Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-27


LUTON To PUBLISH A BooK-ART OF POE
TRY-JoAN D'ARC-CHARLEMAGSE.
The literary traditions of the White House,
interrupted by the death OF Gen. Garfield, bid
fair to be continued by Miss Rose Elizabeth
Cleveland the accomplished sister of the Presi-
dent. 1t is related of her that when the an
nOuncement of Governor Cleveland's nomina-
ton was made at the Executive Mansion at
Albany, Miss Cleveland, who was obliged to
face the distinguished assembly, preserved her
composure by asSiduOusly conjugating Greek
verb. During a recent visit to New York, some
of her friends advised her to publish volume
of essays. She resisted some time, but finally
consented. The manuscript was finished week
before last, and the volume is almost ready for
publication by the firm of Funk Il Wagnalls. of
New York. The revised proofs are sent To the
author, who mas two names under considera-
ton for the book, but the choice has not yet
been definitely made. The New York san has
had access to the proofs and publishes copious
extracts. y few selections will show that Miss
Cleveland is mistress of brilliant style, and,
moreover, thinks Tor herself. She thus COM
pares THE Spanish Gypsy" and aurora Leigh
THE ART OF POETRY.
A genuine poem is almost absolutely certain
of recognition. such, IA the Tong run. If verse
contains poetry, that poetry makes itself felt,
whatever bemishes the verse, verse, may
have; but if dnt of argument alone brings US
to acknowledge faultless verse poem, like
Calico, in the moment of recantatiOn we shall
mutter to ourselves our former and unrecanted
conviction. Choose, for example. any Paris to
arbitrate between "AurorO Leigh and THE
Spanish GYPSY, and which will win the golden
apple, If Paris is at all able To tell black from
white. perceive the points" of which the
"Gip>y." is possessed, and of which aurora is
destitute" He will discover in the pages of
George Eliot supeTlative> enough. Their color
and glow, their visOr, their passion their no.
bility OF sentiment, their perfection of pathos.
the sustained movement of the story, its
GpnUnpmpDt.
prosOdy. its successful unities. and its every
Where-peTvading atmosphere of ethical sub
Hmity-all these Will compare with aurora"
to- "AuroraS disadvantage. And yet, and
yet-how is it?-"Aur0rd" gets the apple, Poor
the question, What in Aurora" more excellent
than in the Gypsy establishes her claim to
the prize? the unanswering answer, "Je ne sails
quot: by which, doubtless, may be under
stood that it was the poetry i'll Aurora which
compelled the decision.
THE DECADENCE OF FRANCE.
In her essay on Joan dare she thus pictures
the France of Henry V: What power shall pre-
vent the whole realm from becoming to Eng
land what Canada is to-day? what Cuba is to
Spain? What power shall arise to preserve for
the nineteenth century the French feather of
French genius, the bite of French wit, the flavor
of French character. the wing bouquet of French
literature. the esprit, the verve, the je sails
GttOi. all unmatched and unmatchable and IN
mlngleable, with which France has Spiced the
world: Consider the conclusion--how lame,
how impOteDt! Had the ether of French intel
lect become incorporated-shall we say, LOST
in the solid muscle of English intellect. Hugo
of one Carlyle and one Hugo. Two bloody
Marys in place of one bloody Mary and one
bloody Medici Two Henry Wis instead of
one great Henry Tudor and one great Henry
Bourbon. Two Marlboroughs instead of one
tremendous Marlborough and one tremendous
Bonaparte. Two Lady Mary Wortley Monta-
CUES, instead of one Lady Mary and one De
Stael. All beet, no pouiet. Human nature with
out the top dressing of French nature.
her nm Sh 10 oft he nur h cyxrif1
fate Tor France
The eyes of all men turn to Orleans Of all
men! But another eye looks down upon an
other spot, and hither the inexplicable genius
OF history bids us go with her. A strange ir-
relevanee this scene on which she bids us look!
What can these sloping hills of DOmremy, these
thrilling streams. these low-rOoted cottages have
OF connection with that doom-environed city?
