The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-05
BOOKS OF THE SEASON.
Henry w. Mabie'S work and Gull
ture."


ture."
work and Culture" Is the title of a vol
ume of connected essays by Henry w. Ma
bic. published by Dodd Mead & Co., of New
York. As might be inferred from the title,
Mr.. Mabie makes work the means to tire
end-culture; or, as he tersely puts 1t in a
sentence In his concluding chapter "A man
must work or starve in any well-ordered
society; but the products of work to-day are
ease, travel, society, art-in word, Gull
ture."
Mr.. Mabie has taken a prominent rank
among the living American essayists, mean
time devoting a considerable part of his
time to editing a magazine. His new volume
is bright with the comfortable good cheer
that characterizes the essays of most Amer
lean leaders of thought, and studious
perusal forces on one a more exalted idea
of work, and lightens the burdens which too
often are prone to grow heavier with con-
temptation of them. Work was never In
tended by the Divine Creator as a punish
ment. From this proposition the essaylst
starts. He concludes that intellectual eman-
cipation and absolute human freedom are
only attained through the discipline of
work; that work develops the character OF
man and gives him the creative power when
types the power of the Divine Being. "A
Mabie, that when he appears he Is looked
upon with suspicion, as If there must De
something wrong about him.. lie proceeds
to argue that in the modern ana eSpecla!iy
in the American, consciousness, IT Is writ
ten that man can do but one thing Wen;
If he attempts more than one thing he be-
trays the weakness of versatility. This nat
urally leads to an imperfect development.
Thus each man becomes man OF one too:
Mr. Mahie rebels against this tyranny OF
specialization What if Michael Angelo came
among US, with his genius for palntlnS;
| sculpture. architecture and sonnet writing |;
Would he be looked on with suspicion ana
his remarkable gifts tainted by the crltclsm
of ''versatility?" Then Mr.. Mabte argues
that there are those who have so completely
broken life into fragments that the posses
sion of ability to do more than one tnlnS
well is believed by them to be impossible.
Indeed, they deny the existence OF any con-
nection between character and achievement :,
or art and morals. AIR. Mabie Is no DOUBT
right, generally speaking; as TO the pfese hit
time, but there are notable exceptions TO ms
contention. A few, in humber way, oc-
curing to mind is the instance of Edmun1
CLARENCE Stedman, New York banker ana
poet; Hopkinson Smith. artist and writer
the gifted Rossetti; Roosevelt. soldier, social
economist writer of adventure and pontl-
is Enthusiastically great ITO the growth of
every flower EARTH sun and atmosphere
must contribute; in the making OF man
all the rich forces of nature ana CIVILIZATION
must have place.
In a chapter on work as self-expression
Mr. Mabie holds that $50 ge en- ely th ana
he does that whatever affects him affects 1t,
and all that flows into him of spiritual, hui
man and natural influence flows into and
is conserved by it," An interesting chapter
is that on the Pain of Youth" In it are
analysed the restless, undecisive feelings OF
youth pending that hour when the time
comes to make a final choice of life work.
at is the born drudge alone who is content
shop without so much as asking the ele-
mentary questions about life" says the
writer. The remaining chapters of the book
carry the reader through the Vexatious
problems which confront the worker in his
ambition to progress, and the advice offered
is sound and wholesome. Mr.. Mable mas a
| charming style, and this volume is one apt
| to become a classic in American literature.