Mr.AldrichoncenoticedthatwheneveranauthordiedinBoston，theNew—
　　Yorkersthoughttheyhadaliterarycentre;anditisbysomesuchmeansthattheprimacyhaspassedfromBoston，evenifithasnotpassedtoNewYork.ButstillthereisenoughliteratureleftinthebodyatBostontokeepherfirstamongequalsinsomethings，ifnoteasilyfirstinall.
　　Mr.AldrichhimselflivesinBoston，andheis，withMr.Stedman，theforemostofourpoets.AtCambridgeliveColonelT.W.Higginson，anessayistinacertainsortwithoutrivalamongus;andMr.WilliamJames，themostinterestingandthemostliteraryofpsychologists，whosereputeisEuropeanaswellasAmerican.Mr.CharlesEliotNortonalonesurvivesoftheearlierCambridgegroup——Longfellow，Lowell，RichardHenryDana，LouisAgassiz，FrancisJ.Child，andHenryJames，thefatherofthenovelistandthepsychologist.
　　ToBostonMr.JamesFordRhodes，thelatestofourablerhistorians，hasgonefromOhio;andthereMr.HenryCabotLodge，theMassachusettsSenator，whoseworkinliteratureismakingitselfmoreandmoreknown，wasbornandbelongs，politically，socially，andintellectually.Mrs.
　　JuliaWardHowe，apoetofwidefameinaneldergeneration，livesthere;
　　Mr.T.B.Aldrichlivesthere;andthereaboutsliveMrs.ElizabethStuartPhelpsWardandMrs.HarrietPrescottSpofford，thefirstofafamebeyondthelast，whowasknowntoussolongbeforeher.ThenatBoston，ornearBoston，livethoseartistssupremeinthekindofshortstorywhichwehavecarriedsofar：MissJewett，MissWilkins，MissAliceBrown，Mrs.Chase—Wyman，andMissGertrudeSmith，whocomesfromKansas，andwritesoftheprairiefarm—life，thoughsheleavesMr.E.W.Howe（of'TheStoryofaCountryTown'andpresentlyoftheAtchisonDailyGlobe）toconstitute，withthehumorouspoetIronquill，afrontierliterarycentreatTopeka.OfBoston，too，thoughsheisofwesternPennsylvaniaorigin，isMrs.MargaretDeland，oneofourmostsuccessfulnovelists.MissWilkinshasmarriedoutofMassachusettsintoNewJersey，andistheneighborofMr.H.M.AldenatMetuchen.
　　AllthesearemoreorlessembodiedandrepresentedintheAtlanticMonthly，stillthemostliterary，andinmanythingsstillthefirstofourmagazines.Finally，afterthechiefpublishinghouseinNewYork，thegreatestAmericanpublishinghouseisinBoston，withbyfarthelargestlistofthebestAmericanbooks.RecentlyseveralfirmsofyoungervigorandvalorhaverecruitedthewastedranksoftheBostonpublishers，andareespeciallytobenotedforthenumberofrathernicenewpoetstheygivetothelight.
　　V.
　　Dealingwiththequestiongeographically，intherightAmericanway，wedescendtoHartfordobliquelybywayofSpringfield，Massachusetts，where，inalittlecityoffiftythousand，anewspaperofmetropolitaninfluenceandofdistinctlyliterarytoneispublished.AtHartfordwhileCharlesDudleyWarnerlived，therewasanindisputableliterarycentre;MarkTwainlivestherenolonger，andnowwecanscarcelycountHartfordamongourliterarycentres，thoughitisapublishingcentreofmuchactivityinsubscriptionbooks.
　　AtNewHaven，YaleUniversityhaslatterlyattractedMr.WilliamH.
　　Bishop，whosenovelsIalwayslikedforthebestreasons，andhaslongheldProfessorJ.T.Lounsbury，whois，sinceProfessorChild'sdeathatCambridge，ourbestChaucerscholar.Mr.DonaldG.Mitchell，onceendearedtothewholefickleAmericanpublicbyhisReveriesofaBachelorandhisDreamLife，dwellsonthebordersofthepleasanttown，whichisalsothehomeofMr.J.W.DeForest，theearliestrealAmericannovelist，andforcertaingiftsinseeingandtellingourlifealsooneofthegreatest.
　　AstoNewYork（wheretheimaginationmayarrivedailyfromNewHaven，eitherbyaSoundboatorbyeightortenoftheswiftestexpresstrainsintheworld），IconfessIammoreandmorepuzzled.Hereabidethepoets，Mr.R.H.Stoddard，Mr.E.C.Stedman，Mr.R.W.Gilder，andmanywhomanenviousetceteramusthidefromview;thefictionists，Mr.R.H.
　　Davis，Mrs.KateDouglasWiggin，Mr.BranderMatthews，Mr.FrankHopkinsonSmith，Mr.AbrahamCahan，Mr.FrankNorris，andMr.JamesLaneAllen，whohasleftKentuckytojointhelargeSoutherncontingent，whichincludesMrs.BurtonHarrisonandMrs.McEneryStuart;thehistorians，ProfessorWilliamM.SloaneandDr.Eggleston（reformedfromanovelist）;
　　theliteraryandreligiousandeconomicessayists，Mr.HamiltonW.
　　Mabie，Mr.H.M.Alden，Mr.J.J.Chapman，andMr.E.L.Godkin，withcritics，dramatists，satirists，magazinists，andjournalistsofliterarystampinnumbertoconvincethewaveringreasonagainstitselfthatherebeyondallquestionisthegreatliterarycentreoftheseStates.ThereisanAuthors'Club，whichaloneincludesahundredandfiftyauthors，and，ifyoucometoeditors，thereissimplynoend.Magazinesarepublishedhereandcirculatedhencethroughoutthelandbymillions;andbooksbythetonarethedailyoutputofourpublishers，whoarethelargestinthecountry.
　　Ifthesethingsdonotmeanagreatliterarycentre，itwouldbehardtosaywhatdoes;andIamnotgoingtotryforareasonagainstsuchfacts.
　　Itisnotqualitythatiswanting，butperhapsitisthequantityofthequality;thereisleaven，butnotforsolargealump.ItmaybethatNewYorkisgoingtobeourliterarycentre，asLondonistheliterarycentreofEngland，bygatheringintoitselfallourwritingtalent，butithasbynomeansdonethisyet.WhatwecansayisthatmoreauthorscomeherefromtheWestandSouththangoelsewhere;buttheyoftenstayathome，andIfancyverywisely.Mr.JoelChandlerHarrisstaysatAtlanta，inGeorgia;Mr.JamesWhitcombRileystaysatIndianapolis;Mr.