The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-02-25
BOOKS AND
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and perhaps for eternity, to be review
err? Probably, unless he reforms, ana II
he had spoken as a reviewer snould
have no quarrel with him. but When ne
speaks for the general reader, and
gives so measre a list of "books TO Keep
he offers a universal challenge, and the
lists are open to US all
Truly the year has not been one OF enor-
nous" literary gains. Yet we must be-
lieve that the year has been more pro-
ductive in America than In England, II
the English reader can ind no. DOCK
worthy to be reckoned in our list OF
friends, with the connected poems OF INT.
Yeats and William Watson. Upon the
whole, think 1899 was kind to us. While
there were no great gains, perhaps, there
were very valuable losses The general
tone Of the fiction given us was more
sane and wholesome than has been the
case for several years. No book OF the
school most fully represented by "The
Beth Book attracted public attention.
and as Mary Twain said of the absence of
Jane Austin's novels from the ships
readins-room, Just that one omission
alone would make a good library"
But there have been positive gains
which Mr.. LeGallienne fails to record.
The Stevenson Letters he will, perhaps,
consent to keep. The general reader may
letters of Sidney Lanier. The story of Il
mans life is apt to be marred by the bias
of his biographer: inevitable self-con-
seriousness makes the pages of autobloSra
ply; but in letters, if needed, as in TINS
case, the writer counts among his gifts
that of letter-wrting, we see the life and
heart and soul of man as he reveals
himself to his friends. The vision OF
Lanier's life is so beautiful that he must
~ ~. 80 =, -t,o ,nk
do him reverence. His life was, in some
aspects, a type of the suffering of his
people since the war. He entered the
Confederate army at nineteen, and his
health never recovered from the expo
sures of army life and the riSor Oh his
imprisonment at Point lookout. After
the fall of the Confederacy, his outer life
was hand-to-hand fight with poverty,
ceaselss, grinding, tormenting: his inner
iife, though full Of the suffering his SEN
sitive soul could not escape, was perfect
harmony. His letters to MIR. Gibson Pea
cock are warm-hearted, manly, eager;
those of Bayard Taylor are full of criti-
cal value and poetic insight; but his let
tiers to his wife can only be described as,
in one of them, he himself describes a
poem she had sent him. 1T is nothing less
than delicious. IS A mellow radiance
plays and waivers through it like the red
spot in an opal" Mrs. Lanier calls these
letters "A Poets Musical Impressions
and TO this sole confidant who never
failed to understand, he pours out his
rapture from the musical world. which
was TO him Paradise. .Ah, how they
have belied Wagner Lanier writes from
New York Each harmony was
4 chorus of pure aspirations. These
great and noble deeds were not deeds
OF war and statemanship, but majestic
victories Of inner struggles of a man.
This unbroken march Of a beautiful
bodied Trumphs irresstibly invites the
soul of man to create other professions
like it. I would 1 might lead a so mag
nlticent file of glories into heaven!'
tNo one. we think. would call the year
unproductive that gave us the Autocrat,
but in 1899 Dr. VarDyke gave us. in
'Fisherman's LUCK a book so full of
wisdom and sweetness that we say as
We read 1t, Here is book to put on the
shelf where the Autocrat rules,''-and
that shelf is low and within easy reach
This new friend has a charm all of its
own. 1t is as fresh as trout stream.
and wholesome and fragrant as the pine
woods.
Since DR.. VanDylse has led us out of
doors, we come upon Ernest Seton
Thompson on THE Trail of the Sand
Hill Stag" Through him we have made
friends with many wild shy things and
surely his work is good and to be kept.
/ sometimes think we err in believing that
only the work of genius will endure. The
notwithstanding parallel between
wild Animals Have Known" and the
Jungle Stories suggests an example. The
jungle Stories are creations of genius.
The Wild Animal Stories are born of tai
ent and faithful work. But it IS quite
possible that the lesser work will outlive
the masterpiece. Everybody can enjoy
the history of Ernest Seton-Thompson's
Wild Animals: Mowsli is a mystery to
many.
The next generation of readers will
undoubtedly understand '.Raggy-Lug"
and 'Iobo," for averages do not greatly
vary, but if all NLowglis friends die
without heirs he may die too
l have of set purpose made broad the
ground upon which I meet Mr.. LEGAL
lienne here. for II is over KipinG that
the real contest between us lies I am
no prophet. INiplinS may not live. "but
he'll do more, deserve it" NIr LEGAL
lienne says ''he cannot live as a poet,
for the simple reason that he writes in
the passing dialect Of the passing mo-
mert-" Has Mr.. LeGailienne read his
Kipling? In the authorized edition of
Mr.. Kipling's works, first supplied us,
by the way. in 1899. there are two vol
umes of poems. They contain together
one hundred and thirty-seven poems, of
which thirty-seven are barrack room
ballads in Cociney dialect; two of the
others are in Scotch dialect, and the re-
naming ninety-eight are in plain Eng
lish' sometimes very plain. But Mr.
LeGallienne says Mr. Kipling, alas!
has not written a single poem Of any
Importance in plain English"
Is the poem to the true romance Of
no Importance?
Through wantonness if men profess,
They weary at thy parts,
Zen let them die at blasphemy
And perish with their arts;
But we that love. but we that prove
Thine excellence august,
While we adore, discover more
Thee perfect, wise and just.
Since spoken word mans spirit stirred
Beyond his belly-need.
What is thine in fair design
In thought and craft and deed.
Each stroke Alright of toll and fight
That was and that shall be,
And hope too high, wherefore we die,
Has birth and worth in thee
1.-THE Ballad of East and West may
be '.of no Importance but the verses
throb with the hoof beats of the horses
and the heart beats of the men.