The times., 1897-08-01

and 1900.
These are the three prizes: !. For the
best metrc;il writing OF not fewer than
fifty lines. 2. For the best essay in the
field OF biography, history, or literary
criticism OF not few er than 1000 nor more
than 5000 words. 8. For the best story
OF not fewer than 4, 900 nor more than n8 ZOO
words.
The young men who were graduated last
month will have the first opportunity TO
compete for these prizes. Their work, I'M
der the terms on which the prizes are
offered, nuss be submitted before June OF
next year.
Although the published writings of Mrs.
oliphant were multiple before her re-
cent death, her influence is not he removed
at once by reason of new emanations from
her pen. She was an assiduous worker,
and multiplied her books with remarkable
rapidity. One of the posihumous books TO
which we mny look forward 1.-The Annals
of the House of Hackwood." She practt-
cally completed IL herself, although she
was unable 10 revise the finalproofs. TWO
volumes will be published next month, or
in October, and the last volume may be ex-
pected about Christmas. Messrs. Scrib-
ner win probe bly, publish the book in this
country. Shortly before her death Mrs.
oliphant completed a personal life OF
the Queen, which willie Issued by the Cas-
sells.
Apropos OF the prpductivcness OF this
now stilled pen, tlieIe was issued In this
country last week In the Putnams' Hud-
son Library rair OF hitherto unpublished
stories under the unifie title, THE Ways
of Life In her preface, she discloses
what the reader further discovers, that
the tales are about that time of life
which may lie denominated 'tbe ebb tide
when man finds himself carried a way
by the retiring waters, no longer coming
in upon the top of the wave, but going out.
THIS does not necessarily mean the de-
Cine of life, the approach of age or any
natural crisis, but something more poignant
the wonderful and overwhelming ievela-
ton, which one time or another comes To
most people, that their career, whatever
IL may have been, has come to a stop, that
such successes as they faye achieved are
over, and that henceforth they must ac-
custom Themselves 10 the tfoCght of going
out with the tide. The moment when We
first perceive that cur individual tide ha 5
turned Is one which few persons VIII find
it possible t. forget. We look on with
piteous surprise to see our little trinmphs,
our not-lituc hopes, the future we had
still believed IN, the past in which we
thought our name and fame would still
be to the good, whatever happened, all
floating out 10 sea 10 be lost there out of
sight OF men.
These two stories -one Of Mr.. Sanford:
the other Of Mr.. Robert DaIyell depict
two men whose lives are at ebE-tide The
first OF the two is much the more fact
mating. Mrs. onphant brings to her de-
piction Of the surprise. the confusion and
the sorrow of the once laureled PAINTER
on finding himself deserted by the tickle
shift OF public fancy, and is made with an
insight and distinctiveness which could only
come from one who has lived the years
and realized the oecusion.
1t We're superfluous to frame a panegyric
OF this gif5ed woman with these words OF
Arthur Waugh's at hand: SO sensitive, so
just. and so gracefully given. Says he.
writing from England:
"A more versatile writer the country
has seldom seen, and with all variety of
her interests she managed to secure d
remarkably high level of performance.
| Versatility must always, OF course, carry
withit the shortcomings ofits qualities, and
| from some OF these Mrs. 0iiphant was In
evitably not exempt. 1t might perhaps
be slid that she wrote literary history
not always with trustworthy accuracy;
| that her criticism was not invariably far
seeing. not altogether unprejudiced. But
| to very few women and certainly to none
among her contemporaries. has IL been
| given tn feel so true loyalty to SO many
| branches OF letters, and to serve so many
| ends with equal profit and distinction.
| The number OF her acknowledge works
is legion, hut she wrote far more than
bears her name
IAN energetic journalist, she was the
strongest advocate of anonymity, and ap-
precautions from her pen have appeared
in many unexpected quarters. 1t has been
well SAID that her attitude to literature
| was a close parallel OF that of her friend,
| the Queen, to social life. Purity Of treat
ment and cleanliness of view. were To her
| everything and her voice was always
raised against the ugly, the aninalistic,
the uneducatedly modern; for she always,
even in passing moments of petulance,
| spoke as one who had authority, as one
| WHO expected to be heard History, crit
icism, Biography and fiction, all the more
important activities of literature engaged
| her attention at one time or another, and
| in none Of them did her work fail below
| seif-rcspecting standard. She was OF
| the old school, yet not too narrow; her
| sympathies Were wide as her observation
| and many of the younger generation will
| reTaeIaber her encouragement with graft
tude. She mad suffered much, and her
| sympathy for the suffering of others was
| Jnbounded In word, she was woman,
| the embodiment of all those soft and at
! tIactiye qualities, so winning, so ev6sive
| WHICH we attribute to the best and most
| characteristic of her sex. She handed on
! the worthy traditions of our mothers, and
through all the foolish gabble of the sex
less women Of this last decade, she kept
| her head and was true to her IDEAL England
| had need OF her; she Will be long and sorely
| missed
| Mrs. Oliphant hes buried in Eton Gene
| terry, almost under the shadow of Windsor
! Castle On the occasion of her burial the
| Queen sent q wreath of flowers with the
| inscription, "a mark of admiration and
respect from Victoria. r L. Her majesty
was great adlnirer OF Mrs. OIiphant's
writings.
1t seems that one must need go to Lon
| don this summer for news of the American
| literati. They tell astonishing things over
there about Richard Harding Davis, Will
| liam Dean Howells, Mark vain AMI Others
/ Of oul literary guild. It's just as well K