Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-11-24

Bret Harta IS thoroughly eiucAtel man
sympithislug with -hc 1nes. results OF though,
snd culture, ant gifted with dcicicy and
dePtn oi feeling which not even Tennyson would
nor is'Wa. Ills best impers0nstons are un-
douoieoiy sutte Interpretations Of the 'r1ughs;'
but he does bus work Ell th more powerfully
because be is Individually raised above the
coarse creatures whose subterrsnean virtue be De
tec's and depicts The repuisive outside does
not conceal from his sharp eye the presence OF
some OF the nohlost qUSljtiss 1f human uSture.
stu he ever ooss Gown on what he represents.
In none OF h,s stories or poems does he place
himself on moral or ,utoiiec;ual level with bis
subjects. Ine sentiment OF humanity is all that
connects bin Rith bis wildly conceived and
boldly drawn characters The external aspect
OF Biz heroes Is as bad rs bad can he. IS CON-
moaly de.iDiatei, they are the heroes Of vulgar
and cxtravaesut me.0lrsma, or vulgar sad ez-
trivagsnt farce. Bret Hsrte .poetically' con-
oeivcs them; snd thus adds the charm which
his predecessors failed 10 seize appreciate ana
appropriate. ille,a j, ia because be has the
purified sentiment Of ChauuinE, il IS because
there is no possibility that he should sink down
to the moral level OF the r0ughs ne depicts. that
be has become their poet and interpreter. High
ly civilized ss he undoubtedly is, be is all the
more competent to do Justice to the protestsnts,
who, while they openly repudiste civilization,
ttil practically sdmitt iis power when they come
'soe TO face aith the great facts Of human life.
The eharsc,er eristio poems and stories Of Bret
HsrIe bear Us cut in tn theory Of his genius
and his popularity. lie has great sharpness Of
merely ext-rnal observation; he has also great
depth Of moral insight. Personally flstidious
IN the matter Of iaste, he has sn eye wide open
TO the merits of the people who shock all bis no
tons Of taste. He interpFe;s rude populations,
which be al the same time Condemns In short
he is poet aud humorist. wildly reproducing
new srd fresh forms OF human character. but
careful TO throw them iato inst relations with
their betters He shows that the blackguards
are not SIS bad as they appear, bu, in thus vim
dicating human nature in the person OF its
worst representatives, he indicates faith in hu-
nauity which Susiere moralists have too often
overlooked. Bret har;e comes forward az the
interpreter Of the 'rogghs' only on grounds
which will eventually extinguish ruifiansm He
touches that vital virtue in their inmost souis
which will in the end regenerate their coarse
natures. He msy be tolerant Of their beset,ipr
sius; but his tolei alton Is OF that sort which
/ tends to lit rather than TO Justify them. In
short ne is thoroughly christian in the sentiment
/ which directs equsliy his humor sad his pathos
though he IS artisticslly careful to conceal his
end in his means, and to teach morality while
seeming to dispense with it, The real danger
Z 10 literature in Bret Harte's success will spring
from his imitstors. His subjects are in them
selves vulgar; be redeenra their vulgarity by his
genius. Tempted by bis popularity, scores Of
clever writer's will rush to the gold mine be has
discovered, aud try to appropriate its treasures
I Theyssmust fail for they will simply further vul=
| gsrize the vulgarity which Bret Harte hs. sue
ceeded in idesliSing The real literature of ruff
fanism begins and, We trust. will end, in Bret
Harte.-E. P. Ukipple in IsdePsRdsnt.