Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-03

tent judge. But all this goes for nothing
so long as the fact remains that Julian
Hawthorne won the prize, and now his
story, "A Fool of Nature" has been pub
lished in very pretty edition by the
Scrbners.
Julian Hawthorne bids fair to succeed
to that wide popularity and power which
his father possessed, and which raised
him easily to a position of the first rank
among our modern prose writer's of fic-
ton. Many of this young authors years
have been spent abroad. Graduating at
Harvard, he later studied civil engineer
ing at Drenden. But literature was to
be his profession, and he has accom-
plished much along this line. No doubt
this prize story, "A Fool of Nature.' will
claim for the author greater regard and
recognition as great story teller than
anything he has yet written. In this
work especially he evinces much of the
originality and rare power of subtle
analysis, delicate and exquisite humor
which distinguished the writings of his
illustrious father, combined, as these
qualities are with a marvellous felicity
in the use of language. His style indeed,
may be said to combine almost every ex-
cellence-elegance, simplicity, grace,
clearness and force. With these able
and gifted qualities, accompanied by
painstaking work, which is evident in
every line of this story, each sentence
being polished and well rounded, it is
not surprising that the author should
have captured the prize.
1t will be evident to even the most cas-
ual of readers that the best writing In the
book is at the beginning, when the an
Client family of Whiterduce is introduced
and satirized. In giving this vivid pic
ture of the utter aloofness of the ancient
New England family there somehow
creeps into the strong and forceful work
note that suggests the authors con-
centrated disgust that this is so. Nothing
could be any truer to nature. There are
families to this day who keep up the
same traditions of their races superiority,
and to the last retain their urbane eX-
clusiveness So ii is with a knowing grasp
of things, and with astonishing senten-
1iousneSS the author says 1.-The Winter
duces had ever dwelt on the summit.
Knock on the doors of early English his
tory, and from within murmur echoes of
Whiterduces. Their escutcheon has been
stainless. Even at that remote epoch,
when they still retained arboreal habits
they were all gentlemen and ladies'. In
der the sway of monarchical ideas their
virtue and ability had opened to them
avenues to rank and power, but a refined
pride had prompted them to hold aloof
from the rewards of royal favor. They
could brook no title less noble than that
of Whiterduce. They stood aside indif-
ferent, while York and Lancaster Shrek
ed and struggled They neither helped
HOT DinutTtu the iifSl NDdTleS III MS VAIN
career. Beside their serenity how vulgar
appeared the conflict of court and COM
mons The Whiterduces stroVe with
none, for none were worth their strife
Loyal to themselves, monarchs nor dem
agogues might intrude on their reserve
AS for the children, only the elder
son was reg arded seriously. Second sons
were rare in the Whiterduce genealogy,
ard they were never known to marry.
The daughters might wed if they chose
but in that case they spontaneously
dropped GU. of sight, like objects fallen
from a balloon In any event, the first
bonn son held the most august position
open to mortal ambtion--he was heir of
the Whittier duces. The day of his ma
jority was not so much day of festival
as a sacrament"
There are pages of this subtle satire,
coupled with a strong protest in many
of the characters against much of the
worlds smooth, unrutiied social conven-
tionalities.
Murgatroyd is oharacteristicalfy pre-
sented in the opening pages, where his
father the head of the Whiterduces, cell
ebrates his twenty-first birthday, and in
his conduct on this occasion may be real