in minor fiction； Mr。 Robert Herrick； Mr。 Will Payne
in their novels； and Mr。 George Ade and Mr。 Peter Dump in their satires
form with those named a group not to be matched elsewhere in the country。
It would be hard to match among our critical journals the 'Dial' of
Chicago； and with a fair amount of publishing in a sort of books often as
good within as they are uncommonly pretty without； Chicago has a claim to
rank with our first literary centres。
It is certainly to be reckoned not so very far below London； which； with
Mr。 Henry James； Mr。 Harry Harland； and Mr。 Bret Harte； seems to me an
American literary centre worthy to be named with contemporary Boston。
Which is our chief literary centre； however； I am not； after all； ready
to say。 When I remember Mr。 G。 W。 Cable； at Northampton； Massachusetts；
I am shaken in all my preoccupations； when I think of Mark Twain； it
seems to me that our greatest literary centre is just now at Riverdale…
on…the…Hudson。
End