The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-05-31
BRET HARTE,
An English Magazines Estimate of
h American Writer.

The London Atheneum, in reviewing Bret
TO- "tn "oihs says: "As regards the quail
w.a .''a1 nave MADE AIR. Haite a popular IA
1850 wherever lie English language is spok-
eh, tdey are too eminent and too peculiar ia
oe passed oyer without notice, even IN. tba
most casual review of his works. He has
Deei called "a kind of puny and short winded
Dickehs' out the description, as such descrip-
."ns are apt 10 be, is not no more true than il.
Is raise. MIR. Harte, who is far more original
IN ms verse than in his prose, has initiated
'lckehs In many ways and with considerable
success. He has a touch of Dickens in hi 9
sIyle he has trained his Imagination to walk
WIN a Dickensonian gait; he observes with a
DicAensonian eye, and his conclusions are
oiten such as Dickens might have produced,
Just as his sympathy and his manner of nurs-
ing and encouraging it are informed, if not
wholly with Dickens, then witt, dickens
chiefly. But Dickens is by no means his on
ly model. Now and then we ca eli him at an
echo of Ihackery and there are others vet.
ar. larte, In fact. is Il writer of exceptional
sklii who has lltented no style for himself,
but who has it In him to adopt at Will the
tricks of styleof halfa dozen greater and more
original men. His range is limited and his
creations are few. His taste is by no means
faultiess; for he is often Vulgar where he iD-
tet DIS to be vigorous and spriglltiy. His tact
Is not at ali uneir,ng; for he is not seldom OBJ
scure where be wishes to be suggestive, and
exaggerated and false where il ia his
aim to be absolutely dramatic and
right. And what is worse of all. he here aud
there gives out a note that rings audlbly of
lnslncerlty. He is given to posturing over
his personages; he is always playing show
mal to them, and beating the big drum al
Their exits and entrances he Is seldom or
never content TO let them shift for them
selves for any length OF time. In Dickens
there is IA good deal of this sort of thing; j It
in Dickens this is natural it was part of his
theory OF art, and a normal outcome of his
peculiar temper and of his not less peculiar
morality. With Mr.. Harte it seems to be
altogether another matter. IL Is very oitea
doubtful if he, means what he says; il is
very otten dot,atiul if the artists passion lie
seems to feel is¬ a clever effect of mimic
ry. Add 10 all this that he is incapable of
combining a large and complete intrigue and
Vi telling a long and Intricate story, and that
he Is full OF malnerisnS Of method and of
style, and the list of his defects Is tolerablv
complete. For his eXceliences, they are
many and respectable. He has plenty OF
humor, both artificial and real. and plenty of
true imaginative wit; he has a sure eye for
character OF a certain sort, an excellent fac
atty OF Lesser pLion, both d!lactic and dra-
matte, and a very mastery apprehension of
effect; he is capable OF drama; he has i'm.
aginatl"n of the right romantic quality he
is an adept III certain sorts Of passion, .aud he
has abundant knowledge Of certain classes OF
motive. He is hardly ever f~aul:less, for even
when he is at his best and highest it is never
clear that a touch of unveracity, a trace OF
the practical stage mlnagel, a blunder iT
tact, d discOrd in sentiment, will not spoil all
But he now aud then goes straight to tic
iInart for all that. and within his limits there
is no living writer who cHn improve upcI
nin."