Life — June 6, 1895 — page 13: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

* LIFE: THE DENATIONALIZED NATIVE. R. WASHINGTON PLUMMERBY, the famous American writer and critic, who has lived abroad for the past thirty years, has just spent six weeks in the United States collecting materials for a great American novel, a four-act tragedy of Cherokee life, and a series of essays on the labor question in America and its relation to divorce statistics. He was interviewed the other day by one of the special hackmen of the P/anet, who was driving him down to the Lucania to return to his English home. “* What do you think of America, now, Mr. Plummerby ?” the hackman asked through the speaking tube, as he exchanged his whip for a pencil. “It has not grown any larger, except about the head, since I was here before. America is a fine country to come to, provided you are not a native. It is a good country to go away from if you havea letter of credit. But it has changed some.” “ For the better, Mr. Plummerby ?” “ Yes, for the better. The chances are all in favor of the bookmakers now.”” “ What do you think of American art?” “ American what ?” “ American art.” “Oh! American art is still in its swaddling clothes. It will improve when it can take off its clothes and go in swimming without fear of arrest.” “ How about our dramatic art?” “ American dramatic art hasn't got enough clothes on it; it should change places with painting and sculpture. We = = == “They say such things and they do such things, ete., ete”— (Popular Song.) Nelly (in foreground): Hey, SAM, COME QuICK! HERE'S A GIRAFT BIN A LICKIN’ THE BUNG HOLES OF ALL THE BEER BARRILS ONTO THE SIDEWALKS, AN’ HE'S GOT SUCH A JAG ON HE AIN'T ABLE TO GIT ONTO HIS FEET. COME QUICK AFORE THE AMBERLANCE GITS HERE! should take the nude off the boards and put it in the canvas. Painting hasn’t a leg to stand on, the drama has too many.” “What d'ye think of American fiction ?” “There is a great deal of it, especially in politics.” “You misunderstand me. I mean the fiction of literature, the novel.” “Ah, yes! The American novel,eh? Um! Well! It varies in degree and kind, from Howells to the society col- umn. For my own convenience I divide it into three classes, the Erotic, the Neurotic, and the Damrotic, though some people add to it all the odds and ends of fiction under the head of the Joblotic.” “ Talking of fiction, Mr. Plummerby, have you met any of the 400?" “No! I have given no attention whatever to slumming. Bourget, I believe, has been doing that sort of thing.” “What shall I tell the readers of the Planet is the most pleasant thing you have taken away from America, Mr. “Hutto, Caius, Got a coLp?” Plummerby ? ” “Yes, [WENT OUT WITHOUT MY FILLET VESTERDAY.” “ The steamer.” Joseph. Smith. comicbooks.com