New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-28
LITERARY NOTES.

Miss Murfree-otherwise Charles Egbert Craddocx
has written a new story. 1t will appear. under the
title Of THE Myster OF witch-Face Mountain"
in three numbers OF The Atlantic" beginning In
september.
The piling up OF Stevensoniana goes on apace.
So much of II as comes from the nominations or
his admirers we think might, for The present AZ
least be deferred. But Stcvensons own writing -
generally welcome. and since We must wait TWO
years or more for the Life by Mr. Colvin 1t is
pleasant to know that volume of short pieces Is
an the press for appearance in the autumn that
the unfinished novel st Ives Will follow soon
after and that In October The Vailima Letters
will be put before the public. The last Is the
most promising publication OF them all, Tor steven
son the man. with pen In his hand, Is one OF the
delightful possessions OF his time. The author Is
brilliant; The individual is perhaps not always
that though he witty at all times; but he IS
In the main just winning spirit, talker OF IRE
sistble de.icacy and charm friend, somehow.
even 10 those whom he never directly addressed
II Is this that makes his essays more precious
than his stories. The latter have their magic. but
tho ASSAYS have more than that. they have the
flesh and blood quality which Stevenson In his
fiction sometimes lacked. He writes from his
heart In his essays. "Vrginbus Puerisque Is
pure humanity from cover to cover Inc man
who can think Of style" as he reads THIS DOCK
must be either cold -b.ooded rank faddst II IL
M, tho styst who speaks here. 1t Is the playful
comrade the 1.-the traveller WHO walked up ana
down the earth in suffering ala never let you
realize the fact 1t is the Stevenson VINO makes one
feel. when he hears the jargon OF the day ABOUT
the authors style" and his color and all the
rest, like Inviting his silly panegyrists TO eat their
own words He would have scorned them keen
craftsman though he was: for he knew that craft
was not everything. that the spirit al tne roof OF
things was what counted In his work. Inc letters
from Samoa ought to show him In this hght ana
make him more lovable than ever There Is
troublesome suggestion abroad about them He
knew # is said that they were to be published.
But even So 1t is unlikely that in letters to
dear friend he could have remained ION parade
"A Wedding and Other Stories Is the u'.e OF
volume which julien Gordon"-Mrs Cruger-has ar
ranged for publication The Lppincotis are to BRING
1t out.
Mr. A. J Ba,four has in his country home dig
and lofty study where all his literary work mas
been done 1t is full bat not overful OF DOCKS ana
conspicuous object is spiendid grahu PAM
wherein the author OF THE Foundations OF Be-
Her, Is accustomed to wreak his ideaislc Hlooos'
For Mr. Balfour is passionately fond OF music
and is sometimes heard playing on this plano AZ
. O'Clock in the morning.
"Chimnie Fadden" is an unqualified success
Everybody admits It and everybody is glad OF H.
including The Tribune. But the vogue OF the DOCK
and the Measure which is everywhere excited oy
ch,mm!es astounding speech seem to indicate
drift Of feeling among many reaaers ana some
writer's which is really ominous. There is quar-
Gcatlon 10 be made after al. Chmmie Is dehgh'-
mi. but Chimmie may easily become pernicious.
He is making slang attractive, too attractive TO-
his &c ~ a sort with which It is dangerous TO
have too much 10 do.
The slang illustrated by his conversation mas
pquancy. humor. originality. hundred or more
claims 10 the attention and even 70 the aan'''a-
ZION Of the student But II is pure scum ana too
much OF II slckens does harm. turns dgnhei
and racv speech into mere vulgar articulation
For it is almost exclusively the result Oh ina
habit which has existed among the lowest classes
for centuries and which has produced IN the argot
of French criminals perhaps the me mower OF
cryptc speech. Chimmie's slang Is 10 growth,
b-o,i,v sneaking from an English root. II Is based
chiefly on the association OF Ideas, on symbolism
on the desire TO hide the speakers true meaning
I, has logical dervations. no DOUBT. Inc eApe's
could probably find for the word oohes AZ "Se'
in the Bowery some old association OF IDEAS "hcn
makes IL enthusiastically comprehensive. But use Il
q, convsrsatton with one of unintiated and you
will have TO tell him just what you med" ""'"
vo,vask him TO lend you TWO bones TOT o.ne'
wise hc viii no more suspect you OF waning uoiai'
than O. wanting two OF his ribs The lAuer "ou''
lust as readily occur 10 him
In slang ike this you recognize the mushroom
g-owth Of An expression which some person mas
IN the recent past uttered with about as mucn
logical intention the drunkard mas VINE" "e
grows articuate in his cups. or grant tna' INC
man who first coins the word or phrase mas
definite idea in doing that something cohhec'e'
with the dolsrs OF our coinage or currency mas
sursssted 10 him the fitness. as he thinks. OF 'ne
svronyme bones" Grant all this and the Slang
remains purely symbolical, and all ''ons 'ne
line on which 1t has been established IN curren.
sneech one will find its comrades IN pniioIoeca'
as those base words which enable countetle"e,s
md ,hiavss to communicate with one another win
no fear Of detection from the outsider VINO over
hears them. Chmmie. when looked al az 'he en-
nono,t ~ an gnobe form OF speech Is interest
ing but as we have said. he is distinctly DANGER
ous lie who emuates him is lost
Mr.. william Sharp has written new novel, lhat
seems hardly the news 10 place Two nations on inc
,.x =, del,rlous expectancy But he who comes
~ this bland conclusion reckons without MI
Sharp. or his publishers note from sou'0e
Of authority the publishers AFORESAID, informs "
that Mr. Sharp sis now talked OF as the au'"o'
~ a new novel whose sheer cleVerhess anu WV
wu make II A greater literary and popular success
than Dodo' was Happy Mr.. sharp. 70 oe ,a'Aea
oh,r, IN This way, The ''wi;," the sheer clever
moss" the greater success than Dodo was
with rs tacit and charming Assumption OF '"s
rrcsen, subsistence OF "Dodo' into the hmoo VI
long -Gscarded things IA
But seriously Mr. Sharp should De 'areiui ~
NOT LEI his publishers be too forid DO they ho'
sna,k Of That gloomy though powerful oooA
.yistas." when all the time the reader OF 'ha'
wofu production is hunting desperately IN '"s
GLOON" TO find the power? To no 1i'ed up "
this way and then let down is discomfor'hs AN.
likewise unseemly Mr.. Sharp ought 10 "a'e
least half as good opinion OF his PUBIC de "'
has OF himself and treat II accordingly
Miss Montresor will soon publish ne" move
which she intends call THE One VINO Looms
On" and people wondering whether she Cd"
repeat the success OF Into the Highways anu