MauriceThompsonspenthiswholeliterarylife，andGeneralLew.WallacestilllivesatCrawfordsville，Indiana;Mr.MadisonCaweinstaysatLouisville，Kentucky;MissMurfreestaysatSt.Louis，Missouri;FrancisR.StocktonspentthegreaterpartoftheyearathisplaceinWestVirginia，andcameonlyforthewintermonthstoNewYork;Mr.EdwardBellamy，untilhisfailinghealthexiledhimtotheFarWest，remainedatChicopee，Massachusetts;andIcannotthinkofoneofthesewriterswhomitwouldhaveadvantagedinanyliterarywisetodwellinNewYork.Hewouldnothavefoundgreaterincentivethanathome;andinsocietyhewouldnothavefoundthatliterarytonewhichallsocietyhad，orwishedtohave，inBostonwhenBostonwasagreattownandnotyetabigtown.
Infact，IdoubtifanywhereintheworldtherewaseversomuchtasteandfeelingforliteratureastherewasinthatBoston.AtEdinburgh（asIimagineit）therewasalargeanddistinguishedliteraryclass，andatWeimartherewasacultivatedcourtcircle;butinBostontherewasnotonlysuchagroupofauthorsasweshallhardlyseehereagainforhundredsofyears，buttherewassuchregardforthemandtheircalling，notonlyingoodsociety，butamongtheextremelywell—readpeopleofthewholeintelligentcity，ashardlyanothercommunityhasshown.NewYork，Iamquitesure，neverwassuchacentre，andIseenosignsthatiteverwillbe.ItdoesnotinfluencetheliteratureofthewholecountryasBostononcedidthroughwriterswhomalltheyoungwriterswishedtoresemble;itdoesnotgivethelaw，anditdoesnotinspirethelovethatliteraryBostoninspired.Thereisnoidealthatitrepresents.
AglanceatthemapoftheUnionwillshowhowverywidelyoursmallerliterarycentresarescattered;andperhapsitwillbeusefulinfollowingmetoothermorepopulousliterarycentres.DroppingsouthwardfromNewYork，now，wefindourselvesinaliterarycentreofimportanceatPhiladelphia，sincethatisthehomeofMr.J.B.McMasters，thehistorianoftheAmericanpeople;ofMr.OwenWister，whosefreshandvigorousworkIhavementioned;andofDr.WeirMitchell，anovelistofpowerlongknowntothebetterpublic，andnowrecognizedbythelargerintheimmensesuccessofhishistoricalromance，HughWynne.
IfIskipBaltimore，Imayignorealiterarycentreofgreatpromise，butwhileIdonotforgettheexcellentworkofJohnsHopkinsUniversityintrainingmenforthesoliderliteratureofthefuture，noBaltimorenamestoconjurewithoccurtomeatthemoment;andwemustreallygetontoWashington.This，tillhebecameambassadorattheCourtofSt.James，wasthehomeofMr.JohnHay，apoetwhosebiographyofLincolnmustrankhimwiththehistorians，andwhosepublicserviceasSecretaryofStateclasseshimhighamongstatesmen.HeblottedoutoneliterarycentreatCleveland，Ohio，whenheremovedtoWashington，andMr.ThomasNelsonPageanotheratRichmond，Virginia，whenhecametothenationalcapital.
Mr.PaulDunbar，thefirstnegropoettodivineandutterhisrace，carriedwithhimtheliterarycentreofDayton，Ohio，whenhecametobeanemployeeintheCongressionalLibrary;andMr.CharlesWarrenStoddard，insettlingatWashingtonasProfessorofLiteratureintheCatholicUniversity，broughtsomewhatindirectlyawaywithhimthelasttracesoftheoldliterarycentreatSanFrancisco.