The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-15
LITERARY GOSSIP.

Lady Henry Somerset in the current is
sue Of the Mothers Friend discusses
The Sex Novel with characteristic
asks the meaning OF the sex novel by
women or by men? for they are botn
writing It. and bad as are the womens >
the mems are worse. OF what II II m
dieat,ve, and wherewithal are we TO be
rid Of this last curse, and craze? Why
cannot q great and helpful sex novel be
written, II We must have any at all? PER
haps IL Is because fools rush In where
angles fear TO tread" These novels are
mostly put forth by newcomers in the
field Of literature; they are bewldered by
the advent OF women, like the locust OF
Egypt. as some say tbut We think Ike
the benstcent breszes OF heaven. upon
the wide fields Of human activity. The
thought Of sex Is doubtless more present
in the average mind when the relations
of sex are rapidly and universally chang
OF imaginative and high-strung women
writer's find vent along the lines OF the
new liberty, instead Of engaging actively
/. In some bsneficent work With women who
, NOV enent that 1t shall not overflow its
banks, and these neurotic and keyed-up
temperaments fly to pen and ink and
wreak themselves upon expression. IT is
but u sign of the times. the sxcresence
of a growth. the shadows east from
great light In the heavens. We must bear
with our brothers and sisters OF the Quill
who are bewildsred by the bursting OF
what we believe to be = purifying whirl-
Wind of the Lord. and we must hope that
1t will not be long until the sturcier pen
Of men and women who bear about IN
their natures the best qualities, mascu.
too bright or good for human natures
daily food shall give us harmonious pano-
ramas Of the new social life wherein sex
Is not the central thought but which have
for their motive those qualities that We
. all Shlra In the intellect ra0i-
ant and serene. the resistlesS will, the
mellow heart. and firm untiring hand.
Shall not these be the central lights and
glowing colsrs In the picture Of the golden
age?
Rev. Jenkin Lloyd Jones, a Chicago
clergyman. has Introduced book reviewing
into the pulpit. Herewith are soyile ex-
she bess T BOOKS VsP Of isss Gs should rs H
,5oice that John Fiske, the master student
Of history In this country and perhaps the
peer Of the Interpreters Of history any
whs ssSSoi cSdrsn sisry % Of ns g Tnisa
Staes. 1t ie q noble contribution, II abil-
ity and merit can succeed In making head
way against the tyranny of combination
this country the most wicked Of all mon.
opoiies. a monopoly Of the schoolbook
Iade. where not necessarily the best
book, but the available book. Is to be
those that are dark An available story
of William the Silent, Prince or Orange.
comes from the hand Of q woman, Ruth
Putnam. 1t is the story OF strong man
too little studied. l have had no time to
read the new applicants In the realms of
fiction, but l have found Jane Barlow's
Irish Ilylls' tender and beautiful, and,
glory enough for one year. Ian MacLaren's
Of esas aaa The ans sraf rhssa Wo a"a books
have come TO stay. But, for ell the pa
thos and homely charm Of Ian MacIaren,
the bookseller tells me the novel which
in sale this year is The Prisoner Of ZEN
da.' an Od-time novel Of adventure with
any amount OF intrigue. murder and
treachery and the least Of morals and re-
son Al haye to ssS for 4 Hbss to SsI cor
day Of one Of my few holidays"
English literature" writes 2angwill.
"is poorest in critics. Our welcome Of
good critic should therefore be warmer
Walter BagehCt has had but scant recog-
milton. but the issue BY, Messrs. Long,
man Of his Literary. Biographical and
Economical Studies in cheap but hand
ward repairing the blunder which, as his
editor. ii. r. Hutton. rightly claims, Eng
lish taste made In passing over these re-
markable n, essays; ay Where; except In Haz-
sympathy, catholicty and humor? And
even more than Hanlttt. Bsgehot man
aged to tranScer the purely literary
standpoint. Uazlitt though he preferred
the conversation Of outsiders to that of
men of letters. who are apt to rnis.eke the
world Of words for the world Of things,
was a painter when he was not writing on
writing or specializing on metaphysics.
But Bagehot was n man Of business-a
banker, who saw the poetic side Of affairs:
he rode to hounds aspired unsuccessfully
to parliament aud built bsrriCades in
Paris, though in an amateur and elegant
way. Such original thinking es he did
was purely scientific ne edited tine Econo-
mist and made contributions to political
economy: he analvzed tfat curious
srowth, The English Constitution and In
PHYSICS and Politics he applied Dar-
winisEl TO sociology. AS young man.
studying at University COLLEGE, London.
ties and the mathematics All this makes
q fine eQuikment TO- the critic
i II Il -
While the praises for the achievement of
1.-The Red Badge Of Courage" are still re-
sounding Mr.. Stephen Crane has brought
out volume of poems. or this Mr. How
els has to say: MIR Stephen Crane has
i'm his little book Of lines called The
Black Riders but | believe it will be the
opinion OF most who read II all that the
effect would have been three times ~
great from n third Of the quantity: and !
say this with sense of its peculiar quail
,ty. which has not been seriously affected
from having had to get al II through
To print the lines so was caprice or an
affectation which need not he attributed
to the poet. for he will have enough to
answer for with conventional criticism in