The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-02


linRs, ss " the author had forgotten to sfzx hi'
private mark. 1t was not long, however. before
these tender and touching outeivings-" The
Rainy Day" "1he Bridge" "Maidenhood,
"Dsybresk," aud kindred sones-found a home
by every Preside In America and England, and
like the south wind or the carol OF spring birds
proved a. welcome TO the palsce a. to the cot
taRe. And very likely had Longfellow been borr
In Scotland and grown up, like Burns, In Oh.
SECURITY and poverty, he might have suns always
thus II Is certain that In the psthos and sim ptci
ty Of these modest, naive creations we touch the
hish-wster mark OF his achievement, for they
remain TO this day more widely known. and
warmly cherished, than any OF his later, more
ambitious. and sustained performances. MOI
can the judgment well be accounted harsh
which, while questioning the success Of his ex-
periments In some directions, recognizes Long
fellows claim to high pl ce In the choir OF
which Burns lie aleader and Shelley an ornament.
While we can give no praise to Longfellow's
management Of narrative verse. we need not
now dwell at any great length on his com
paratlve miscarriage In that field. II may
be said that the stories rehearsed at the
"waysiie Inn" were for the most part twice.
told tales," and could hardly be expected
TO stimulate tho languid appetite OF modern
readers, slutted as they are with piquant
novelties. Under an artists hand, however, the
old, faint outlines should have been m sde to re-
treat behind the finished picture-ths lmpid
current OF the narrative. the crisp, strong char
scters encountered, and the breezy atmosphere
inhaled combining to displace the earlier YER
sions precisely as the shapes and colors OF wax
ing life exercise the shadows Of n dream. But
the fact that Mr.. Jongfelow could see no mis-
homer in the term romance as applied to bis
Hyperion" was Of itself a sufflcient indication
that be would likewise fail TO apprehend, or to
observe. the fundamental laws OF story telling.
wheD Longfellow directed his attention to
the LEGENDARY treasures OF America II Ia plain
that he had the great opportunity OF his life, and
1t Is almost equally plain that, through the In
herent weakness OF the theme, which he elected
to interpret. he substantially renounced Il, But
aside from the mesereness OF It's subject matter
" Hiawatha" fails In other ways to answer the
requirements Of a nerratiye style. No doubt
the landscape painting Is often charming, and
the facile grace which marks Mr.. Longfellow's
compositions Is still discernible through the
gives Of an awkward and artificial metre. But
the pictures Of Indian manners. although pains
taking, are not vivid. the incidents are few aud
unimpressivc, and the thread OF connection
slight The Characterization Is particular faint,
Hiawatha and Minnehaha being rather phi an
toms than persons, and the general result Is a
congeries Of crude materials instead Of an or
eanic, vital poem. The book was received on
Its first appearance with considerable enth uei-
asm but II In now read with the same listless In
tersst M Southey's "Thalaba." and seems
likely to be consigned to the same oblivion.
Neither can the "Courtship OF Miles staudish"
be considered a felicitous exhibition Of the
auth RS powers. There is not much brskness
IN the movement OF the story. and the charac-
.ers are scarcely adapted to elicit sympathy.
There are certain homely themes which can he
sffely treated onlv with the rugged. honest
realism OF which George Elliot has the secret.
and any attempt to idealize and exalt them Is
apt to end In something like buriesque. The
captain OF corporal's guard. whose warlike
exploits are limited to brow-beating half a dozen
timid savages, IL not a very heroic figure, except
In the sense that a child's terrors In the dark
may be accounted trasicaL People forget what
the spaniards had been doing throughout the
previous century when they talk OF tho May
flowers voyage rs something calling for ex-
ceptional fortitude, and seek to invest with
epic dignity the somewhat prosaic priyations
which her PILGRIMS encountered on q ne 'ceful
shore. The services OF Miles standish were
doubtless of some value to the Plym5ut
.. GulI,vern ,vo,,d h.,. ,or,o,.a 80, -,
faithfully than Mr. Ions.sIlov,s n.n.,va -,
bole.
ARainst tbese lass successful prod,c,ions 4, 4.
fair 10 set "Eyanceline." There ia so much
sweetness and beauty in hi. moan snch az.
ouisite tenderness and INDIGNANT pathos that We
IRE well content 20 oyerIook tho loosanass ~ Ito
construction and surrender ourselve. again and
again To its soft smell. The choice NJ .ub,ect
was most haupy. for English colonial annals
.adnsss and so ra.nons,va 20 ~. an,Is -
cboIv which nsrv,des Mr. Iono,s,Io,-,.
the Ito ot AcadIe 10 ,his a. ,ha ..s,ar,
coast of Nova Scotia. hlesssa "a q, q. in MA
climate ana fertile so,I d,scovo-s r.nv ,r.o.s
of the natien, ,ndus,rv which n,.da =, ~. AZ
trict a French Eden RaI,ston hos o,,.,, ha,
ner voluntary ex,Ies. hut 4, %. Ioy,I,x .h,ch
controlled tbose s,,,Ia boh,,o,. who ,,,o,,
epslly heye kent theIr n,easan, farm. nv a
formal oath ~ alIe.yonce hu, rhosa ,n,a,,,,,-
reiected even that sh.aoxs az comn,omIsa ,,,,h
prlnclple becauso. as one Of them mn, =, "ha
might swear with an English mind. I'm, h,s
heart would stin he Frenchn rI'ba ,nswa,v,na
constapcy and meek resignation ~ this s,ns,,-
lar peopl. are accented In the eoura n, rvan.a-
line. which. Though II NAV Iact soma hum,,
touches and seems hardly n danizan y, ..r,h
ia securely nlched I'm the arec,,ons y, var,
MANY and noblv .mhodies ,be,, nuras, a.ntr.