THE NEBRASKAN
97
stories would (ill volumes. When one thinks work persistently recalls the story of the
of the possibilities this historic region holds, Yankee who thoughtfully remarked that "he
it is surprising that so little has been done guessed the Almighty was about right."
toward giving it a distinctive literature of its Prof. Sherman would be about as much
own. It is so entirely different from any moved by the approval of the Nbiikaskan, as
other portion of our country, and so unique the Creator was by this expression of New
in all its characteristics that it deserves a England sentiment. But, on the other hand,
better representation. Justice has not yet our disapproval would be equally eflectual,
been done it. so their is no real cause for reticence.
We do not mean to say that the South has To say that "Analytics of Literature" reads
had no good writers, but that they have like a novel, might be a doubtful compliment,
failed to win for it the permanent place There are "novels and novels." Taking the
i should have in American literature, phrase in its usually accepted meaning, it is
Geo. W. Cable has done much for one entirely applicable. Indeed, it is long since
southern state. In "The Grandissimes," and a novel has fallen into the hands of the writer
"Old Creole Days," he has pictured to us which was as enjoyable. A gentle remon
that part of Louisiana which is so like a strance was- registered in our last issue
strip of the Old World. Its people and their against text books which made a course in
peculiarities are faithfully and conscientious mining engineering necessary to be able to
ly, but withal charmingly, portrayed. "The dig out the thought. This text book hardly
Grandissimes" deals with the social aspect at has to be read. It almost reads itself,
the beginning of the century, and is largely It might be expected that a man who has
a stud)r ol race peculiarities. Being in close put as much study as Prof. Sherman on the
touch with this people, and having as he did art of expressing thought, should write read
abundant opportunities to observe their vir- able English. There is, however, more than
tues and their deficiencies, Cable has been simple good writing in this book. As he
enabled to do them justice. It is such men says in his chapter on "Themes," mere form
that the South needs. It has its Augusta of expression is a secondary consideration in
Evans Wilson, with her somewhat highly wiiting. The actual thought is the import
colored romances, its Thomas Nelson Page ant thing. It is the essentially original and
and its Edgar Allen Poe, but it wants a apparently correct theory of literature that
Hawthorne, an Emerson, and a Longfellow, make the book what it seems to me to be, a
revelaiion in the manner of tea hing that
Ginn & Co. have our thanks for a copy of almost unteachable subject, literature.
Prof. Sherman's "Analytics of Literature."
After Prof. Peterson's article published in Thoreau said that traveling was often more
the Nuws and later in the Hesperian, a re- a hindrance than a benefit, as far as the nc-
view of the contents would be entirely super- quiring of knowledge was concerned. He
fluous. A discussion of the book from a could, he said, learn more in a ten mile walk
more general, philosophical point of view is, than in a thousand mile journey by rail. I
I fear, a little beyond me. am rather inclined to disagree with him. It
College students, and American college was not so much that he, could learn new
students in particular,are noted for their self- things in his walk as that he could place his
confidence. We probably have all heard of already acquired knowledge in a new light,
that Harvard boy who didn't think much of The case is somewhat the same when an en-
thc Book of Proverbs. It was, he said, only thusiastic geologist picks up a piece of pav-
a collection of disjointed sentences. The ing stone and reads from it the story of the
writer of this cannot be a typical American creation. What a man gets out of a thing
student. The idea of praising Prof. Sherman's depends very much on what he already has
il
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