The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-06-29
Wafan1 Dean HoqueAs
as a Critic.

~~~~I~N~~~~~~~N
,,ro vic says. u am nothing il not critical" In
<, yords into the mouth OF his arch-villar. Shakes
~ shown his appreciation of the connection that
4. NE time between criticism and viliany Indeed
" ,;es we're the marauders and outlaws Of letters
w I'll in literary highways for ali new arrivals in
W sud manslaughtering them without mercy. A
tsar an assault. Hence the universal detestation in
~. were held Witness not only elaborate php-
49, IN denunciaton of them like Popes "Duncad"
,s'. oThe Rosoiad" and Byron's English Bards and
psy;ewers' but the thousand and acrd animad-
oon the whole Of critics and their i-practices
,,b English literature is filled up to our present
"a. good almost kill as good book !" saws
arho kills kills reasonable creature, Gods
r ~. he who destroys a good book kills reason itself
IN image of God, as it were in the eye
,rt. fashion of damning the critics has gone out,
-v because they have mended their practice and
,.m has grown respectable. Occasionally in England
,,.rs review of the old style sashing kind as for
III The recent attack Stephen Phillips in the Quar-
4 Int most of the critical lions roar you as
\, u any sucking dove" They have gone to the other
"a, IN England and in America also. The critics
VI are esndied. The gentle art of og-rqlling is prac-
The critic no longer fills his mouth with hearty oaths
N 4, curse of Ernuphus, but studies the Psalms 1t
Il Messing and no banning. Critical essays are now
~ Expectations, and the publishers advertisements
M toishest books made up of commendatory notices
"a from the reviews.
H.. are critics of independent judgment however both
r,dsrd and America, who refuse Join general
IL Il praise and without reverting to the Donnybrook
svbeu you see head hit it," practice of their pre-
Iaur, In the olden time, nevertheless preserve their
[r.d.nee In judgment and commend disapprove OF
M according to their liking and the sound of
n account OF the rarity of criticism of the independent
An. hesitates critic who is genuinely
j.,rdnt even for the most radical heterodoxy. But
IN. limit to federation, and the most conservative
nr authorities unanimously decided that Mr. William
\, Hovls overstepped that limit when he beltted the
J n Ihackeray
Nav admirers Of Thackeray, among whom are included
! Ia ams bien neeS, the whole army of gentle readers
ne worthy OF the privilege and free franchise of read
M used to hearing the greatest English novelist called
nal an unjust accusation brought by people who are
I'M in sense of humor but to criticse the of this
|.tr craftsman is fiat blasphemy.
| sty has Mr.. Howells been made to rue this great
ry msdemeanor. Thackeray champions leaped at him
behind every bush. He drawn and quartered with
5hi,s ceremonial in long magazine articles. He was
sasd with the small shot of the paragraphers. The
IN literary world hooted, Kissed and derided him. Even
,a literary theory about the supreme merits of Tosto
kiaued and he represented egotstically saying
fue are but two novelists--Tolstoi and another"
| b tie Editors Easy Chair of Harpers Magazine for
IN Mr. Howells shows that change has come over the
kh Of his dream. He writes of Thackeray as follows
ug the revival and renaissance of great authors OF
past which the publishers and precenses of literature
kau occurring every and then. "Thackeray
eaey be said have suffered an eclipse from which
need be specially summoned for he has never ceased
cult and the same thing may be said OF Hawthorne.
Now that is not the to speak of Thackeray, of
hoe either for that matter who is unquesonably the
|at American writer of fiction, Thackeray, and Haw-
|ars too, far than cults. As we'll call Shakes
r cult speak OF Mr.. Howes' deserved literary
(smty as novel writer the result of Outline"
h hsre 10 an Improvement which Is marked in the way
witch the dean of American letters speaks of author
y far greater than he. While he damns him with
n praise is still praise and praise good although
1 d'a NOT go nearly far enough.
was not to be expected that Mr.. Howels would
F. to do full justice to Thackeray. Like Ephraim, he
aaed to his idols. What be expected OF a critic
speaks dsrespectfully of Scott and who SCOTS at the
"a Dumas! Mr.. Howells himself eonesses that he has
Fs read Meredith Stevenson. Possibly the omission
a' former might be pardoned him. Meredith is an
Fatd taste and Is "caviare to the general" But Ste
FAl 10 admit not having read Stevenson is to ac-
E'ags oneself unlettered This is the Mr. Howells
d ma chance when young 20 join the rare
|say coterie in New York to which Walt Whitman and
F'nI Ward belonged but he found them too Bohemian
mty drank beer His prim Puritanical started
anghted at the hearty boisterousness of this good
Fyny lhao the companonship rendered been that of
Risp.art and his friends who gathered the Mermaid
'sut would have been the same), and Mr., Howells
y a.er retired TO Boston where they eat beans and
- n water and keep their coutenanoes demure by
''sssaay pronouncng "Prunes and prisn.'
w while Mr. Howells is not competent critic, he Is
salor OF many delightful novels, for which much must
''eRsn him The author of Indian Summer" The
! y slas Lapham," and "A Womans Reason" will be
Nsl0e'ed long after his pseudo-crtcism is forgotten.
~ wrote poetry Thomas Jefferson played the fiddle
,'nefson paints pictures President Roosevelt is an
s I'M celebrated often have accomplishment of
~ .ry are tremendously vain and In which they are
''sa tros. Mr., Howells foble is criticism, in which
''4'ys fsvorite school boy could do better work
B. R.. F.