New-York tribune., 1902-10-24
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Az ANONYMOUS EssAYIsT IL BRIGHT
VERSE.

plo5ed idea" and Times and Days. l'"o'
I'D vi. 2o0. Longmsns, Green d 60
The thirtv-three essays in this glib little book
are not an in paradox" Doubtless the authoi
mean, "a he consistent in his title. or perhaps
the paradox in certain cases consists IN d
paradoxical essay appearing TO be an easy
ronR straightforward descrtption-as in The
club" and My First Raoe-Meeting or some
thing more in the nature OF short story. or
one might say a distant relation. narrative
told with a philosophic unattached calIn-as
MY Cousins Kit" OF course. when one sets
out 10 write bookful OF paradoNes IL Is
small wonder that there are passages not al
together surprising in their freshness. Take at
random this from the essay on Sentiment
All feeling is exaggerated 10 another who
sa nae no. can feel inIv IN is th,. weak one thar
shows his feelings 10y writings or eroals, OF
tears or laughter; and when the man or woman
Is very weak these ebUlliuors so 10 lhe -ellS - "a
not merely of expressions of emouons-Which
are an overflow Of the full cup Of the heart
but. OF hysteria, which Is an expression OF 'ne
emotions through the muscles
This sort Of thing implies certain gift OF
definition, q gift. 10 the words Of Holofernes'
which is good in those in whom it is acute The
author OF Exploded Ideas" has an essay here
on the Explosive Force" that hoists the hasty
with his own petard, over the pitfalls Of hesi-
tation and flasco Explosion is perhaps
weakness with him. He enjoys the cracking
style which from intellectual machine OF
high voltage fills the air Of speculation with
stimulus
There would be more wisdom I'm prudence u
81 could Ike a larger view OF possibilities. bu'
much prudence - so blind. that II desenerates
into the fneanness of miserliness or The caiCu-
lafing selfishneSs Of the screw Al best' II
often IN avoiding one danger walks mo AZ az
.--,l,1. he III
walks through the ambuSheS Of Gedih. ffu-
dence NAV feel well. hut there rs worm UT
germ in the bud Of all this blossoming-
The wonder arises at times n reading these
ESSAYS and sketches whether they do not result
loss from having something % say, than from
hankering 10 say IT anew. But they preter'd
20 nothing more than the rank Of small talk in
letters. The ideas are definite and are con-
ciselv put though not without the suspicion Of
intentional smartness. The author is rather
impatient with the self-complacency Of civili-
zstton the shortcomings Of statistics, and the
dry-as-dust methods of education. He dishkes
20 see love letters published. pointing out thaI
the quality which makes them sacred makes
them uninteresting 10 the outsider; he dlsap-
rroves the newspaper interview about P'r-
sonal affairs. he thinks the doctrine of hered'y
has been overv orked by novellsts and drama
fists to the abuse of truth, with Marcus
Aurelius, he CONSIDERS lhat tile "eau'H III 'l''
mon objects should be despised; and as 10 the
show Of feeling he holds that there is happy
mean between the rock of sedateness ana The
detorations of hvsteria. which the present age
has missed He can put on the ancient mantle
Of Ismb-vithout implying that he fnds II a
ft-and write pleasantly on such subject as
"0ld Clothes" confessing 60 fondness Tor
them. and 10 friendly feeling for tho peculiar
ities" of q sleeve with loose lining
There are in the book whimsicality. pungent
statement and q pleasure in quiet controversy
a book" says the author, lis not merely an
enemy Of ennui" This being ex cathedra and
general We viii not presume to question IL
AN hooks are schoolbooks. These are edge
tools mind you" Vet even edge tools may re
auire grinding 10 become alarming.