New-York tribune., 1886-06-06
RLTS OE CRITICISM.

military novel, if possible ss excellent as this one
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BITS or CRITICISM.
THE ONf-HoSs SHAY.-lt was those verses,
Of which their author probably Thought nothing, ana
when. indeed but Tor certain separaeness Ia their
humor suggesting as huinor so seldom does tnat the
writer smiles as writes, in Themselves not inncn
which made Dr. Holiness English fortune ana sent me
cultivated in thousands to read Ihe Autocrst o, the
delight which, II hc could bat know It, would he better
payment DR. Holmes than any niche 10 the temple OF
lame. au American Monaisnc, cool wise specuiater
on the phenomena Of life. IN Tn0n pleasant Iulnor
rehection The humor remarkable. for like almost
all hun0r which has permanently cn irinet hngshmep
universally which is the note OF the best hu nor OF
Shakespeare; but used not for Itself. bnt only as
a moriant thought or occasionally to make grave
thought seem lghter.-lrhe London Spectator.
Mr.. HowELLs on LoNCFELLOw. - This
geniest OF was one OF the manifest 1t was his
the f1lly of Others hut armed him with pity against
their envy and and rgratitude all when he elt
in full measure Ihrou ghout his IL enabled him also
to bear with dignity the uninstruc;ed arrogance Ia
criticism which found the pnre ana serene beauty OF MS
toried and passion. stricken.-IiIarpers Magazine
WHAT ABOUT AMERICAN POETRY AS an
II aex ami school of national character the Importance
OF poetry hardly be exaggerated No more potent
influence exists TO inygorase or corrupt the mini OF
society, sign OF the health or disease of people,
than this monument and epitone OF national develop
ent. II poetry becomes enieened not 0liy IS theFe
manifested fatal SYM tom Of national decay, hut
powerful restorative Is iisolf injected i Edinburgh
Kesiew.
MODERN HUMOR. Genuine comedy - the
true, tickling exquisite absurty. souEreJcic!ng
mcon gruity-hls really nothing 20 do with types. pre-
vang fashions, and such like yugariiics. Sir Andrew
Aguecheek Is not typical fool; he - Il FOOL reiLed III
fee simple OF his folly Hlmor lies not in gencral'ZI-
ors but In the invid0a not In his hat norin his hose
even though tho latter be cros>aarterei ." but in the
deep heart o. him his hishhying vauIties, his low
vrry motions OF back he the road These
Stir laughter whilst h. ycs and ous tear when he
Irtti aNpr nj We fiIl well W q
taking part our own 0bs-qu'e* Literature Is but
the reflex Of ie ana the hun3T & o. IL lies "a tne p2r
task the modern humOrst is not easy Tho
sTe g I9 mae metal ss y"n n n Work W with lnro
ami uustroGc after the most approved methods Some
would ENJOY llttie more II We did not hear
quite distinctly the suorting Of tie engine. and the
grooming aud the creakins OF the gear as it painfully
less men, must tue defects Of their qualities
lMacmilltn's Magazine
BALZ4C-IIe is far too greet Il writer to be
summed up in a. epigram. however smart or labelled
with definition however ne.t. As the isto.ograpaer
Of society. His importance and interest are certainly
mancncc TO ms work Il the renerhon-the >aluration.
r!EerOf al his writings with mat genuine human Ire
ing human passion. aud or human weakness winch
MS creations reality ani 7 s1ca - VII De
sought In vaiu outside OF h- plge. IN the literature Of
hclion.-lG G. L. Parsons In The Atlantic
PAINFUL BOOKs.-Ihough we DO not our
selves mold tnat noyests sJie duty is 10 provide
his stomers OCCASIONAL aucher ami perennial com
fort We do think hat these always welcome clements
snaG not ne alfogctncr excluded from WORK. and
tnat there IS something artiscay wrong, w@ll
altogether unhroken by any gean OF sunlight-wnere
cloud the SKY from nOrzon Ia horizon. and
no therefore. show any trace OF si.ver lining Dr.
