New-York tribune., 1885-01-30

Ono of the most important contributions to the
number is Edmund Clarence Stedman's paper on
his brother poet Oliver Wendell Holmes. Mr.
Stedman long ago earued the right to be recog
nize as ourleading literary critic but he is scarcely
seen at his best in this instance The aiiuent learn
ing tho nice Of the relative value OF form and
substance the clarified taste. the sobrlety OF Judg-
ment the sympathy. the discrimination when
characterized The Victorian Poets have indeed
measuraLly gone to the making of this estimate OF
theauthor of Tie Chambered Nautilus. But some
thing of the compactness of statement the close
keeping to tue theme the directncss, the simplicity
the restraint that lent strength TO the earlier work.
seems to be absent this time. Nor Will there be
general assent to all of Mr. Stedman's opinions con-
cerning Holmes. For example, half of the assertion
that Holmes has been in vogue and out of vogue
is certain to be challenged. 1t Will be stoutly
denied that he ever has been out OF. since ne first
was in vogue and the dissentents will be curious to
learn who are the wits Of the new dispensation
who at times " have thought Holmes "sOmcwhat
too antiquated" 1t will be stoutly argued that the
charge of antiquity is the one of all others that
cannot be successfully urged against Holmes
When has he ever failed to be en- rapport with the
occasoni Can 1t not be said of him rs Lowell sad
of Emerson that he has remained :" the unwasted
contemporary of bis own prime"i Mr.. Ste Imam in
tn, course of his paper lays down the proposition
that mot the form but the informing spirit is the
essential thing" The wits of the new disrensation
must admit tho truth of this remark, and so too
they must admit that tha spirit of Holmes has
seemed out of fashion, that it has never Jagged
super1uous. Again. protests may be looked for
from Doctor Holiness admirers against Mr.. Sted-
mans observation that on tue whole the liiolmesl
novels and the Autccrat volumes were in
plot and style behind the deft creations of day."
The style of these deft creations may be more
finished and elegant than the Doctors; the other
hand his excelsn virlty. lexibillty and what may
be called magnetic buoyancy. So on the whole
his style will not suffer in the comparison When
il comes to the question Of plot Mr.. li0wells, the
author of some of the deft creations Of day.
be counted upon to take issue with Mr.. Stedman.
1t is scarcely possible that HOwes will indorse the
Stedman view of the Holmes plot, for it was not
long ago that in the pages of this very magazine in
a notice OF the works of his brother novelist Mr..
James he excused and explained their deficiencies
in plot by airily venturing upon the generalization
that the stories bad all been told Bat whatever
the dissent the fact remains that Mr. Stedmans
paper is Justly to be rated as the most acute and
adequate attempt that has been made to analyze
and weigh the genius of Holiness to give it it's due
ami at the time to indicate its limitations In
oncludng his article our critic sums up his esti-
mate as follows:
New EngaDder, HOlInes Iong ago awarded the
tribe the cutest His and versatility bewider
what degree His prose- for the most part peculiarly
original. His serious poetry scarcely has been the
Ss .ea his to I the bat oo % OR his pasEs,
OF occasions he has given us much Of ~ the best
delivery. Both his strength and weakness lie in his
genial temper and his brisk, speculative habit OF mind
Infused enough spirit into table and rostruo verse to
make 1t worth recording, his poetry has appealed to the
present rather than the future ana. again. he
curious and analytic brain for purely artistic work OF
Holmes satrist. which Is not unusual TO call him.
sand but little His metrical satires are Of the
a,niabe sort that debars him from kinsmanshp with the
Juvenas OF old, the Popes and Churchills OF more
recent times. There Is real satire in of Hosea
BlgOw's lyrics than n all laughing philosophers
irony rhyined and unrhymed Yet he Is keen oil server
the folles and chances which satire makes its food
Give him personages, "reminiscences. to touch
upon, and he is quite at home He may not reproduce
these imanstiyey, in their stronger combinations but
the Autocrat makes unseeiny boast when ne says
1t was In teaching of Life that came together.
thought knew soinethng about mat that could speak
or write about ~ some purpose
The new Harper is admirable number, varied
suggestive and beautifully Illustrated. The most
valuable paper perhaps is Mr.. Ely's description of
the social experiment at Pullman. 1t appears that
the workmen do not appreciate paterual govern
ment; that aesthetic surroundings do not compen-
safe for the loss Of the privilege of being untdy II
one peases; that O handsome cottage at low
rent Is no comfort when the occupant Is
debarred from buying his home; and that no
amount of free amusement makes up for what ls
felt to be kind of bondage-an inability, real or
fancied, to think and act ss chooses. Herein
lies the seed of failure for all such enterprises. 1t
js not easy to suggest remedy which will at once
guard the " ameliorated workman from Interfer-
enee and the company from many unpleasantnesses;
- a 4 - H.