The New York herald., 1879-09-22
LITERATURE.
A Reply to Mallock's els
Life Worth Living?"
FEMALE FIGHTERS.
Mrs. DORIS New Volume Of
Poetry-Chit-chat.
''THE VALUE OF LIFE. "

''THE VALUE OF LIFE"
writer. whose name is suppressed perhaps to
pique curiosity, has written elaborate reply to
Mr.. Mallock's "Is Life Worth LivingY which he
calls "The Value Of Life" IL. P. Putnam's Sons).
There has been considerable talk about this book in
advance, and those who do not altogether relish Mr.
Mallock's volume will find 1t very grateful to their
wounded sensibilities. The author begins by max
ing extracts from Mr.. Mallocks book for the absurd
purpose of making that author commit himself"
When he has him sufficiently committed then he
makes the charge. He compares Mr.. Mallock with
the Emperor Julian whose shade is invoked to pause
and "avert its impending wrath at this belttlement"
while he proceeds to explain. He thinks that "in
purpose. in DESIRE and, above ALL III attitude toward
the ideas and forces tending to prevail in their re-
spective generations, the Roman Emperor and the
English essayist have very much in common"
The glores Of the past and the dangers of the fu-
ture the bases of their argument "The diff
Guilty about the world. says this writer. 's simply
that 1t has grown practically smaller. because peo
pie find it great deal easier to travel round it.
Hence it offers far fewer resources to the imagna
ton. and all happiness depending upon this is by
much diminished. At the very time that positivism
is making greater demands upon the earth for hu-
man happiness the earth is becoming less able to
meet them." "a
Civilized man. he says has 'Iost much of his old
spontaneity of action" he will admit nothing
without question, take to pieces all motives.''
and. far he is influenced by positive thought.
reduces all religions to ideals created by his own
telligence."
He ikens Mr.. Mallock unto the traditional spider,
that invites the unwary public to walk into his
little parlor of labyrinthne discussion. The argu-
ment he thinks is all the better adapted to popular
reading that cit is derived exclusively from discus
a nd readS ka Of
drawing room after dinner talks of which Mr.. NAL
lock ID fond" He Mr.. Mallock of soscil-
lating backward and forward between morality and
happiness whose connection together he has not yet
defined" Mr.. Mallock's critic acknowledges that
els Life Worth LivingT is his most serious work.
He has read his other books. and speaks of the
graceful pessmsm" Of ''The New Republic" the
''coarser. much coarser raillery" Of his "New
Paul and Virginia." and tho peculiar paradoxes''
of his Nineteenh Century essays. The "pathos
of his apprehensions. the apparent fervor of
his rhetoric, the piquancy of his eloquence, all"
says this writer. suggest thinker serious.
profound. yet sensitive one who, below the super
fcial currents OF popular opinion and popular ap-
plsuse perceives the deep undertow that sweeps
back to the whose note of warning is shril with
sincere and well founded alarm. Still he doubts If
Mr.. Mallock be really adequate to theme grave.
SO vast the one last undertaken. He finds "negi-
gences Of language. obtuseness Of imagination;"
that the fstriking but impossible metaphor often
conceas extraordinary slovenlness Of thouRht;"
that the rhetoric is often divorced from reality
that 1t fails to rise into eloquence that 'an argu
ment professedly basing itself higher consdera-
tions than truth hardly fail to awaken suspicious
Of nsinaerity" and by the very professions of the
writer. of voluntary manipuations of plain things
in the interest of higher cause" He confesses to
something the same feeling about Mr.. Mallock as
always excited by the view Of policeman in plain
clothes. This writer says
We feel that he is Q mission, and that
he is convinced his highest duty consists not
subject before him, but in securing any price
victory tor the powers whose instructions ho
and impartial investgation, we feel that Mr.. Mai.
lock really looks at positive thought very much as
British general looks at zulu and his business in
regard to 1t is simply to compel o surrender.
He says that Mr.. Mallock possesses characteristics
which 60 to the making up of the Jesuit. and he
shudders while he contemplatcs. We cannot. there
fore. feel surprised when he tells that "Cathol-
cism is the religion of failure. of ignorance of
ness Of despair; the essence of its power aud of
its atractveness lies in the consolation it Processes
to offer to those who cannot get what they want"
On the other hand. he says tina. positivism is the
philosophy of strength; it undertakes to show peo-
pie how to get what they want; and it is less con-
solng when it fails 1t gives q sense of religious
obligations for the utilization of powers but affects
no complacency ut the spectacle of their mutila-
tion."
There is great deal Of clever reasoning in this
book. but II the aim Of the author has been to
''sQuelch" Mr.. Mallock he has failed.
''FRrAR ANsELMO AND OTHER POEMS"
There is great deal OF charming poetry in the
fttie volume, "Friar Anselmo ana Other Poems."