New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-03
PROMISING ESSAIIST.
,xAupLE or COURAGEOUS COMMON
SENSE

,,,ne ignorance, winch Is So'ii''i"'o qui'c
~av,nr NJ Chapman has merits Which make
49, ,ook a hopeful sign OF the times. He opens
-. .ssav on Emerson with passage from that
10, protesting against hypocrisy. and ne con-
..or,y upholGs the banner Of free, liberal
bt ,efusing TO be ovcrawed by traditions
. ,oat names. This is a good sign, we repeat,
"a 4, is the more engaging because Mr.. Chap
,s content to advance his opinions In
..-o;cb,f forward English. He does not think 1t
,ocessary 10 couch a destructive criticism In
.,e nrecious terms which so many young writers
,,,nk delightful lie can be epigrammatic in
modest way but he does not attempt to OK
.xed his limitations in this direction. 1t would
no hard to find among recent books containing
,rcb productions healthier moro encouraging
,ssav than that on Emerson which gives the
nresent volume its chief reason for being.
Nr Chapman witnessing the dislntcCra,ing
effects Of contemporary socialism, turns back
n the invcoratinG elements in the work OF
Emerson There. he asserts, was man, and
he detaches from the vapQrs Of his hero's trans
cendentalisIn the inspiration that still makes
for manic % Character, and the individual ef
fort that BULLS up character. these were Emer-
sons hishcs, aims, and Mr. Chapman has made
himself their lucid and persuasive exposition. He
hes an excellent taste-when he wishes TO use
r-and this long study Of the famous poet and
essayst is much more than the expansion OF a
borrowed text He passes on the teaching which
Emerson has for us to-day. He also interprets
Emerson anew, and the Interpretation is sound
He says Of some OF the poems that they were
thought first, and poetry afterward, laying
bis finger conclusvely on the secret Of Erner-
foff, tba lob syE L.
shows that the poe, often pu, a thing in poetry
that he could express better in prose, and he
kayes US with the conviction confirmed that
Emerson never kept himself sufficiently under
control that his genius was chaotic in spite OF
lis fine quality. II is good essay. well thought
out and written with charming dIrectncss and
tearlessncss Mr.. Chapman is even more tcncr-
uious when he comes to write about Stevenson.
He might find fault with Emerson and no one
would complain Stevenson is the idol Of the
hour and attacks upon him are not TO be made
with impunity. Yet 1t Is good to see that Mr.
CHAPMAN has no fear He finds the author OF
Treasure Island" boy. he is convinced that
he author Of Weir Of Hormiston' was only
,Oy grown somewhat older. and after demon
.rating airily that Stevenson was addicted to
echoing a dozen historic styles he ayers that
oflet.crs in ordinary. as purvcyor Of the kind
Of things it especially liked rs it was beginning
to turn It's attention to bookish interests. This
leads to a striking passage:
Docs any one believe that the passion OF the
American people for learning and for antiquity
l 4 slight and accidental thing? Docs any one
believe that the .aste for imitation old furni-
,ure is a pose? 1t creates an eddy in The Mael-
s,rom Of Commerce. 1t Is Il power Ike Niagara
and represents the sincere appreciation OF half
educated people for second rate things There
l. here nothing to be ashamed or In fnr'.
there is everything 10 be- proud OF In this
progress Of the arts this importation OF culture
By the carload The state OF mind II shows Is
definite and typical state of mind which each
Individual passes through. and which precedes
the discovery that real things are better than
sham. When the latest Palace Hotel ORDERS
a hundred thousand dollars worth or LOUIS
XIV furniture 10 be inade-and most well made
in Buffalo and when the American public gives
Stevenson an order for Pulvis ct Cmbra the
same forces are at work In each case. IL Is
Chicago making culture hum"
When he writes in this vein Mr.. Chapman re-
vcals wholesome audacity which deserves cor
dial recognition But elsewhere In his book h'
weakcns the effect OF his sane remarks on
Emerson and Stevenson. Why should he mrddie
with the character of Romeo. with Michael An
gelOs sonncts with the Fourth Cant) OF 'h'
Inferno when he has only the litt" to ten US
about them that we have been abl" to ma IN
lis three papers dealing with thcf" Sub)cc"
he ought not to venture out Of ms dcpth.
lew shre~d comments on subjects not al All
c"ep do not make critic. ard MI. Chapman
should not take himself too seriously. because
ke is amused and rightfully, at the ia'nous