The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-18
K OF SUBSCRIPTION.


that embodies a sentiment that many
faithful workers can appreciate. 1t is
so easy to be misunderstood in trying
to help and to do good:
Let who has felt compute the strain
OF struggle with abuses strong,
The doubtful course. the helpless pain
OF seeing best intents go wrong.
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Here are some sheaves gathered in the
course of reading. Mr.. William Archer,
an English critic Of gifts has issued a
volume he calls Poets Of the Younger
Generation" He confines himself to
about twenty. We are grat.fied to see
that while discussing poets Of Ihe
present he does not overlook the poets
of the past in his taste and judgment.
Fol- instance, he writes that there are
splendid flashes Of true poetry IN
Pope, in Goldsmith, aye, even in John
son." He has read Cowper and Crabbe
with great pleasure" and considers
that the border ballads of Scott contain
some of the purest poetic treasures of
the language" That is sane critical
appraiss ment as to the great Sir Walter,
who possessed such a rich, creative
mind. Ar. Archer is proud that e is
himself a pure bred Scotchman," a
very good country to belong to-the
country of Scott and Burns n other
men OF great genius. He does not run
mad over Kipling. To illustrate he "
tina where his verse attains real gran
deur. it comes mainly from his study
of the Bible and even then he seems
to give US Isaiah to a banjo accompa-
niment."
He has a high opinion of England's
leading poet Of the last few years,
Stephen Phillips. He has been exceed
ingly lauded. and claims have been
made h probably the future will not
sustain. That he has written some
beautiful, ever splendid poetry, will
be conceded freely. But we have
seen an elaborate analysis Of one
OF his chief tragedies that did not
bear the test triumphantly. Our own
reading is confined to some occasional
extracts He is really a poet of much
cleverness. Mr.. Archer says that he
is a totally new phenomenon in English
drama OF the past two centuries-at
once an inventor of situations, and a
master Of language" His genius is not
devoid of dramatic qualities. The
ablest. and severest. criticism we read
of him appeared some months ago in
the New York Evening Post. Citations
followed condemnation. We observe in
he February issue Of the New York
Critic that a London letter onliterature
says that among the biographers of
1901 tina hi Life of Lord Russell Of
KiIlowen' seems to have been first IA
voritee. and Mr.. Lang's Mystery of
Marie Stuart" among histories.
Mr.. Crawford has another novel out
called Marietta, a Maid of Venice 1T
is clever and absorbing as his many
novels are quite apt to be. Anthony
Hope Hawkins "Tristram of Blent'
is thought by respectable critics to be
the best Of all his novels.
The very best book on China is by
Rev. Arthur H. Smith. D.. D., in W VOL
unies. He has lived in China for thirty
years and is a minister of excellent
abilities. He has written other works
on China but his last China in Con-
vulsion" is the most important. All the
critical opinions we have read upon it
are strong in approval and appreciation.
He is an excellent writer and his work
Is in orderly sequence. and h meaning
n results are clear.
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The London Times's superior weekly
literary journal called Literature has
been sold and merged into nothe pub
LEGATION. We read it for some two years
every week and found it of decided ex-
cellence and most interesting. 1t had
distinct features and excellences IN the
greatest city having so many able
weeklies of commanding interest and
value-the Saturday Review, Athenae-
um, The Academy, and three or four
others. The Athenaeum long published
leads all others in popularity. The
London letter by w. L. Alden. in New
York Saturday Reviek (named after the
great old London weekly writes that
several generations have read The
Athenaeum, and a tendency to e it
has become an inheritance in the
minds of thousands Of people. They
would read 1t If 1t were twice as dull as
it is, and simply because it is The
Athaneum." He says Of Literature"
that 1t was IAN exceptionally able pa
per of its kind" 1t published no trash,
and its papers and criticisms were by
scholarly and practiced writers. We
remember that in the first four months
of it's life the able editor stated that
over one hundred writer's a contrib
uted articles for it in that time.
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An interesting. original, uncommon
book is looked for in London by cul-