That little shepherd girl who sits beneath the
great tree. in the doorway yonder, what can that
rapt, romantic, sanity face have of concern
with thee, oh, arbiter of men and naturef
She tells us that a voice of God comes to her
with the voices bright light shines. And often
she hears the voice and sees the light, and St.
Michael and st. Margaret and ST. Catharine APP
pear 10 her 1hey appear in a halo of glory;
their heads are crowned with jewels, their voices
mild and sweet. She hears them when the bells
are sounding for the hour OF prayer. She hears
the voices in the forest, also, and at many times
and places, and they speak so soOthingly she
knee1s and weeps because they do not take her
with them back to Paradise.
And while we curl our lips at this wild rant
ing of the half mad shepherd girl and turn to
and all hearts wait, with hope against hope, for
the man, the hand of destiny unclasps from
the girliSh figure, and, amid the protests of our
impatient scorn, the Voice that none may ques-
ton saying TO her, Thou art the man!'
JOANS FAITH.
She thus explains the Maid of Orleans mys-
tic success, all the miracle and marvel and
mystery of Joan's history to the extraordinary
development of one human capacity-Lore,
the extraordinary exercise of one superhu-
man capacity-since ii is the gift of God-Faith!
Joans love was extraordinary, because it was
not a passion for a person, but quenchless
passion OF love for a cause. All the energy, and
devotion, and credulity, and constancy and
jealousy, and consuming passion, and trium-
phant worship that go intoa womans love for
one man. and that makes 1t the thing it Is went
from Joans soul into the cause of France. All
that a woman will endure for any, from a lover
to child. that did Joan endure for any from
France. And this is very extraordinary.
Strange and rare in man-strange and rarer in
woman,
And Joan's faith was superhuman, which is
ali falth since 1t Is from God. gift rather than
grace. To Joan man was as naught-the king
OF France was the king of heaven.
And OF faith in general she writes eloQuently
and 1t Is three, faith in God, faith in self and
faith in humanity.
nation OF this Trinity, for 1T includes by logical
necessity both the other faiths. Whether men
admit II or not faith in myself and faith in nv
brother and sister humanity follow from my
Iaith In God, and will win their rightful rank if
that Ialth Is allowed its full growth. But be-
cause our faith in God is rarely allowed its
full growth. these other faiths, faith in our
selves and faith in each other. do not come into
fulI view and win due recognition,
We repeat our creed, 81 believe in God the
father, but we do not always realize that this
creed includes Il believe in myself and ~ be-
ileve In other people" Yet this threefOld faith
should be taught A true belief in God is three
sided. and the glory OF the God side was never
meant To obscure the brightness of the other
TWO sides. but rather to render them consDcu-
GUS . BY faith in humanity in the alb
stract mean TO imply that general attitude of
mind which Is hopeful and expectant of bu-
manity, a faith in human natures intrinsic
worth and capability, faith which behods
man, as in Northumberland dream, to be in
deed sadly and mysteriOusly mixed of things
precious and things base, but which beholds as
Clearly the head of fine gold, the breast of sill
Ver a. the feet of iron and clay; faith that the
race Is steadily grayitating toward goal of
final good rather than evil; that when the
averages OF the ages are accurately struck, the
leverage is found to be constantly upward not
downward: that humanity is persistentlv
electlng Itself 10 honor, glory and immortality
by majority which secures to the same party
all future canVasses- y faith, this, which waivers
not an instant before the question, how
worth living?' but responds with an Immediate
and hearty ~ es, thousand times, yes. Yes,
lie Is Infinitely worth iiying.' \ faith, this
which looks into poOrhOuses and idiot asylums
and penltentlaries ay, and into the darkness of
great cities BY night, and still believes in hu-
and infinitely worth saving. A faith this
which contemplates the catastrophe of moral
obilqulty and spiritual suicide: of the mole and
the bat lie OF thousands of us, of the leprOus
spawnS OF human beings that are constantly
thrown upon the shores of life only to contami-