New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-10
BITS OF CRITICISM.

AMERICAN NOYELs.-Wbat Englishmen are
likely fluid fault with in American novelists is not thai
they are lminora-they are neither more nor less i'm
moral than our own-but that they not sufficiently
American. With notable exception the best Of them
produce peculiarly refined perhaps oyer-rehned, spe
cles OF the European snOve, Keen analytical eplgram
matte cynical put with none OF the dash aud freshness
which expect from country OF such vigorous youth
and so vast future Pail Mall Gazette.
A Prediction ABOUT CLoUGH One day
Cougn will vindcate the justice OF Mr.. LowePs jude
ment on him. though that day may not be Vet Arnold
WILL perhaps grow n even greater popularity before tina
growth OF ClOughs popularity begins But begin 1t will
and wax too TO a point a. nigh, perhaps as Arnolds
ever will be- for ClOughs rapture and exultson when
and oxutaon OF Arnold though HE music is less care
fully moduated and his pictures less exquisely framed
-lIhe London Spectator.
STERNE's LITERARY FAULTs.-Gray was prob
ably very near the truth when he said mat Sterne
IKE child playing round the spout OF boiling kettle
Unceanness seems 10 have had guilty fascination for
him II Is also true that IN purely artistic senslbinty
think about his art be fell into gross and hon.
esty believe that most Of his prophecies prompt
ed by foolish hankorlng after effect "a propensity
which preyents any Inferior French painter from
thinking ms work complete unless it contains
pusve detail Of torture lust to satisfy the cravings
OF low pubic IL Is difficult reconcile the unqualified
condemnation which we must pass upon one page out Of
every three in Sterres writing with the hearty admira-
ton which ais best efforts force from IL II
sterne stood alone spontaneous great
writer. Taking his temperament and what
we know Of Lis habit Of life into
cessfu passages written without labor and mat
Wherever nd false aud vicious In his work
they the result OF aftcrthOught and correction.
complete absence Of taste and silly love OF buoOnery
the grayest accusations that thoughtful student Of
Sterne can bring against him.. Saturday Review.
Mr.. HOwELLSs MODERN INSTANCE AND
HIS LITERARY OPEIOSs.-IIe has cOutribu ed somewhat
knowledge OF moral anatomy bat be has added
dgures The gallery VI the Imagination; and Is
from the Imagination alone that tue creations OF tho
novelist secure their right to 1--we. The modern
American school OF eliss in in supposing,
as they evidently do suppose, that 1t solely TO their
eat
that Balzac, that Thackeray. that Hawthorne owe
their Immortality IL is BY the imaginative OF this
power that they have their 1t Is not merely
by the acute and sku dissection Of human character
IN racWo bat by its deneatiOn 1t deports Itself In
those collisions with circumstance which constitute ac
coIdng their point OF i'm the tragedy orhe comedy
OF human life Aud to devise nGdesoi0e these collisions
work which lies in that very field OF the noyelss
art which Mr.. HOwells enormously regards rs
haustcd. the inventive acultythe genius OF the story
teller to put the in its simplest torms
sary to the writer of hc ion it was and as ds
very name Of his calling lmplles-l Pail Mall GaEste.