The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-04-25

PeoiuoiASs VI POOliys UOyOuu lCS oWu AAnA
its; and the restless, uncertain spirit OF
modern art will do well to preserve the
old accepted laws of the beautiful. On
the other hand, it would be illiberal
stupidity that should deny that Walt
Whitman was great and unique poet.
His material was the entire cosmos-of
which it was his mistake to announce
himself the mouthpiece. He lacked the
instinct of the art of poetry. Hopeful,
quick to perceive the soul of things, feel
ing deeply and acutely-he often repeat
ed his message ih uncouth accents, with
dry catalogues, Earring words-and amid
these. are now and then heard phrases of
lofty and beautiful poetry.
In compiling this volume, Mr.. Sted-
man has chosen extracts from the vari-
Gus books of MI. Whitman's verse and
grouped them under appropriate head
ings. 1t is good to know that the old
poet looked fearlessly toward death.
His song was brave as he set sail for the
unknown sea:
SOY, shipmate Joy!
pleased to my soul at death cry3
Our life is closed, our life begins,
The long, long anchorage we leave,
The ship IS clear at last, she leapSl
She swiftly courses from the shore,
Joy, shipmate, joy"
New York. Charles L. Winchester &
Co. Price, IS cents.
The quality of Mercy. ByW. D. How
ellis. In this novel, one of Mr.. Howells's
strongest in theme and treatment, he APP.
pears to have made decided advance in
the art of fiction, so faithfully and con-
stantly studied by him. The subject is
Enthusiastically American-not that
defaulters are an exclusive product of
the United States, but that in this coun-.
try there is a type to which, with slight
variations, they seem to conform. Mr..
Howells begins his story at the right
point, where Northwick drives home
ward, behind his fine colts, from the
directors meeting of the corporation
whose funds he had used in speculation.
There he had been called thief, and
also given three days grace to meet, if
he could, the shortage in his accounts.
The president, granting him so much
mercy for the sake of his young daugh-
ter, wished him good railroad accident
between the city and his village of Hat
boro'. Three things remained for his
choice: suicide, trial for embezzlement,
or run to Canada. ga man, if he was
that kind of a man, could skip" And
Northwick did skip, arriving in Canada;
meanwhile supposed to have been killed
by the accident to train for which he
had mechanically taken Pullman ticket
in his own name, and therefore had
avoided. Mr.. Howells has made some
strong sketches of the persons of the
story: the daughters of the defaulter--
the girlish, fierce pride of Suzette is adj
mirably indicated-the son and daughter
OF the president of the corporation, with
the humane traits inherited from him
developed into the positiveness of mod
ernity; the president, Mr.. Hilary, balanc-
ing between justice and mercy; the rival
reporters; the well known population of
Hatboro'-form lifelike group by means
of which the crime of Northwick is con-
nected in every social relation. 1t is to
be noted that Mr.. Howells appears to
have accepted certain necessary conven-
tions of the novelist's art, and composes
his story in accordance with them. The
construction isieqcellent; the author dis
eliminates better among values in detail.
And a true stroke of mastery compre-
hension is in the portrayal of North
wick's acceptance of his handouts:
" That's good murmured Northwick,
as if theaa feel of the iron pleased him."
Here. in one superb and simple moment,
is the expiration of Northwick's crime.
His was the purgatorial passion of which
Dante wrote-"the sweet NORWOOD of
this torment" New York: Harper G.
Brothers; Portland: Loring, Short 6
Harmon. Price $1.5O)
Letters of Worldly Woman. By Mrs.
W. AA' NAAAOI0s L Ao UltlS Ol Lu6S6 UQTG6
studies of the feminine heart is not es-
pecially apt or calculated to do justice to
their temper. They are in the form of
letters, relating in brilliant and fluent
style the sentimental history of three
women, neither of whom deserved to be
especially labeled as worldly And
one. at least. of them was not even mali
fed for a woman of the world. The first
of these fair correspondents would have
been charming if not irritated by the dense
goodnature Of hopelessly commonplace
lover; the second type represents one of
| those unaccountable and tragic surren-
ders of brilliant and warm nature to
another that it knows for selfish and
false; the third is a graceful and pathetic
example of the fatality of the too late.
These sketches show much talent; mean
| while their apisfo1arv form, M kac thar,