The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-09-23
INKl.INGS OF IDLENESS.
CHANGES IN THE WORLDS
VOLUME OF LITER
AIRY FASHION
PLATES.
WALTER SCOTT AND WASHING
TON IRVING, "THE HEARTOF
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
CAN AUTHORS
Henry watterson in Louisville courier-Journal


and, having previously possessed myself
of "The Heart of Midlothian" l could
not pass our gentle Godfrey Crayon by,
and made purchase of it accordingly,
and have since been browsing here and
there through these two modern classics"
and marking, somewhat, the contrasts
they present to the literary productions
of our immediate time.
Walter Scott and William Black; Wash
ington Irving and Mark Twain; in these
four names we have century of altered
and diverse fashion plates, for books, no
less than Clothes have their modes, and
what is tip-top for one generation be-
comes stale and obsolete for another.
My children tell me that the older
Scotchman is 'slow." They prefer the
works of the younger. The elaborate de-
scriptiOns, the long digressions, and the
historic researches and discussions weary
them. The pages are too compact and
solid. They, the children aforesaid, want
more of life and action, dramatic move
ment and dialogue Now l, that have
gone most of the gaits and kept tolerably
close up to the head of the procession, 90
not have this craving for quick and lively
effects. like novel that you can take
hold of, and that takes hold of you, and,
when the wrestle is over, that leaves some
body sprawllng, and not mere ''dog fall"
to be forgotten next day.
have gone over the simple highland
tale, which once stirred me to the depths,
with much of the old feeling, and am come
up from the green sward where it laid me
fiat, smiling, it may be. but not wholly
| fearless, with greater respect than ever
for the magic of that enchanting wizard
of the north. Can anyone pursue the
story of Jeanne Deans, and Effie, and Rue
ben end old David, and the good, brave
Duke of Argyle, and say that his heart
does not "warm to the tartan?" 1 have
read that famous passage between Jeanne
and McCullummore many times, and ever
with increasing admiration for the simple
power which brought it into being. cold
fashioned" did you say, my dear young
| friend? Yes, it is oldfashioned very old
| fashioned; as old-fashioned as flesh and
blocd.
wish could think as highly of Irving
as am forced to think of Scott. But it
seems to me Irving fell betwixt two stools;
he is not great humorist, nor great Sc
rious writer, albeit, one of the most en-
SuSihS VI AApSioiJ PSioS'pAAOANS' NAASf
surely, the most eminent literary person
age of his country, and, withal, an I'M
DOUBTED benefactor to his age and guild.
Still, find little in the "Sketch Book"
worthy to be treasured and studied. The
style is pure and easy; but it has not the
1.-the swing of Steele, nor the spontaneous
flow and familiar grace of Goldsmith's
prose. Its plations are elevated,
but hardly strong enough to be elevating
and they lack the depth and meaning of
Addison. Irving took these for his models,
and he made a good, though a common
place, imitation of them. The Sketch
Book" is an excellent literary primer
for American children. 1t inculcates
love of the natural and the chaste in Eng
fish composition, and in subject matter
breaches nothing that is foul or tainted.
Irving himself was cultivated and aspir-
ing gentleman, of discernment and taste,
having an amiable and complying temper,
kind and not over-warm heart, and an
eye to business. He saw the value of
literary union with British men of letters;
he preached the gospel of peace in
pleasing extollation of the picturesque
and genial in English life; and, with
bunch of flowers, he beat down the preju
dice which formulated the literary feeling
of the time in the sentence "Who reads an
American book?" He secured an audi
ence for himself, and, indirectly, for
those who came after, though it may be
doubted whether any amount of anti
yankee sentiment could have kept out
Hawthorne and Poe, whilst Cooper fought
and won his own battle.
To-day, Howells, at least, holds his own
on British soil with any native rival;
whilst Artemus Ward and Mark Twain are
encountered upon the book-stalls and i'll
the circulating libraries more frequently
than any contemporary humorists. Whit
tier is least known among our poets, but
Longfelow and Lowell are everywhere
recognized along with Tennyson and
Browning. In short, if l we're going to
make an American entry for the English
speaking worlds literary prize cup,
would not put our national chances upon
Washington Irving. There is nothing in
the Sketch Book" quite so fresh and
naive, racy of the soil and original, as
many things in that Summer in Gar
den," of which made mention in recent
letter, nothing native and to the manner
born like "Uncle Remus," and, surely,
nOtnlng 10 compare WIN lne huUoOloV
of the Breakfast Table," or "The House of
Seven Cables" or "The Scarlet Letter"
1t grieves me to say there is not; for l
love to think of Irving as of Washington,
that is, as one equally great in perform
ances and in character. But the perform
ances of our literary Pater Patriae were at
second hand and mediocre, wrought out of
well-stored mind and gentle, placid
heart; and altogether overloaded with or
namentation. This latter, though not
wanting aptness, dims the glow, which a
fine, original genius, pouring itself freely
forth from an overlooking resovoir of in
formation and inspiration, never fails un
consciously to emit, and which is found so
abundantly in Addison, Steele and Gold
smith. So, with an upsetting sense of un
patriotic discrimination, sadly lay aside
the sketch Book and forgetting my
duty to my country, lose myself once more
in the well-worn pages of "The Heart of
Midlothian"
There are, indeed, on this side of the
Atlantic soil and climate peculiarly
suited to purely literary growth; and from
their rich luxuriance there looms up
through the all-pervading, ever-present
Indian summer haze of gold and purple
mise en- vene, which seizes at once upon