Downward picfaced tho remark We have quoted with
another remark the effect tBat there great dsal
that IS PAINFUL ia rea Me- ami therefore, Tor that very
reason. don't want 1t IN books. Ihs OF course il
mlscrably Incomplete ycwa view which makes 0f the
novelist mere paryeyor OF intellectual cakes and a!e
hut il true that tho painful clements or lie only
fres tn artist under the nxel conditions are
hinted al IN the Arstotsidn definition ot the functions
ira -edy-to purify by pity aud terror Pain watch
begins and ends In itself. which simply its
and Kills at as which has no harvest of strength or
beauty hariy ~Iblsc, for satisfy art for in It's
emancip alton. only tho prostratlon when Of wit
Messing hopeless struggir. Artistic must not
beauty and when tins element here we
seek IN vAn.-lfhe London Spectator.
MoDERN PoETRY.-lt is undoubtedly true
that the more obvious materials of Inauguration tend To
diminish with advancing civilization. LIfc in prosac
age ike the present hns lost It's moral grandeur Men
are east in mcud; nnOI NIFTY staryes individuality;
character is overl.d with conventionay. Originals
ana Oddities r,tire before the commonplace aud the
pictair. e forms Of tSil:h dpar. ro"ile KIN
demands passive o9eiience the chatm is gone when
doubts aIe wnislered TDe nneteenth fontUry
period which abopuds in subjects that obviously ana
evidently lend themseIves 10 poetic elevation. Many
aspahis To "e!le ahe fesSu III despair TIER allotted
pace ths hlghway oi the worId. cary of The
present lie they escape from crowded cities to raise
heritases in solitary deserts Their ma nation strsys
to tht c ,ssc rrslOn wIlch the ft"eI UcsVri
the North. 10 CHASE by prriing brooks the .a. bat
immortal forms oi Nynphs ana Grlccs: But those who
pursue these devious paths desert tclr highest functions
10 clasp SHADOW: ll"y cannot lhis hODs
car or touc the heart oi putitndes they deliberately
I,k III placing tn II works beyond the range of
ordinary synptthcs. Ihcv rely return to IN. past
which is npossiiity III he .cnt revival which
oay "a" fata Iorgana can cadso to hover u reality
before he lively imagil alton. VITA Mr. Courthope We
depiore this withdrawal TIE II terrsts tie iay
The more unroetca "a century appears the more
pressing Is lis c Tor poetry drawn from fresh con-
temporary and Immediate sources But IA prominent
point Ot ouI difference with Mr. ,OurthOpe is his CON
cusIOn thtt the perennial iOunt OF Ioetio iuspratou
the surface pictures o and society gh9n ara
by the critical school. He has not retraced tho
.fn a & A tfrkI
thrOngod with such varied activities. tnrOhning WITH
mani old enerFes. struggling erccly .ri the
interests anay no less salient beclu>e they are moro
diversified, Influences less obviously rch iecanse more
pcated: Dut so long a. the human throbs with
anguish Or .ells WITH pldc, 80 long it heaves with
Ounds with hope LONG VIII the mat he
ready, whenever the rue workman EdinDu. gh
Review.
HOWELLS TIE NA1URALIST.--Wh w hat his char
VIII when iet 10 themselves Is MS IN
Icresi. and he watches them with unfag-u. attention
The d.irulty with him, with many another naturaI-
specially limits the range of his sympathy Sparrows
orioles. ala engaging tilo creaures ana one
observe them with Lrcat delight; bat, after all an
orDlthOOKst may make mistake VINO looRs with all
his might and main at some chutcrug English SPAR
rows, when likely as not there Is flight overhead OF
some strong winged wid geese sweeping nOrthward
after southern hDcfnstOn, possibly even some
hawks rosins III upper air for downward swoop 1t
- by sucn dccOrous ngurativoncss hint al our
Slowly hardening disappontDent over the limitations
whcn Adf HoWrIIs Chooses To What We
continue 10 admire Is The drty with which he portrays
the nfe winch does interest niu aud Inc inIsIllng
charm which lies IN his hgAtness oil lOuon.-lIhe At
lantic.
-
DISSECIING PoET
BosOn L,ttsr to ne Chicago N'eirL
saw young poet tlking with an adulrer the other