New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-25
SOME NEW EDITIONS.
THOREAU'S WORKS-THE NOVELS OF MIR
CABLE.


When Mr.. Lowell reviewed "a Week on the Con-
cord and Merrimac Rivers" over forty years ago.
he anticipated the criticism which has since then
been most frequently directed at the hermit or
Walden Pond OF the erudte digressions OF Ihoreau
he said: "rhey out OF proportion ana out Oh
place and mar Merrimacking dreadfuiiy. we
were bid 10 a river party-not to be preached at
To any one who has accepted Thoreaus inV'a''on
and explored his old haunts under his own suid'
apce there Is no better comment on the one draw
back to the experience illusions TO the Hindu
pandects are made relevant on New-Ehsiahu
streams only by straning the Imagination But IN
the first place the very presence OF these passages
in Thoreau's writings is an evidence OF nalve'e oi
nm unsophisticated habit of mind. 1t needed more
purely literary taste than his to detect the as
sonance introduced by his preaching anu u
needs a sensitive reader to realize 1t now. Inc
second fact that counterbalances his defect Is INC
purity Of Thoreau's natural magic when 1t is gwen
free play. His intellectual nominations are Ms
mannersm The essential substance OF MS WORK
has in 1t the fibre of the untrodden WOODS in'S
is what Is tonic in him. what makes MIN d 'o"
structive force in modern letters. In MS '',os'
characteristic writing there Is the least pos'''7
Intervention OF self-consciousness between MS oo-
seryat,op and the expression given to the latter.
He is a direct rapidly iuminative Interpreter Oh
nature Although he is always making ueh'a''
appeals to the Imagination. as wheh Tic %!
briefly "A sweet briar. apparently 9es'e'u"',
giving in that single line woriu ol meai''"e' '
leaves his reader in possession OF facts. not Vi
emotions or only of such emotions as spring from
tho en;oyment of facts in themselves peau'iiui'
GLOW peculiar is the h6otng of the OWL, ne says
mot shrill and sharp like the scream OF the ha"N'
but full, round and sonorous waxing 'ne e'"o
of the wood" There is no reference mere u ana
,oeues in the spiritual experience of man. the cry Oh
the owl IS freighted with no tones OF humah' III
prospective significance He gives you Simply .ne
note the personality of the bird. II 49, 'heh'
Thoreau's unadulterated naturaiisn1' even i"oi.
than his store of gnomic wisdom ana 'he e""''" VI
his individuality, which makes the appearance VI
rex, edition of his works matter Of Importance
Athouph he has not been without a large audience
these many years. he has not hitherto oeen eo'-
Iected in such form as Houghton. Mifiin q co.
have Just given to his works The New hiSeIsiue
Edition Is to be completed in ten volumes Oh "nc
eight have thus far been published Brei miro
ductorv notes to the various volumes shed DID
biographical light the latter there are copious
,rdexes and the last volume is to have general
,ndex for the set There will appear also IN the
final volume some new misceilanies. III tne -
volume there is a good REPRODUCTION Vi 'o"
crayon of Thorcau in the Public Liprar! Oh ooh
cord and two other portraits are promised for the
addition which Is made. 1t may be audeu' III INC
accustomed simple and serviceable style OF the
riverside Press 1t makes one OF the pest Oh
Christmas publications. and is httins co'np""'o'
IN the uniform editions OF hawthorne LOWELL
Emerson and other American wriiers ""i@n '''''
house has brought out
Modern novelists are nothing II not topoSraphi-
oaI and also ethnographical. and with the rise OF
,ha dialect story authors in this country nave
come TO speak in many for special districts.
Mr.. Crawford Is unique in going from pole 10 pore
and seeking his characters and scenes ho" III
bohemia or Italy, and now in New-lork. IL ~
moro often that we meet a Miss Wilkins or MISS
Jewett reproducing New-England manners. MISS
Murfree describing the sunsets and moonsniners
Of tennessee. or a Mr.. Gable reviving in works OF
fiction the life Of the Creole South All MT:
Cables tales have been repubished IN sc. VI
five octave volumes by Charles Scribners sons
To look them over at one time Is 10 De s'ruch
more forcibly than by the thoroughhess
md singleness Of aim with which this author
has devoted himself to his province. IN tha'
province he has no rival save Lafcado Hearh'
and the author OF "Chta' and "Youma Is IN
deed more to be remembered for the originality
and distinction OF his art than for the local color
IN his two most perfect productions. New-Orleans
remains Mr. Cables familiar ground He
knows the streets the dwellings and the musical
tongued people who fill them. He has written IN
these volumes a good deal of the close description
which I'm days to come will be of semi-historicai
value. Even the deep-ingrained Latnism OF
Louisiana must fade before the Entertainments
of the American genius When the incisive speech
of the East has at last drowned the caressing
patois Of the Southern metropolis, THE Grandis-
shines" and "Old Creole Days will be useful
documents to the student Of racial America