that the standard periodicals of the former section are generally conducted by book publishers, who, from the nature of their occupation, and from their successful and well-established business relations, and their great publishing conveniences, not to speak of the capital at their command, are enabled not only to publish magazines of a handsome and pleasing appearance, but to pay liberally, and to attract to them the most distinguished authors of either section of the country. With all these advantages in its favor, it is not at all strange that the North should, in a great measure, have monopolized the world's attention in a contemplation of American literature, and have stamped the impress of its peculiar creeds upon the minds of the thinkers of other lands. It would have been far better for the hopes of the South that its literature should have had one single worthy exponent, successfully maintained, than that it should lament fifty failures. Could it have been possible to have joined in the past, in the conduct of one magazine of a high order, the capital that has been frittered away in fifty attempted enterprises, Southern letters would be far more flourishing than they are to-day. As is the case in all human ventures and experiments, the struggle for the intellectual palm has been subject to the chances afforded by the possession of dollars. The presence of money on the one hand, and the absence of it on the other, have availed, in the case of the former, to establish and to build up; and, in the case of the latter, to consign to an early oblivion. That this is the principal cause for the anomalous condition of Southern literature, none, I fancy, will deny. The problem to introduce a system of equivalents, which was a favorite way of reasoning with our friend Micawber- may stand thus: Given, a certain number of dollars and a certain amount of brain result, Success; given, a certain amount of brain and no dollars result, Failure.

We are all familiar with the lesson which is taught us in the homely adage: Never judge by appearances. For my part, and especially as regards the appearance of printed matter, I am not disposed to submit without question to the implied logic of the old saw. In the course of a life not altogether unobservant of

men, their motives and governing impulses, I have seen - and I am quite sure the fact has presented itself to the attention of others as well-an amazing degree of impudence and coarseness kept within bounds and under exemplary subjection by the consciousness, on the part of the possessor of these characteristics, that he wore upon his back a fine, indeed, a fashionable coat. I have seen at times in public places, public conveyances, houses of public entertainment, and so on, certain parties whose hands, I knew, were ready to fly into their neighbors' faces, and whose tongues, I felt assured, were with difficulty restrained from addressing opprobrious language to anybody who might offer, but who, because they were attired in proper garbs, labored with success through the role of peaceable and law-abiding citizens. Granted that these individuals were ruffians; but they were ruffians who were conscious of the necessity of preserving wherewith they had invested themselves in donning a fashionable hat, and of maintaining that suggestion of respectability and good manners which attached to their trowsers. Your well-dressed vulgarian, sent out for the world's inspection from the shop of a competent tailor, is rarely without his good points, and generally inspires confidence in the timid beholder. It is chiefly your slouching, shabby, unwholesome-looking fellow who glories in his coarseness, and who is the object of suspicion and distrust wherever he goes. In like manner-and this digression has been introduced for the sake of the deduction that appearances are not altogether deceptive — the sympathy and confidence of most readers naturally go with a handsome, bright-looking, clearly-printed magazine or other periodical, and, as naturally, are repelled by attributes the reverse of these. In the matter of magazines, at least, people almost invariably do judge by appearances; and unfortunately, the literary publications of the South in the past, owing to the restrictions which have been mentioned, have not failed to suffer, in an æsthetical point of view, by contrast with those of the North. It may be truly said, however, that in this respect a great improvement is perceptible in our existing Southern periodicals. The auguries of a brilliant literary future for the South are more marked than ever before.

The war-period, extending from 1861 to 1865, gave a strong impetus to Southern literature. A great deal of the offerings at the shrine in those days was, of course, in keeping with the spirit which the enthusiasm of the hour had evoked. But better than this manifestation of mental activity on the part of writers was the impulse given to the publishers. As it was understood that the South should enter upon its own manufactures of all kinds, authors and publishers were equally urged to labor to supply the demand for new literary food, the blockade having proven an effectual barrier to introduction of literature from Europe or the North in sufficient quantities. The result was that many new literary enterprises saw the light, and, seemingly, entered gayly upon prosperous careers. The majority of these periodicals were published in Richmond, which, as being the seat of government, and the Mecca whereto the faithful, coming from all quarters, flocked, was assumed to be, also, the principal home of the literary amenities. Here were gathered the "Southern Literary Messenger" and the "Age,” (monthly magazines,) and the "Magnolia Weekly," the "Illustrated News," and the "Southern Punch," (weeklies,) the two last smacking strongly in their titles of the British capital. The magazines- the former too well known to need further reference, the latter a new magazine, semi-eclectic in its characterwere devoted to literature, with departments allotted to editorials and the news of the month. Of the three weekly publications, the "Magnolia Weekly" was more particularly of a literary cast. The "Illustrated News" gave, together with literary matter, portraits of Confederate celebrities, and, occasionally,, in its comic department, touched off the follies of the day. The "Southeru Punch," called after the London "Punch," was generally of a humorous turn, and sought to use the same weapon as its namesake satire represented in the cartoon - to avert some threatened, or to right some accomplished wrong, and was at times critical in its comments on men and things.

