The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-12-01
ronsumnnations were .devoutlys to be Wish

consumn1ations were devoutl,' to be wish
ed. .,SS
The critics are not the natural enemies
of budding genius. On the contrary, they
are as rule eager to welcome and foster
it. but 1t is their province to tell the
writer ofshis faults and follies, and there
by to strive to guide him, If he be: capable,
to better things. Let the young singers
heed the words of the critics. and they
will gain thereby. They need not be
sensitive to the point of dying; but it
were assuredly well for them and for
poetry that they shoul be teachabic to
reformation--or, to silence:
POETS OF THE YOUNGER GENERA
TION. BY William Archer. John Lane,
New York.
In a large and profusely illustrated vol
ume Mr.. William Archer has given us
criticisms OF and extracts from the works
OF thirtyfour poets Of the younger genera
ton. He has selected his poets chiefly
from among English writer's, though there
are a. few Americans included. OF those
of whom he writes all, with the exception
OF Richard dIovey, are living; and the
inclusion of Mr.. Hovey Is because Of the
fact that the volume was written before
his death. Thus N1r. Archer has exposed
himself to hostile criticism because Of
selection, and the fact that such criticism
will come from the friends of every, poet
who is not included in the thirty-four
speaks well for Mr.. Archer's courase-or
indifference to giiification.
We ourselves confess to some surprise
at the selections made by AR. Archer. He
has included most of the contemporary
Eersifiers OF note; but he has also in
cluded some OF whom we are mainly ig-
norant. while there are also instances of
the inclusion of some writer's Of verse
who have scant claim to be placed in
such company as that in which We find
them. America cannot boast of any
living poets, it is true; but among our
vcrsitieS there are names which are bet
ter and more deservedly known than those
we find singled out for praise by Mr..
Archer. Madison Cawein and John 3.
Tabo are certainly not our leading writer's
Of verse. though both have done some
good work The same singularity of
taste holds good among the English writ
ers selected. Mrs. Hinkson, Miss Alice
Brown, a. e. Houseman and several
others are not names which are familiar
to American cars; and the quotations
made by Mr.. Archer from their works
give no reason that they should ever be
thus familiar. The matter Of selection
form a blemish upon the book; and the
indscriminate praise in which Mr.. Arch
er too frequently INDUCES is another.
p. E. B.
A WIDOW AND HER : RlENDs. BY
Charles Dana Gibson. r. II. Russell,
New York.
The sixth book in the regular series of
Mr.. Charles Dana Gibson's published
drawings lies before us. It is entitled
~ Widow and Her Friends and Goubt-
less its contents are already familiar to
most Of our readers. having been pre-
viously published in Life But no
periodical, however artistic in its meth
DDS. can do full justice to such work as
that of Mr.. Gibson. and in the form in
which they are now issued the sketches
possess far greater attractiveness than
in the pages Of the we'll known publica-
ton in which they first saw the light.
There are eighty-four scenes, of which
about half deal with the doings of the
pretty widow whom Mr.. Gibson has made
his study. The window is shown IT the
depths of her woe and then in at last
the partial recovery from grief. She is
DeSleSeu IOSL Ol duullTeIS Wueu Sne
returns to the world. and their attentions
semm to weary her beyond measure.
Judging from their physiognomiesS this is
not wonderful: yet we are shrewdly sus-
picious that the widow enjoys it all in
her heart, and that her final retirement
into a sisterllood is done more because
of l'embarras du choi,i than for any other
reason. Nor does she even thus escape
from her friends" since in the back
ground of the charming picture in which
we see her tending the children, there are
grouped her lovers IN clerica! sar5 one
and all, and there is in all their faces
a logged persistency which seems to
promise continuance of the siege. even
under the unfavorable conditions. Here,
however, Mr.. Gibson leaves the widow,
making new friends. vet not losing the
old. and SO we are left in uncertainty as
to her fate The remainder OF the DOCK
is made up of sketches which have from
time to time appeared ia Life oye.
Mr. Gil,sou's signature. Some OF them
are excellent in conception and execu-
ton, but they are not elua! to those
dealing With the widow.
SOME PRETTY GIRLS. By c. +. I'M
Gerwood. Quail & Warner, New York.
In ..Some Pretty Girls Mr.. {. +. In
derwood, the well-known artist, has given