New-York tribune., 1898-01-12


brings some interesting arguments to bear upon
the value OF DR.. Weir Mitchelrs recent novel,
Hugh Wynne" That book is a delightful pro-
ducton, as the readers OF The Tribune have al
ready been reminded. 1t is, In fact. one OF the
best historical novels ever published In America
But apparently DR.. Mitchell has failed to satisly
some Friends He is committed. we are told
In this pamphlet. ito the thesis tnat the
Friends system did not in 1715-and by imph-
cation does not at all-serve the neeos Oh
human experience and social organization
Continuing our critic says: THE theory or MS
story 10 that the Quaker system is one not to
be enioyed or endured. The lesson or his heros
experience is nearly as obvious as that laid out
bv John Bunyan for the Pilgrim whose Prog
ress he saw in his dream-a progression from
The undesirable 10 the desirable from a dismal
10 a delightful condition"
From this point the analysis proceeds with
minute care. DR.. Weir Mitchell Is, or course
qualified TO fight his own battles ana we 90
rot pretend to offer any answer to these s'ric'-
ures set forth by the Friends lntelligencer'
We may be permitted to observe. however tha'
the article makes excellent reading In It's sKiiiui
and forcible explication Of those things wherei"
DR. Mitchell has departed from what the writer
seems TO consider the truth john Wyhhe' ioi
example. the father of Hugh. is said to be any
thing hut n true type Of the Quaker OF 100
DR. Mitchelrs facts too, checked with ao-
r,rahle ingenuity Twice Hugh describes the
stately old mansion. west Of the Schuylklli' the
Woodlands as Mr.. James Hamiltons James
Hamilton lived at Bush Hill; the Woooiahus
was the home Of his brother Andrew ana ol HIS
brothers sons, william and Andrew Anu so
on We hope Dr. Mitchell will traverse MS
critics article in detail. He should De the
more inclined TO do so inasmuch as 'he cii
cism is perfect illustration OF the Vuahei
traditional behavior. Whatever bitterness may
have been provoked by the story IS cei'an.s s
concealed The article is thoroughly sooo
tempered.
novel dealing with our Civil War is on the
nont Of publication in London lts author 10
Mr. Arthur Patterson.
The late Justin Winsor's last historical WORK.
q book on THE Western Movement VIII sooh
be published.
- a,nbonse Daudet brought anything new
,r,o ect,on saws THE Athen@um' Qondon). II
is "the particular variety Of his humor. South
-, hlend which seems TO unite American
.,,oor with Irish humor." ''Tartarin, this
,,,c roes on TO say should be compared with
the work Of Mark Twain and with the Work OF
Carleton"
We ara glad 70 note the announcement that
the final volume Of Mr. Wheatley's exce"eh'
edition Of 1.-THE Diary OF Samuel Pepys' is ap-
nroaching completion The large-paper issue OF
this edition is growing more valuable every DAY
That Mr. Richard Harding Davis has writ
ten q novelette, which is soon TO appear IN 'hree
numbers of "Scribner's" is an interesting state
noent we find in THE Book Buyer That peri
od,oal continues: 1T is a story Of modern
king, bankrupt and banished. VINO with other
adventurers plots TO get possession OF large
enough sum Of money TO make 1t possible for a
king to live comfortably in retirement
prominent but innocent fguredn his plots Is
rich American girl; another figure but scarcely
SO ignorant of guile. is a woman with reputa-
ton in several Europeen courts. ana 'he nero
is young newspaper man-scmeth'ng ike
McWiams. The action takes place chieny III
Tangier, and ali runs sthin thirty-sx hours
Commenting on Mr. Bafours recent address
on literature THE London Spectator is par
;icularly interesting the question of the pres
ent condition Of letters. Mr.. Balfour feels that
this is not very imposing literary era. but he
does not like to say so. The Spectator Is fear
less and proceeds as follows
Literary art. not in England only, but in the
world is for the moment sleeping-elther be-
cause periods Of slumber come to whole classes
OF artists as to individual men, or because the
productive brain Of the world is weary win
iong-con;inued effort He looks forward 10 tne
future however, with confidence, because
hitherto literary power has usually appeared IN
the world unexpectedly. Whatever. he says
may be the future Of creative ana lnaehs'ine M I'd We
Nterature-and sometimes think most Oh Us
are tempted to feel that the future is ciouueu
with many doubts-we may always consoie our
selves by the reflection that every great literary
revival has been preceded by a period IN "hlcn ~
no revival could by any possibility nave Deeh
anticipated by the closest critics or the time.
/ doubt whether any contemporary or sidney
could have foreseen Shakespeare l doubt
whether anybody living under the Common
wealth could ever have foreseen Dryoen IN ms
maturity feel sure nobody who lived at the tllne
nf The death Of Johnson could really have fore
seen Wordsworth and Coleridge and Scott II
may be that looking back we can ilho a. e tiie
means Of what ultimately burst OUT ihto 'heSe
r~eat literary revivals but contemporary
snectator however acute his vision, however
anxious to see the first dawn OF some new new
literary day. could have fOreseen or nave
vcnturcd to prophesy OF that which only rev
wears were destined to bring TO birth: This Is
finely said, ii is absolutely irue anu ~ ~ 49, 1o.
bring us all sufficient consolation were ~ not
for other perhaps graver doubts which VIII now
and again intrude. and with which Mr Baliour
does not deal May not the faiiow pefiou per aoos oe
II has lasted among the Jews-with the possible
execution Of Heine. that sardonic smile on me
Nns Of the rld|Spirit. as Matthew Arnoio
called him-for eighteen hundred years IL mas
lasted in Greece from. say 800 b. G.. TIL 70
day II lasted in Rome from the end or the
Anoustan period TILL deserted by Europe the
last Constantine fell In the breach before
Tartar hcrde-say, seventeen hundred years IL
has lasted IN America among division or our
own people living lives akin to our own unoer
laws that are modelled on our own. FOR TWO
hundred years. The new birth may come, as
Mr. Balfour hopes. Unexpectedly as II mas zone
before. but there may also be causes at work.
OF which we cannot estimate the force. unla-
vorabe to the growth OF genius Democracy
Soes NOT seem favorable 10 it's development
for both Athenian and Roman were aristo-
Gratis resting their society on slave labor; ana
neither in the great German perod, nor IN
the great Frccch period nor in our own