The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-15
SKETCH OF STEPHEN CRANE.
now THE AUTHOR OF THE RED
BADGE OF COURAGE" FIRST
FOUND HIS PUBLIC.


His Fame Has Crossed the Sca-suc-
cess of His Book i'm LondOn-His
Ancestry. characteristics and En-
perIences-What He IS Doing Vow.
New York, March 1--we publish in this
issue a new and extremely characteristic
story by Stephen Crane whose work. es-
pecially the RED Badge of Courage" has
attracted so much attention of late on both
sides of the Atlantic. His success, when
his age in taken into consideration-for he
is only 2i-has been phenomenal; yet. I'M
doubtedly, during the brief period that has
sufficed him to win his way from OBJ
security to fame, he has experienced dis
appointments which few young authors
escape and which even genius does not
always surmount
Mr.. Crane is a native OF New York state,
and his home is at HARDWOOD. where he
divides his time between writing and rid
ing. That he is a lover of the horse no
reader of his stories need be told
The ancestry of a writer of marked orig
inality is always interesting. The Cranes
were family of note in colonial days-a
fact to which every lire in the young au-
thors face bears witness-and several of
his progenitors played heroic parts in the
great struggle for American independence.
In view OF this it seems a singular turn
of fortune that Mr.. Cranes work has
received more general recognition in Eng
land than in the United States. Is 1t not
rather Illuminating? Why should we wait
for London to report back to us that we
have been entertaining a genius una
wares?
on his mother's side Mr.. Crane is de.
seconded from a long line of Methodist
clergymen, of the order of the saddie-bag.
Possibly this heredity, also, may be traced
in his work; his style is curiously intro
spective and analytical.
Is this a betrayal Of confidence? We
trust not. We recall a certain story that
pistols were drawn, and on the trigger
of each an angry finger trembled. But
no explosion followed; those pistols hung
fire for some twenty pages: the scene had
shifted to the inner consciousness of one
of the actors. Who would not laugh
and admire, too? Like Nathaniel Haw-
thorne, this author, whatever his theme,
always treats the tragedy of a soul. ="
This trait is very marked in "A Tale of
Mere Chance" in which a murderer s
maddening consciousness of his crime
drives him to self-betrayal.
Mr.. Crane studied more or less at La
fayette College and Syracuse University,
but took no degree. Like several other
authors, not unknown to fame, he APP
pears to have found it hard to stick to the
curriculum. Perhaps IL is precisely be-
cause college courses are so perfectly
adapted TO the average mlnu, lnat eX-
ceptional minds rarely prosper with them.
Stephen Cranes mission was to write:
and he began at the age of Is. At 20
he produced his first novel, Maggie"
1t met, on the whole a rather cold re-
ception, but brought him the commenda-
ton and friendship of William Dean How
ellis Hamlin Garland and few other
appreciative critics. One of his sketches
presently found its way into the Cosmo-
politan.
of his remarkable lines" published in
the volume called THE Black Riders"
it need only be said that they are original
in the highest degree, and as fun of
treason" as they are lacking in rhyme"
and meter.
The credit of first recognizing the ex-
traordinary merit of The Red Badge
of Courage" and giving it's author an
effective introduction to the American
Dublic is due to the Bachelor and John
son syndicate, which brought out this
story upon which Mr.. Cranes reputa-
ton still chiefly rests, in December, 1894,
in serial form. From that time his sue
lished in book form, crossed the sea,
and has won the author much praise
and some British gold, we hope. He has
lust completed a novel entitled, THE
Third Violet" treating of art life in New
York May 1t prosper no lessi
Mr. Crane is one OF the founders OF The
Sign O. the Lanthorn," unique literary
club in a historic building on William
street New York, the great attractions
being two fine old fireplaces and good
company" He is still an enthusiastic
member; and among the many honors
heaped upon him Of late, none, probably,
have been more acceptable than the in
complimentary dinner to be given early
in ADril