New-York tribune., 1900-09-09
Gbe Nemlalork gribmote.
ILLUSTRATED SUPPLEMENT-
SUNDAY. SEPTEMBER 9. 1900,

If there is one profession more than another
in which q man may beg to be preserved. not
from his enemies but from his friends ii is the
literary profession Not long ago "a literary
s9dnIirer OF DR.. Conan Doyle" offered the author
sosnH CRITICISM OH his earlier and later works
TAp ->admirer- must also have been a friend.
because Or. Doyle replied in a letter of unusual
eandu- He wrOtR- ~An my work up 10 the
taa few years has been Influenced by others.
Micah THE White Company The Refugees
hive the mark OF Scott-'Sherlock Holmes of
Fce-Steyenson7 too, crops up everywhere But
whit preceding book can you trace "A Duet to-
o. Stark MunrD'I These things are myself,
sIyun out of my OWL heart They failed
with my old public who wanted fights and
Crimes but they are subtler and more honest
WOrk-that l feed with all my heart" What
does the recipient of these condolences do? He
promptly sends them to the newspapers Dr.
Doyle writes TO say that he never meant to
have his letter printed that he gave permiS-
Sicm for its publication, but the mischief has
been done We wonder on what hypothesis the
authur OF ina1iscreti0n like this excuses him
sell Like Charles Lamb, we have an almost
uncomfortable desire TO feel his bumps" But
we do not doubt that there is nothing new or
sdrange about them The authors amiable
Some English publishers have been giving
suggestive answers TO a question to the
canOns by which fiction should be judged.
Mr kegan Paul contends that mo novel ever
attained success which not based upon
hnrnan nature, which did not make some
direct and poignant demand upon human
sympathy an unimpea chable assertion. He
adds that literary distinction inestmable in
itSelf-is insufficient TO popularity" Mr.
HeiDemann dares not answer the question
II raises too many doubts in his mind, he says
and his confidence in his ability to say any
thing serviceable on the subject is shaken
Mr. John Murray also has his doubts, as may
be inferred from his observation that no work
OF fiction can really be judged until it has been
out, say, six or seven years; but he makes
some further remarks which we are glad to
read IF any one wishes to test the books of
to-day" he says, 'let him or her keep up a
close acquaintance with, e. G, Robinson Cru
Soc the 'Wayerley Novels Dickens, Thackeray
and George Eliot. 1t is extraordinary how
much modern work crumbles under this test"
This is in line with Matthew Arnold's essay
"On the Study of Poetry" wherein he advises
the reader to collect few quotations which
will serve touchstones In the matter of
fiction one classic alone out of Mr. Murrays list
will answer the purpose. Thackeray is an in
faIlibe tOuchstone contributor TO ""rhe
Academy" writes to say: Il learned more of the
latter half of English history after reading 'Es-
mOnd than ever accommodated at school, and
what is more, have kept it fixed in mind"
This testifies to only one service that Thackeray
can render to the reader An annual perusaI
of "Esm0nd" for example, will do more than
anything else to give him sound ideas about
what fiction should be in everything that relates
TO that form of literature
a lively controversy has been precipitated by
the proposal to erect a memorial to Ruskin in
Westminster Abbey. committee has been
formed 10 collect funds Mr Onslnry Enrd tho