In addition to these Richmond publications, there were three or four other literary weeklies in other parts of the Confederacy, of which, however, one only-the "Southern Field and Fireside," published first at Augusta, Georgia, and afterward at Raleigh,

North Carolina-was noticeable for age and reputation. About the time of Sherman's irruption into Georgia, and the closer gathering of the Federal arms around Richmond, a new magazineSmith & Barrow's "Monthly Magazine," published by the proprietors of the "Magnolia Weekly"-made its appearance. Only the first number of this magazine was issued, as nearly everybody connected with the press in that interval, unless specially exempted from military service by some one of the dozen or more sprigs of authority who then played their pranks in the devoted city, was duly marched, at regular stages of a week or ten days, to the trenches around the capital, where, under pretence of checking imaginary raids, he was kept, sometimes for weeks, to the great detriment of that freedom of the press which is the American's jealously-guarded birthright, and which should never, under any circumstances no, never! - be invaded. Of this first number of the magazine, but few copies ever reached subscribers, as, owing to the interrupted communications in every direction, it was found impossible to despatch the copies to their destinations. No. 1, Vol. I., therefore, remained upon the shelves; and, in the great conflagration that wedded the Confederate capital to ruin, became ashes in the flames that destroyed the office of the "Magnolia Weekly," and all that it contained.

All the publications mentioned above paid for accepted articles. But owing to the great depreciation of the currency which ensued with time, what was fair pay in the beginning became execrably bad pay in the end. The publishers were cramped for means, as their expenses for every material that they used were enormous. The figures that ruled in those days for the merest necessities of life, as well as for the necessities of business, were almost fabulous. A paper dollar was the financial unit from which all notations of a monetary character commenced. But while this was so with the generality of articles that were sold in stores and factories, exhibiting an average advance of two thousand per cent. in prices, newspapers and literary periodicals increased in price about eight hundred per cent. It will thus be seen that a loaf of bread, which ordinarily cost five cents in silver, was sold for one dollar in paper money, whereas a magazine, of which the price in ordinary times

was twenty-five cents, was disposed of at two dollars in currency. Apply Mr. Micawber's mode of reasoning to this exhibit in the matter of the publications, and the result is manifest. As a melancholy sequel to the calamities of publishers at that period, it may be mentioned that not one of the periodicals referred to is now in existence.

If the literary ventures of the war did not, perhaps, put money into the publishers' purses, or did not profit, pecuniarily, the writers who contributed to them, they at least gave the opportunities for several of these writers to make themselves known. In this way, many of the ladies whose names appear in "Southland Writers "first came prominently before the public as contributors to the "Magnolia Weekly," and to others of the publications named. It was thus that the lack of new literature spurred the native ability of the South to action, and gave to letters the magic of new and hitherto unknown names.

In closing this brief review of some of the past phases of the literature of the South, it is proper that I should not omit to do present justice to the lady-"Ida Raymond”—who, under many disadvantages, and at the cost of much time and great labor, has gathered together in this volume, from all parts of the country, the records, literary and personal, of the female writers of the South. It is a beautiful tribute, indeed, to Southern literature that is here offered at the shrine. And as the task has been selfsacrificing, and attended with many anxieties and difficulties, so is the noble purpose which actuated it worthy of the work and of the charity that dictated it. It seems peculiarly fitting, indeed, that the promptings of a woman's heart and the record of woman's work should combine to lend their assistance to supplying the wants of the orphan. Like one of those argosies which long ago sailed the Spanish main, burdened with its treasures from golden Mexico, "Southland Writers" enters upon a wide sea, freighted with its riches of trustful hopes and delicate fancies. To all good men and women it appeals, to insure it a prosperous voyage and a bountiful recompense, for the sake of the fatherless.

VIRGINIA, January, 1869.

CHARLES DIMITRY.