Mr.JamesLaneAllenhasletinthelightuponKentucky;theRedMenandWhiteofthegreatplainshavefoundtheirinterpreterinMr.OwenWister，ayoungPhiladelphianwitnessoftheirdramaticconditionsandcharacteristics;Mr.HamlinGarlafidhadalreadyexpressedthesadcircumstancesoftheruralNorthwestinhispatheticidyls，coloredfromtheexperienceofonewhohadbeenpartofwhathesaw.LatercameMr.
HenryB.Fuller，andgaveuswhatwashardestandmostsordid，aswellassomethingofwhatwasmosttouchingandmostamusing，intheburly—burlyofChicago.
III.
Asurveyofthissortimpartsnojustsenseofthefacts，andIownthatIamimpatientofmerelynamingauthorsandbooksthateachtemptmetoanexpansionfarbeyondthelimitsofthisessay;for，ifImaybesopersonal，IhavewatchedthegrowthofourliteratureinAmericanismwithintensesympathy.InmypoorwayIhavealwayslikedthetruth，andintimespastIamafraidthatIhavehelpedtomakeitodioustothosewhobelievedbeautywassomethingdifferent;butIhopethatIshallnotnowbedoingourdecentralizedliteratureadisservicebysayingthatitschiefvalueisitshonesty，itsfidelitytoourdecentralizedlife.
SometimesIwishthiswerealittlemoreconstant;butuponthewholeI
havenoreasontocomplain;andIthinkthatasaveryinterestedspectatorofNewYorkIhavereasontobecontentwiththeveracitywithwhichsomephasesofithavebeenrendered.Thelightning—ortheflash—
light，tospeakmoreaccurately——hasbeenratherlateinstrikingthisungainlymetropolis，butithasalreadygotinitsworkwithnotableeffectatsomepoints.Thisbegan，Ibelieve，withthelocaldramasofMr.EdwardHarrigan，aspeciesoffarces，orsketchesofcharacter，looselyhungtogether，withlittlesequenceorrelevancy，uponthethreadofaplotwhichwouldkeepthestagefortwoorthreehours.Itwasveryroughmagic，asawhole，butinpartsitwasexquisite，anditheldthemirroruptowardspoliticsontheirsocialandpoliticalside，andgaveusEast—Sidetypes——Irish，German，negro，andItalian——whichwereinstantlyrecognizableanddeliciouslysatisfying.InevercouldunderstandwhyMr.Harrigandidnotgofurther，butperhapshehadgonefarenough;and，atanyrate，heleftthefieldopenforothers.ThenexttoappearnoticeablyinitwasMr.StephenCrane，whoseRedBadgeofCouragewrongedthefinerartwhichheshowedinsuchNewYorkstudiesasMaggie：AGirloftheStreets，andGeorge\'sMother.HehasbeenfollowedbyAbrahamCahan，aRussianHebrew，whohasdoneportraitsofhisraceandnationwithuncommonpower.TheyaretheveryRussianHebrewsofHesterStreettranslatedfromtheirnativeYiddishintoEnglish，whichtheauthormasteredaftercominghereinhisearlymanhood.HebroughttohisworktheartisticqualitiesofboththeSlavandtheJew，andinhis\'Jekl：AStoryoftheGhetto\'，hegaveproofoftalentwhichhismorerecentbookofsketches——\'TheImportedBridegroom\'——confirms.Heseeshispeoplehumorously，andheisasunsparingoftheirsordidnessasheiscompassionateoftheirhardcircumstanceandthesomewhatfrowsypathosoftheirlives.HeisaSocialist，buthisfictioniswhollywithout\"tendentiousness.\"
Agoodmanyyearsago——tenortwelve，atleast——Mr.HarryHarlandhadshownussomepoliterNewYorkJews，witharomanticcoloring，thoughwithgenuinefeelingforthenoveltyandpicturesquenessofhismaterial;
butIdonotthinkofanyonewhohasadequatelydealtwithourGentilesociety.Mr.JameshastreatedithistoricallyinWashingtonSquare，andmoremodernlyinsomepassagesofTheBostonians，aswellasinsomeofhisshorterstories;Mr.EdgarFawcetthasdealtwithitintelligentlyandauthoritativelyinanovelortwo;andMr.BranderMatthewshassketchedit，inthisaspect，andthatwithhisGalliccleverness，neatness，andpoint.Inthenovel，\'HisFather\'sSon\'，heinfactfacesitsquarelyandrenderscertainformsofitwithmasterlyskill.Hehasdonesomethingmoredistinctivestillin\'TheActionandtheWord\'，oneofthebestAmericanstoriesIknow.Butexceptforthesewriters，ourliteraturehashardlytakentoNewYorksociety.
IV.
Itisaneventhing：NewYorksocietyhasnottakentoourliterature.
NewYorkpublishesit，criticisesit，andcirculatesit，butIdoubtifNewYorksocietymuchreadsitorcaresforit，andNewYorkisthereforebynomeanstheliterarycentrethatBostononcewas，thoughalargenumberofourliterarymenliveinoraboutNewYork.Boston，inmytimeatleast，haddistinctlyaliteraryatmosphere，whichmoreorlesspervadedsociety;butNewYorkhasdistinctlynothingofthekind，inanypervasivesense.Itisavastmart，andliteratureisoneofthethingsmarketedhere;butourgoodsocietycaresnomoreforitthanforsomeotherproductsboughtandsoldhere;itdoesnotcarenearlysomuchforbooksasforhorsesorforstocks，andIsupposeitisnotunlikethegoodsocietyofanyothermetropolisinthis.Tothegeneral，here，journalismisafarmoreappreciablethingthanliterature，andhasgreaterrecognition，forsomeverygoodreasons;butinBostonliteraturehadvastlymorehonor，andevenmorepopularrecognition，thanjournalism.Therejournalismdesiredtobeliterary，andhereliteraturehastotryhardnottobejournalistic.IfNewYorkisaliterarycentreonthebusinessside，asLondonis，Bostonwasaliterarycentre，asWeimarwas，andasEdinburghwas.Itfeltliterature，asthosecapitalsfeltit，andifitdidnotloveitquitesomuchasmightseem，italwaysrespectedit.
TobequiteclearinwhatIwishtosayofthepresentrelationofBostontoourotherliterarycentres，ImustrepeatthatwehavenownosuchliterarycentreasBostonwas.Bostonitselfhasperhapsoutgrowntheliteraryconsciousnesswhichformerlydistinguisheditfromallourotherlargetowns.Inaplaceofnearlyamillionpeople（Icountintheoutlyingplaces）newspapersmustbemorethanbooks;andthatalonesayseverything.