The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-05-12

even finish Lord Ormont, and declined
all offers OF more good Meredith"
She had set down her tea cup on ar
unofending Atlantic ON the library
table, and this was indirectly the caust
Of her outburst, for l had been dis.
oussing George Meredith before she
came with my sympathetic Emma
I found il even worse than need be
for I substituted Lord ormont for
\ Jacks Trilby," Molly was saying
when he was ready 10 read il, and
even now the memory OF Meredith:
style sets my teeth on edge"
STYLE exclaimed Emma, Why my
child, you surely do not read novels
for their style2 Do you have a prefer
enoe for Zola and De Maupassant9 Dc
you dress in Buueriek's paper patterns
because style is necessary in gowns
Molly saw fl 10 pout as she took a
lump OF sugar
But ne pelts NE with his queer
words, he covers up the story he
puts ne out Of all patience.
We al laughed Emma laid heI
hand on Molly's shoulder and held hel
al arms length Then Try it again
some lonely rainy day when you are
desperate even TO the reading Of Lord
OrnonL No. begin on Richard Fey
erel. Read it alone 10 Jack, and tall
over il You viii admire and laugh
and you viii criticize, Of course, but
your voice viii break when you read
ciaire's diary You viii turn ava!
book. and you viii love il as you dc
Mil on the Floss
Really, quite sermoneIIe-
laughed Molly. If l can merely weeI
over Meredith and not hate him, l an
willing 10 give him one more trial
She walked thoughtfully along the
edge Of the big ring, turned q sharp
corner, then began again
To tell the truth, Arthur Freeman
saw me reading Lord 0rmonL He is
counted clever, you know
But II takes foreeps TO draw word
Of praise from him., was Emma's
quick parenthesis-
Yes, we call him Sir Cynic, out clever
he undoubtedly is" persisted Molly
and he scofed al Meredith thusly
Always pirouetting on the point Of an
epigCm, or turning on his search
light Of wit and binding you. then
burying you in his sandstorm of words.
Arthur remarked further that life was
too short TO spend it threshing Mere
dith. At best he would never feed
mulritudes-"
In the corner with its twenty pillows
was one called Sibyl and at this point
she was heard from:
Great minds-same channels-same
words, even Pity It's tbs true that
George Parsons Lathrop has said much
the same thing long since" and she
waved her kahili towards the table
and the Atlantic.
You can't mean it, The impostorr
but Molly looked more curious than
fierce as she scanned the page before
her. But not all Arthur's words are
here, and he holds il as his view, no
matter who said il first And Lathrop
evidently sees Meredith's faults too
Yes, but be lost his wager on Mere
dith's popularity. One thing, how
ever, con6ones his short sightedneSs
10 me-he sees resemblanees TO Shakes
pe2re and Browning, which l found
long ago. For the rest, Of course we
come on pert epigrams, long-winded-
ness. extravaganza and gordian knots
OF words Emma looked at Molly
abSentiy and grew enthusiastic. But
l love him for his very peryersity.
He stimulates. Why / could be con-
solea for day OF fierce neuralgia by
q new book of his / could live to
celebrate my centennial cheerfully if
George Meredith would publish new
book biennially. Did you ever eat an
Educator cracker? Do you know how
crisp and nutty it is, and how it makes
bone and brain. That is George
Meredith. Other noyelists have way
like mush; a continued diet of this
evolves of US a toothless race"
This was rabid, as Molly remarked,
but Emma gave NO heed She was
wound up TO spin longer.
His women are his glory. Who
else since Shakespeare has such q
gallery-Lucy, Diana. Emilia, Rosa
mond, Lady Charlotte, Amini1a and
Corinthia Jane2 They are beautiful,
high minded, living creatures, radiant,
spontaneous, strong and absolutely
real George Meredith looks out on
life with q view that is broad and
healthy and unerring. He is the phil
osopher of modern progress, and its
poet Who is such wizard Of wit?
Who has so much gold in his currency
OF words2"
In her panegyric Emma had forgot
ten US, I belieyed- Her chin was
resting on her hand, her eyes were
fixed on bit OF sstsuma above the low
book-shelves, and her voice was deep
with emotion She went on:
Some one calls Richard Feverel a
live coal from the altar Of genius. It