The Portland daily press., 1883-04-14


Moore's part in the story out of place and
forced, the conversation Of Lady Flanders
extremely coarse With no 'wit TO keep it
sweet" But Mr.. Hawthorne's admirers
will claim that the author is here as in all
his other writings both effective and dra-
matte, which is quite true. 1t would be diff
fcult to match in force and telling language
the description of the founding of the
great Banking House of Bendibow q Broth
ers. And though the murder of one person,
imprisonment for lying, theft and perjury of
another, and suicide of third are tragedies
which all occurring In society life, are start
ling even for that period, there is no denying
the strength of the hand that stamps these
gloomy impressions. In Dust we have pc
DANTE phrases, slight affectatlons, careless
English, sentiments of questionable taste,
but Mr.. Hawihornes work is practlsed, his
grouping wonderfully rapid and adroit and
he never fails to hold the readers interest
and attention. Dust will rank with Bres-
SAINT, Idolatry and Garth among the promi-
nent works of fiction of our day, for Julian
Hawthorne has the creative faculty which
gives vitality to work of the Imagination.
Chats About Books. BY Mayo William
son Hazeltine. New York: Charles Serb
ner's Sons; Portland, Lorlng, Short q Han
monl. Mr.. Hazeltine introduces his book
favorably when he says "The papers here
collected, and in some measure revised,
originally appeared in the Sunday editions
of the SUM-" The material thus arranged
makes table of contents most attractive to
the critics eye, for the range OF subjects is
wide, and many of the modern poets or nov
elists whose works may be said to have
marked certain eras in literature or to have
produced stir in the world of letters are
here ''chatted about'-Swinbune, Edwin
ARNOLD, Morris, Victor Hugo, Daudeh, lola,
Bret Harte, while tho more conservative
element in genius is preached In George
Eliot, Hawthorne, Longfellow and Whittier.
Charles Reade, Jules Verne, Lord Beacons-
field, Henry james and Julian Hawthorne
originality and zest. Mr.. Hazeltihe's style
is finished and elegant, and the tone and
spirit of his writings happy one He is al
ways appreciatiye, often enthusiastic, some
times severe, but he is not aggressive or
prejudiced. Chats about Books viii find it.
self place among books, and receive wei
come in Libraries worth grazing. The au-
thor writing of Henry James, criticises his
| frequent repetition of some odd or startling
word, and it is a fault even Mr.. James's ad-
mirers note. In Transatlantic Sketches,
Tor instance, the effect OF some well chosen,
but peculiar phrase or word is spoiled by its
temperance in a new capacity The truth
is, everyday English of the finest, most ex-
quisite quality wears best, and eceentrici-
ties Of language, though inspiring at times,
must be carefully guarded from abuse. To
continue the fabric smile, costume to
be worn often to good advantage must avoid
too bizarre combination of colors. Henry
| James is not the only modern writer who
sins in this regard, and in The perusal Of Mr..
| Hazeltine's papers We objected to The intro
| ductIon of the term s'esoteric;s' once is
enough for 1t, but We read, .to extend the
esoteric reputation acquired by the author
OF The American and The Europeans -
again, of the Pre-Raphaelites coupled with
certain es0teric refinement of artistic SEN
timent' ETC., and writing Of Longfellow UNI
der possible conditions, ''his audience might
have been as esoteric as Matthew Arnold's."