Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-03-07


1t is not fair to criticise style when
presented through the medium of
translation; but his methods are crude,
his conversations" dull levels of plat
itude, and his sole strength lies in the
human study furnished by his devel-
opment of character in his story. And
even in this regard ell that Tour
gueneff has accomplished has been far
better done by English or French
writers. Yet these writer's are slight
ed by those who are enthusiastic in
praise of the Russian novelist.
Ibsen.
Ibsen, again. The "Ibsen insanity"
long ago ran it's course, and it was
never as virulent in America as in
England, yet it has left effect in both
countries. Those who maintain ed
their independence of judgment eau
look back with some complacency, but
with never-ending wonder, upon the
days when the Ibsen cult was at its
height. For the time literature vas
merely Ibsen; there was but one lit
erature, and Ibsen was it's prophet.
His influence even penetrated the do
nestle life; wives were reused to en-
thusiasm and emulation by The Dolls
House, and determined that they
would no longer submit to the treat
ment of their husbands Asked to de-
fine the particular treatment of which
they complained, they usually took
refuge in generalities, averring that
they would not be made dolls Of" In
sober earnest, there can be little
doubt that the Ibsen cult did actual
domestic injury.
Yet to one who examined Ibsen's
works without prejudice, those works
were so crude as to be almost puerile.
Such play as The Dolls House, if
written by an American or English
man, would have been Missed from
the stage for it's dreariness, even had
a manager been found so foolish as to
produce it. But it came with the
stamp of foreign approval, as we'll as
the charm of novelty; Ibsen was a
Norwegian and great among the Nor
wegians, and therefore to adopt and
worship him proved broad culture.
That which comes in unfamiliar guise
must be good; omne ignotum pro mag
nifico. Such was the course of
thought.
1t must not be supposed that |
claim that in English literature alone
is to be found the best Such claim,
if anyone were so foolish as to make
it, could not be sustained for a single
instant. In my remarks on the sub
ject | have confided myself to the de-
partment of fiction; but even here
there are great names to be found in
France, Germany, Spain and Italy. But
my contention is that the writings of
these men are not equal to those of
our own writer's for our reading.
There is such a thing as national
taste in literature, and to disregard
the promptings of that taste is to in
cur risk of rightful accusation of af-
fectation. 1t is conceivable that Eng
lish and Americans may fiercely dis
pute among themselves concerning
the relative merits Of Dickens and
Thackeray, Meredith and Hardy, Ma
rie Corelli and Archibald Clavering
Gunter, but it is not so conceivable
that those nations should honestly pre-
fer to any of the first four. at least, a
type of literature which appeals to no
sense of national humor, character or
conditions, and which is in method no
further advanced than were the pro-
auctions of Fielding and Richardson
Note and Comment.
The index of books at the British
museum, says the st. James Gazette,
is at last complete, after 20 years of
hard work. When the printing of the
great catalogue began in 1881, the
manuscript catalogue then used con-
tanned 100000 references to about
half as many books-cross titles ac-
counting for the difference between
the figures. Since then something
like half million new books have
been received at the museum, their
average yearly number being now
10000. The preparation of the print
ed catalogue has, of course, been enor-
mously expensive. 1t was hoped at
the start to reduce the cost by issuing
it to subscribers, and for yearly sub
scription of SO los a subscriber re-
ceived all the parts published in the
year. AS the number of volumes is
sued annually, however, rose from Is
to 30, while>the subscription remained
the same, the price of each volume
fell from the low sum of As Sd to rs
4d, and the revenue from this source
has not been great. Only about $50
copies of each issue are printed, and
only about so are circulated-half of
them given away! In all there are
over GOO volumes of the catalogue, con-
tanning the titles of 100000 books.
The subject index will be the great
task of the British museum in the new
century. 1t is to be commenced at
once, but will not be ready for Is years
at least.
The Echo de la Semaine prints two
unpublished letters from Stevenson to
Nj. Gausseron. who had undertaken to
translate the New Arabian Nights.
The first is mere note Offering assist
ance on the proof-sheets, the second is
very touching word of coincidence to
NJ. Gausseron OIL the death of his lit.