The San Francisco call., 1898-05-22
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By HENRY JAMES


 Immediately after the death of Rem enyi a lawyer named Kowalsky rusneo forward with a tender Of his serVlces. There was not much to be done Tn pe- half of the silent musician. little, III fact, but to take charge of the precious violins, from one of which the last con- scious act of Remenyi had been to draw @ note of melody. Upon the more valuable of the two instruments there had been placed an estimate or S6000 the other being rated at $l0oo. According to my understanding of such matters, possibly meager, there IS public official whose duty 1t is to as- sume temporary control of the prop erty of 8 decedent. This official name is not Kowalsky. It is far from easy to discern in the Kowalsky rec ord anything stamping him as fitted for a position of trust. Perhaps the Remenyi violins are worth $70O0, but fear arises that the violins to emerge from the tender custody Of the legal gentleman will be worth a d1HerenI figure. To the inexpert one violin looks much like another. Impelled by no de- sire to reflect upon the Kowalsky char acter, a character whose luster no sim- pie words could tarnish, but rather, feeling an impulse to protect the widow, I would advise her to have the property of her late husband carefully inspected before giving receipt Tor 1t or inditing to Kowalsky a note or thanks for his thoughtfulness. Per haps the honest administration of es- tates is Kowalsky's speciality now, but such $6000 f1ddles as I may accumulate will never get into his hands unless for the purpose Of playing joke on un- worthy heirs.
 Stephen Crane and Harold Frederic are engaged in scratching each others backs and purring in beauteous har- mony Each is certain that the other is a genius, and confident that the opinion of the other on any subject Is final. Such mutual admiration Is sweet to see, and to disturb it would be sin. But am unable to entertain high opinion of anybody who regards Crane as a genius, or who says he does, even for the laudable purpose of being called one himself. Crane is to letters what Beardsley was to art. He wrote one story which to me seemed good. Some military men admired it, while others denounced it. However, ''The Red Badge of Courage" was a wonderful product for a mere boy who had never seen battle, and had just laid aside the toy gun with which youth pursues the errant cat. But Cranes poetry" is imbecile. There is about 1t no redeeming quality. To term it drivel Is to pay it a compliment. Much of the rhyme sent to me is bad, sense less, silly and crude; beyond all print ing. Yet the worst in the lot is better than Cranes best, for concealed in some line buried in slush there will be a gleam of beauty, a tender touch. the evidence that a soul has sought the expression of lofty emotion and has wandered near to the finding of 1t. At newspaper writing Crane was a fail- ure. He never rose to the grade of work which would insure a reporter a weekly wage Of s2o. Yet there can be no harm, save to Frederic, in thinking Crane a genius.
 I do not know who named the Board of Strategy "the Board of Lethergy.' but whoever he was, he has performed the great act of the war thus far with the exception of Dewey's feat at Ma nila. When honors shall be distrib- uted as mementoes of the conflict, if he fall to. secure a large medal there will always be a feeling that entire jus tice has not been done.
 Conviction that the Gridley Herald, of high esteem, was not breathing a fraternal spirit when it denominated myself and other writers hacks, forces itself upon me. If we are hacks, when the Herald man jumps us for a ride he must not grumble if full fare be exacted. He objects to the circum- stance that I good naturedly exploited the general style of Pike County pa per, and gives me no credit that over looked Gridley and went clear to Mis- souri for subject. This seems to me neither reasonable nor kind. Next, he disavows approval of what he con- ceives to be my habit of finding fault with the English used by various con- tributors to the press. That any such habit Is indulged in extensively here | no regular reader of this column will | affirm, except at peril of his soul. Be- l sides others find fault with the English used by me and do it with such blessed pointedness that for a moment l am almost persuaded that they are right. But the critic might have let the poetry alone I assure him 1t was not meant | for the serious minded. Nevertheless I am told that it was swiped from some B. C. source. probably Sappho. This information comes from a man who builds advertisements for the Southern Pacific and who has thus been trained l to shudder at the mere presence of a lie. I trust the Gridley critic will learn to curb his ferocity. This Is. by common admission, a vale of tears al best, and he should not wear out his pen in trying to goad the lachrymose into fresh bursts of grief. It isn't right.
 It is with surprise I read that re- porter named James has been assaulted by the citizen -soldiery of Missouri beaten, kicked. stepped upon and cast | o,,4 of oo Tn that Stata his mama