The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-06

priceless books. books that 10 thousands
have been more cherishG1 than lands and
hcuses. bonds and precious stones Not
a few volumes that ARE treasures IN a
minor way have been printed in our re-
cent times, only 10 be- crowded into neg
lecr or into unneritsd forgesfulness bv
TIE latest popular novels. Not many
eepId hAseAneeu great books. or indispen-
nIn1e books. books CT that sort come only
once in q generation, but many OF them
were books TO find wholesome joy and
profit in--books 70 make one wiser, TO eIe-
vate and console the spirit. Such volumes
are found for example in Memories OF
Old Friends" of Caroline Fox. in the Let
ters'' OF Dorothy Osborne. in the Rec
elections o. Samuel Breck- How many
confirmed novel readers Of today ever
heard Of these books.
What does society read. Principally
novels, and just now IL Is reading those
Of Anthony Hope" says Mrs. Sherwood in
the New York Times Saturday Review Of
Books and Art. Most delightful things
they are, too. healthy and brilliant and
amusing Anthony Hope is like a jew
eier who studies the dc GINS of past
artists. He adds TO his images the i'm
ages of others. borrowing and recasting
their inventions, as an artist who unitss
and multlpiies the precious stones and
gold iligree all ready for the diadem.
which many workuen before aim have
prepared. He has made for himself thus
a complete and brilliant style, less nat
urai than that Of Stevenson. less lit for
efrusion less akin TO the first lively CLEAN
of sensation. bu. more witty (his wit Is his
own, more regular, more capable of con-
centrating In one large patch of light all
the sparklings and spiendors of every
body's diamonds. His lovemaking and his
love episodes are always charming 1t Is
like dressing for a Court BAH In a strange
country. IL is like being present at a mag
nIicent royal wedding: II is fete day all
the time. TO read "A Prisoner of Zenda."
No wonder society loves to read IT and all
that he writes: he is a great artist. The
TRIES which he has thrown us later as
'The Dolly Dialogues" etc. are like the
bouquets which arrive after We are
dressed. We receive them with pleasure.
but with abated enthusiasm Next after
him does society rush into a little Scotch
village and read "A Window in Thrums''
and The Little Minister" Here we have
a bit of Rembrandt painting; nothing is
better. nothing sweeter. Here is a clas-
sic. Some critic Of Milton said that Adam
entered paradise by way of England.
where he learned respecta bility and moral
speechifying; Eve had become a good
housekeeper and so gave the angels most
excellent dinners. Barrie takes us to
Bonnie Scotland to teach us how to use
our eyes and make observation noble
even if ii wrecks itself on watching how
many pints of milk a neighbor takes liz.
The exquisite humor and the underlying
poetry are unspeakably dear. but perhaps
the observer has dwarfed the poet. There
is something TO regret In this. The man
who wrote "A Gentleman OF France" is
a benefactor of the human race. What
"A friend to the young! A sort Of modern.
healthy. not too diffuse Dumas. Stanley
J. Weyman is a favorite with society, as
Is W. Clark Russell. who. ever since he
wrote The Wreck of the Grosvenor."
has proved that he knows how to tell a
story. But ii Is only fair to say that
Molly Elliott Seawell is intensely a favor
lite. She seems a long way off from these
other writers. but she Is delightful, amps
Ing and clean. One must remember that
society Is not very reflective body. One
must remember that IL is made up Of the
descendants Of the Puritans, Who, behind
their fervent faith. had the blood in their
veins OF brutal Britons," who loved bear
batting. who went TO the play and after
ward whipped the actors. To make crime
more certain they prosecuted pleasure. So
the literary taste of the average Amer
lean varies between 1.-The Pilgrims Prog
ress" and the novels of Ouida, and has
taken n turn at Zola. But there IS much
of the hearty English blood In our read
ers demanding amusement. gaiety. May
poles and bear batting. We like to burn
a few witches occasionally. pour passez
IL temps" so, in indulging that inherited
instinct. We read Marie Corelli and Mrs.
Atherton and Hall Game. Who reads
George Meredith. and for what reason.
must ever remain a mystery-unless peo-
pie like that which they cannot under
stand and in their secret souls despise.
Old Jonathan Mason, OF Massachusetts,
one of the most vigorous Of thinkers in
talking of something which a transcend
entalist had put forth. said: II can't I'M
derstand ii myself, but my gals can"
Was there ever a better bit of satire?
Rudyard Kipiing is sometimes as grand
as forest of orchids in one OF his own
Indian forests, and sometimes as trivial
as the monkeys and parroquets who jab-
Der IN the branches Of the Jungle He
IS seldom up to THE Jungle Book which
is Homeric. Oh! The wealth of Nature
and Fancy in that surprising story. He
has STEPPED himself in all the wonders OF
the flowers which open under a Southern
sun. and in all the most lovable of the
traits of gracious spirit in that book:
the darling of childhood the delight OF
maturity. l am sure society reads 1.-THE
Jungle Book more than 1t does Cap
tains Courageous" IT Ia Il great thing to
write a book for n little boy who is just
beginning his pilgrimage of thought and
life. Primitive nature wraps him in
ecstasy, and the battles OF the beasts are
10 him the battles of the gods. No doubt
serious thought regulated the great toll
OF writing this book. but II is a pure out
burst Of genius. Novels OF society are the
novels which society loves. and partIcu-
larry those of Mrs. Humphrey Ward
"MarceIla" is the queen OF them all. and
Sir George Tresssdy." which Is only
'Marcella'' continued. is equally delight
full. The useful novel? Society
does not read that much. The novel with
a purpose? No. Society reads the most
Interesting. not always the deepest, not al
ways the most useful. not always the
most cOngruous; but IL society reads n
book, It has something in It, you may be
sure OF that. Society is interested In dis
sent "a in assent. The clergy have no
such friends and readers as society
women. II Is the clearsst evidence Of our
belief IN an infinite future that we are
always so interested In those who are at
hard 70 read for us the Book OF the
Future"