New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
" p WILLIS.

pp. vii. Sos. Houghton, MifRin Co.
dieaeult subject is here treated with sound
sudomept and excellent taste Willis Is the
representative of a school Of literature when mas
had its day and fallen into contempt IL Is inc
fashion of the current criticism to have nIng az
ct, and nobody can deny that 1t tempts ridieuie'
The personal peculiarites and foibles OF the once
fashionable author who to the fault Oh literary
frivolitv added the crime of social Success have
also been for fifty years q favorite theme LOT
hssty satire and fppant censure. 1t would nave
been EASY to make this critical study sharp con-
temptuous and amusing. Mr.. Beers has accom-
pI,shed the much harder task of making 1t just.
Willis was always tri1er but he was an elegant
and amable triher, beneath whose weaknesses ana
Alterations ran vein OF poetry thin enough W oo
sure but not quite without value lt must DO
confessed that none of his work, with the possible
excepton of two or three little fragments. is likely
to be read by the next generation and not much Oh
If is known even by name to the younger men Oh
our own day. II was hopelessy antiquated long
before his death like the coats and cravats OF an
oil bean who cherishes the visible memorials OF
youthful triumphs never to be renewed. And one
cannot help feeling that Wills IN TINS era Is
hardly conceivable. Between the popular ininu
which he amused. astonshed, stimulated anu
Impressed and the vastly more serious. strenuous
critical and exacting public OF the era since tho
war there lies deep gulf. He belongs to TIE perlod
of gay, light headed, and inexperienced youth
which we have passed. The society in which ne
1ourished was aspiring and lively, but somewhat
unsophisticated it was indulgent, and trivial
with an ingenious capacity for admiration, ana
an immature weakness for very light reinements
II had no positive standards either OF life or
literature When Willis wrote from Europe In
the character of o successful ~hlghnier at
fashion, large section of American society, ike
Mr. Bofln in the presence of literary merit, listened
with hadmiration amounting to haw' IL knew
little of the fine world which he undertook TO dis
play. 1t had no fixed taste American literature
had already been ennobled by several illustrious
names but its general tone was weak ana
uncertain and this dashing young fellow who
lghtened the rather monotonous journals and
magazines with his vivacious and picturesque
descriptions, his daring personal sketches, MS
bright and good humored comments upon genteel
topics his moonlight and wax-candle sentiment,
always light dainty, and cheerful, passed very
well for Broadway Apollo There Is literature
for the day, which is the gauge of the popular
intelligence and culture and of that Willis was an
accomplished and original master. In those
products of the mind which have substance enough
to last he certainly had no share. But when we
look over the best of his stories and letters, and
perbars few of his poems and mark how brilliant,
how animated and upon the whole how innocent,
was his contribution to the amusement OF his
generation we may Join heartily in the declaration
of Thackeray 1t Is comfortable that there should
have been Willis"
Mr. Beers not only indicates the literary position
of Willis with tact and acuteness, but he shows
an equal discretion in touching upon his personal
character. The author Of Pencillings by the
Wayn has been laughed at too much by critics
who have not a 1.-THE of his wit and grace, and
x,o+b;no of dianngitiOn The story OF his
remarkable popularity IN exclusive circles where
he had no credentials but his good manners, his
intelligence and his genial nature, should be proot
enough of his sterling qualities, even II he were
not so tenderly remembered for his cordial and
enduring friendships, his generous appreciation
of other authors, his encouragement OF literary
asplrants, and the gentle and sunny manner with
which for so many years he Modified the TRIALS oil
metropolitan journalism. The close of his career
was spent in exacting aud methodical drudgery 1or
which his gallant past seemed to have been but
moor preparation Yet he toiled for years over his
desk with untiring and not unsuccessful industry
long sitter his brilliancy had left him, and the
characteristic charm which, alas! was only the
endowment Of youth, had faded away There IS
something pathetic In this laborous end, all the
more pathetic because the labor was spent upon
such trivial objects. In these steadfast uncom
planning hard worked last years, Willis showed
given him credit; but how shall we associate
nobility of purpose with an old age devoted to the
chronicles of evening partiesf
Willis's alleged indiscretions in making literary
material out of his experiences as social guest
have been exaggerated There were some offences
of this kind in his early letters from England only
TO be excused by the heedessness of youth and one
or two later nsgessons for which not even that
palliaton can be offered. But he was censured far
beyond his deserts. The most famous OF the
attacks upon hun apropos of these matters was
made by Lockhart in The Quarterly and Mr.. Beers
shows that the very persons whose privacy the
reviewer most holly denounced our countryman for
invading were 50 far from resenting the Liberty
taken with them that they wrote to Wills In
cordial praise of what he had done. Lady Dal-
bouse for instance, who one OF the conspicuous
victims expressed the wrath and indignation OF
The whole family at the article in The Quarterly,
and their hope that he would take 4" a few more OF
his spirited pencngs from Dalhousie Castle"
The Earl wrote in the same strain. Nevertheless,
Willis continues to be held up as type of the i'm
pertinent gossip who violates in print the sancttes
of the dinner-table and this especially in England,
where the license of personal journalism in high life
has been carried to a pitch of indecency never
witnessed before in the world, certainly never
approached by an American of this or of any other
time.
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