that "Twentieth Century Negro Literature" may have the good fortune of
falling into the hands of many white friends.

On the other hand, the book must be stimulating to the Negro people,
especially to those of the younger generation, now blessed with large
educational privilege. It must awaken in them self-respect,
self-reliance, and the ambition to be and to do. By the perusal of its
pages they will be led to see more clearly the path of duty, and to
feel more sensibly the weight of responsibility resting upon them. The
first generation of Negroes after emancipation exhibited to a painful
degree the spirit of dependence, an inclination to lean on something
and on somebody--now on the politician, now on the philanthropist. The
reason for this, of course, is not far to fetch. The spirit of
dependence is invariably a characteristic of weakness. It was not to
be expected that the first generation emerging from slavery would
possess all the heroic qualities. Gradually, however, the Negro is
realizing the importance of self-help. Good books, among other
agencies, will deepen this impression, and ultimately lead him to
imbibe in all its fulness the sentiment of the poet,

"Destiny is not about thee, but within;
Thyself must make thyself."

The contributors to this volume are worthy of notice. They are among
the best we have. Some of them are personally known to the writer.
They are men of experience, scholarly men, shunning rather than
courting notoriety--just the class of men to guide a people, alas, too
easily led astray by pretentious ignorance. From a number so large and
so meritorious it would seem invidious to select any for special
mention. It may not be out of place, however, to say a few words with