Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-06-02
WITH PEN AND INK.
BY L. II. W.


Tnll of sweet cams" I
The series of essays that have been
coming cut during the past year or two
in The Atlantic Monthly, by Agnes Rep
plier, have been recently gathered into
hook form under the title OF, points OF
View" The title should have been "A
Point of View" for in the treatment OF
the various themes, beneath the nlmbie
wit and garrulous fiuencv OF these essays,
there is enc insisient cord that constant
lv makes itself heard, like continuous
accompaniment above which rlpples the
varying and graceful undulations oil the
melody. Miss Reppier is an ardent and
ingenious special-pleader Tor Art Tor
Beauty's sake. She makes strong case
AGAINST the tribe OF didactic teachers and
preachers in fiction and poetry, and claims
that Tolsto, George Eliot, Ibsen and the
high priest of teachers, Howells, are only
great in spite Of their teaching propensl-
ties. not because Of them. This theme is
ostensibly the subject OF two OF the es-
saws, "Eiction in the Pulpit" and Pleas
ure a Heresv," but the same keen feeling
for beauty and pleasure for their own
sweet selves, the accent that we heard in
Herrick. who sang,
Leather We rosebnds while we may
Old time is still a-aying"
runs through several Of the other essays.
It is a CHEEKY, joyous belief, whether we
agree with it or no, and it could not find
n cleverer exponent than Miss Repplier,
who brings to her cause a zestful,
vivacity Of style and really rare gilt OF
varied and ielcitous quotation. There
isno staid, bookish pedantry in her use OF
ouotation. but from an Astounding stock OF
remembered 6on m0ts she runs on from
"Gray to Gay, from little to Shakespeare. =
The protes; which she makes against UNI
comfortable puritanism is not from
The lips only, but springs IRON a
lively pleasure in beautiful, unmorallzinp
nature. and that high art which she claims
has ever left the moral OF its teaching
uuitalirized. She reminds us that Shake
speare gives us Lady Macbeth and lage
with no stereotyped reflections upor thei1
nnw6rthiness as exemplars. She quotes
DeOuincy's defense, II you insist on my
telling you what is the moral OF the llad
i must insist on your telling me what Il
she moral OF rattle snake, or the mora
-sf0h;; slresbes on TO say, land thus al
once destroying the just proportions of d
story and FORGETTING that subtle svmpa.
thy with life, asit is, which gives to every
artistic masterpiece its admirable air OF
self-sufficing and harmonious rerose. Il
always tremble when see philosophi-
cal idea attached to novel; said Sainte-
Deuye, who was spared by the kindly
hand OF death from the sight of countless
novels attached to philosophical ideas. y
And so the vivacious essayist runs ON.
pelting her adversaries with her own
good humored banter Or, as easily stoop-
lng, like young David, to pick round
ed pebble from the stream of literature
1hat courses SO familiarity at her feet.
one OF the best essays in the volume is
called Literary Shibboeths' and in if is
rulhlessly exposed the ft lily and pretence
OF allowing the fad OF the moment to over
rule individual preference in the choice
oil books. If ones taste is for Rider Hao.
gard, letusunbushingly read Rider Hac
gard and not pretend to prefer Tolstoi.
1t is a wholesome protest against those
whose minds are 'to let, allowing them
selves to be bullied into conforming to
The dlctum OF domineering critic. Rus
kin is the extreme type of this truculent
ciass' not content with pointing out the
beauties that lie loves, he bars the wav
Aho says, Admire, or be id to you."
II You can't see the beauty of this, go
and grovel elsewhere. With Ruskin's
exquisite gift of language he might so
easily pursuade us into bringing our love
and'ad'nlration to the shrine where he
but he forgets the homely wis
dom OF st. Francis of Sales answer when
he was blamed for using too much suavi-
ty in bringing wanderers into the fold.
More flies are caught with one drop of
honey than with gallon of vinegar"
Mr.. Brander Matthews has recently ia
ken Miss Repplier sharply to task from
MS colgn OF vantage in the Cosmopolitan, r
or her lack OF patriotism in quoting only d
English authors, forgetting Lowell and I
Hawthorne and remembering lesser Eng
ism lights such as Lang and Pater, but s
his criticism of his is anticipated by q
Miss Repplier in the essay on "Literary fl