The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-01

q newspaper as early as 1875. lie was
then at Tiflis working in machine shop.
He gave up his place and tramped home,
where he wrote occasional stories and
sketches for the papers of his neighbor-
hood.
"GORKY" A PEN NAME.
1t was then that he adopted the pen
name of "Gorky," meaning bitter" in
tended to express his then attitude to-
ward life, for Gorky was of the down.
trodden and his was the under dogs point
of view.
1t was then, too, that he met Vladimer
Korolenko, one of the most progressive
men of Russian letters and was by him
introduced to real literature. Right here
begins Gorkys literary career, now SO
well known to the world.
SOME BOOKS OF UNDYING FAME.
Wilmington Messenger.)
The living English critics of the
higher order, with but one or two ex.
ceptions, have a tender affection for
Charles Dickens. and have cordial
praise for his unique genius and de-
lightful productions. We are glad of
this, and we hope for the delectation OIL
the present and the next generation
that admiration and love of the SPLEEN
did creations of this great novelsts
may abide with the children of men. In
his time he was indeed conSummate
master From 1887 to the full flower OF
Thackerays great powers Dickens was
the greatest writer of that time. and
has never been equalled since by any
English author, save only Thackeray
himself If any man ever knew 1.-The aa-
ton of London as DeQuincey called
that great city half century ago, it
was Dickens He knew but little of
royalty and nobility, but his knowledge
of the people was immense and acur.
ate He had indeed 'nexhaustible
knowledge of all the mysteries of Lon.
don life, particularly in the lower
class" That was not all. The same
writer who was a gifted contemporary
of Dickens, wrote of him in 1S49, that
he possessed that rare and infallible
evidence of genius-the power of eX-
tracing novelty and interest from the
ordinary, and common details of society
from things which we are so familiar
with that We cannot conceive how they
can contain materials either for laugh,
ter or tears" That was true of Dick
ems when he wrote his earliest sketches.
"The Marinestore Shop" "Seven Dials,"
etc, his immortal "Pickwick," OLIVER
Twist" and others. "Pickwick" made
him great name at once and was i'm
mensely popular for those times-about
1899. He made a prodigious i'm
preston only second to that made by
tho of l;ctc
''Pickwick" is desultory, irregular,
without plan or plot. But it is original.
humorous, beyond rivalry since and
quite picturesque. His fertility, Gre
ativeness We're stupendous. We care less
for "Oliver Twist" than for any of his
novels, and yet it is clever workman
ship, with characters that will live in
literature for long time-Fagin, the
Artful Dodger, Sykes. His next work
was Master Humphreys Clock" a
failure somewhat. Then came in sue
cession "The Old Curiosity Shop" and
"Barnaby Rudge." still full of human
interest and pathos as we'll as of ORR
ginalty and power.
The first is indeed very striking in
Its originality and vigor. and the por-
traits are drawn with the cunning hand
of art backed by creative mower. We
over looked Nicholas Nickleby' that
followed "Pickwick.' 1t is very clearly
planned and written with much care
and in his best manner. 1t is read still
with undiminished interest. It's people
survive, and it will be long we must
tGt1k before Nicholas himself and
Squeers and Vincent Crumles and Ralph
Arf1t oil
al. life-like creations, shall step behind
the scenes and never again appear on
the stage of fiction Martin Chuzzle
Wit is generally regarded as one or
his best books. Pecksniff, and Tom
Pinch and Jonas Chuzzlewit will re.
main among the best creations in the
realm of fiction. There are remorse.
brutality. fun and other good things in
this important novel. His many Christ
mas tales survive. the delight of many
a household. ''The Chimes" "a
Christmas Carol and "The Cricket on
the Hearth" will be read with pleasure
and profit when nearly all of the fic-
tive literature of the last decade is
buried and forgotten. Dickens had
high conceptions of honor and mercy
and duty and 'his view of life is gen.
erous. elevating, genial" He had noble
impulses and intense sympathy for the
distressed, the injured, the abused, the
suffering. He was indeed Overlooking
with the milk of human Kindness -
lie svmp2thizes with what is good
ans noble in all classes aud conditions
alike; he makes us love the exercise of
the humber and more modest virtues,
he chronicles the minor accidents and
Impressions Of life; his writings
though describing the poorest and low
est classes of mankind contain nothing
which can shock the most fastidious
taste. He is an author of
whom England may be proud" That
was written by one of his gifted coun.
trymen more than a half century since.
1t was true then and remains true. We
cannot now, for want of space. glance
at his many other novels, some of
which are among the most precious in
heritances of the English race from
nineteenth century chief authorship.