The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-17

writer, James Howell Friendship" said
he, lis the great chain of human society.
and intercourse of letters Is one OF the
chiefest links of that chain He doubt
less was thinking of the revelation and
giving OF self that letters imply, opening
the heart as a key does a door. as his ia
vorite motto had IT, Ut claws portam, sic
view which Dr. Johnson took when he
wrote 10 Mrs. Thrale that "a mans soul
lies naked i'm his letters" Yet he was con-
scious that this was not the whole story.
for he Enthusiastically observed in his
Life OF Pope" that mo transaction offers
stronger temptations TO fallacy and sophis-
tication than epistolary intercourse" But
there is no doubt that the true Stevenson.
the sincere friend and gallant spirit, 10
displayed in these delightful letters Of his.
A French critic speaks of them IN the last
number of the Revue des Deux Mondes
the very model of what a literary mans
correspondence should be.
For professional writer's, one would
think, there is special need Of expanding
in letters TO each other. or TO judicious
friend. They have so many things TO say
which they cannot say TO the public.
Pearls often decorate a letter which simply
could not be cast before-well, the genteel
reading public. There are forms OF wicked
cleverness Of irony, OF truth taught by
silent laughter. which would be wasted
upon the literal and unwinking devourer
of print. and which require the written
page and fit auoience- Then there are the
conventionalities, the humbugs generally
agreed upon. which must be observed in
decorous magazine, or book, but which
your true letter writer finds delightful
| freedom in disregarding or exposing in
private. This was long ago remarked by
Poe, who said that the confidential talk
and private criticism Of literary men was
vastly more Illuminating than their public
utterance. The reason was that, in cir
Gle of friends, most OF all In a conversation
a deux, q man could not take the trouble
TO mold his countenance 20 the lie" ex-
If him N "A 81
tiers are the well in which he keeps truth.
Steyenson's letters. to come back TO
them. frequently possess one thing In COM
mon with those OF the best writers-the at
Effectiveness of impromptu and unofficial
criticism. IL is getting 10 be question IL
this Is not the very best criticism We have.
The gianelng Judgment ,s,s Of Ftsz Gerald
Keats's, Tennysons obiter dicta. Brown
ings keen deliverances in his letters. I-o-
wells overplus OF wit I'm his-where In
works OF formal criticism shall we find
their equal for inspiration and solace? IL
was surprising thing I'm Matthew Ar
nolds letters that they were so barren OF
criticism. You would have looked for much
OF IL I'm the critic by profession. Yet be-
yond the undisguised respect with which
he analysed his own poetical powers and
prospects there was little or nothing OF IL
to catch and nix the attention. IL takes the
more spontaneous natures TO overflow in
the unprecedented criticism which makes
the cut-and-dried article seem a poor and
JulceieSS dUdlT. CteNcnSOn ndQ some Ae-
lightful splashes OF the former.
But the main thing Is. We said at the
start. that he gives US one proof more that
letter-writing has survived. The formal
and stilted art may have passed away. but
the breath and joy OF quick and conf
Dental communication OF friend with
friend remain. 1t sometimes seems as ~ no.
body but lovers kept up nowadays the
practice of close and full intercourse by
means OF letters Certainly as long the
world has lovers, suffering like Shakespeare
| from a "separahle Spite" IL will have let
| tiers. and long and leisurely ones. The
! Prince OF Wales. who was later George ~,
| did his twenty-seven pages OF 'T-love-
yous" 10 Mrs Fitzherbert as the most nat
| ural thing In the world. and natural IL con-
| tinues TO men In his condition. But to get
| two large volumes OF letters. like Steven
/ sons, with never "A love letter IN the lot
| is grateful renewal OF hope I'm the per-
sistence. even In our shorthand genera
ton. OF ieisureiy and seif-reveallng letter
writing.