The times., 1899-05-28

ing hasty notes home before going ashore.
1t is good example OF the photographers
skill in the choice of subjects. There is
view of Richard Harding Davis, which is
probably unique 1t is part of picture OF
a conference on the field. Mr.. Davis is
lying down. and his feet are very much in
evidence, while the rest of his body is
hidden behind the other persons in the
group Were the feet not labeled no one
would know that they belonged to Davis.
They look exactly like any other persons
feet. (New York: F. Tennyson Neely. So
Craniology.
The curious appearance OF Stephen
Cranes latest book, War is Kind" can
not fail to strike the most careless OBJ
server. The cover is blue-grey, ornament
ed with sort of Egyptian design; the in
side matches the cover, and contains one
stanza to a page, the rest of the page be-
ing left blank or adorned with mysterious
designs The whole affair is so thoroughly
in keeping with the mystic and spectacu-
lar works Of Mr. Crane that it is. at any
rate, refreshing from its spontaneity.
Those who like the works of the author
of 1.-The Red Badge of Courage" will well
| come this book as a peculiarly character
| stic ebullition of his genius. Those who
do not win consider it rubbish And those
! who do not know much about him, but are
| trying to like him, have before them the
puzzle of their lives. When, for example,
they lind. all alone on page, the follow
| ing lucid remark. they will wonder. in the
| first place, what it means, and in the se:-
| ond place. if il means anything, and in the
| third place, why il was ever written:
The chatter Of a death-demon from tree-top.
But there are phrases in the book which
certainly indicate genius. They are so
thoroughly original that they almost create
a new language They are vivid, virile,
picturesque, forceful. For instance;
The far valleys were sprinkled with tiny lights
.
The silvered passing of ship at night.
the soft lashing CT black waves.
And there are dozens of others.
Moreover, Mr.. Cranes notions on the life
of today and the course of events are def
mite and clearly expressed. If he ever
puts these ideas into a book, in language
comprehensive to anyone but the selec
few, he will have written the great Ameri-
can book for which we are all waiting
Here is an entirely new presentation of tht
! difference between wealth and poverty, and
every word means something:
The impact of a dollar upon the hearth
Smiles warm, rcd light.
Sweeping from the hearth rosily upon the whit
table
With the hanging cool velvet shadows
Moving softly upon the floor.
The impact Of a million dollars
Is crash of fiunkeys,
And yawning emblems of Persia
Checked against oak, France, and sabre,
The outcry OF old beauty
Whored by pimping merchants
To submission before wine and chatter
silly rich peasants stamp the carpets Of men.
Dead men. who dreamed fragrance and light
Into their wool. their lives;
The rug of an honest bear
Under the feet of a cryptic slave
Who speaks always of bambles,
Forgetting state, multitude, work, and state,
Champng and mouthing of hats,
Making ratful squeak of hats,
Hats.
Now, that is more like Whitman thar
Whitman is like himself; 1t is the worl
of man who has ideas, and who see!
things in their right relations. But 81
long as he expresses himself in the bizarr
fashion of this book he is not intelligibl
TO the multitude, and therefore not a gen
ius in the highest sense of the word.
And here are two more satiric com
ments on human nature:
man said to the universe:
''Sir, / eNisti'
However" replied the universe,
THE fact has not created in ME
A sense OF obligation.
When the prophe, complacent fat man,
| Arrived at the mountain top,
lie cried: 'Woe TO my knowledeei
intended TO good white lands,
And bad black lands,
But the scene is grey"'
1t is Characteristic of Crane that h
never wastes words He does not pad. l.
: his work there are only the bare ribs of a
idea. Most people, not being anatomists
cannot construct from these fragments tn
complete animal. The attitude Of the pub
lie, therefore. toward Mr.. Crane, might b
, expressed as follows Ito paraphrase him
, SELF:
youth arose,
And he said: II will make horse"
And he articulated the dry bones of Ian
guage.
When IL was done,
The people said:
1--WE do not know whether this is a hors
or a donkey"
i (New York; Frederick A. Stokes Com
e pany. Washington: Ballantyne. s2.50)