The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-11

est force in letters of the day 1t used to
be that the reading public took what
the leading critics said about books and
authors as gospel. There are still
great many readers who take their opin-
ions ready made, and it is because of
these that great care should be exer-
cised. Suppose" says Mr.. Payne, that
Mr. Howells should proclaim a new
genius in Kamschatka." No one dares
to dispute him. On the contrary, every
one supports His opinion, and the editions
of the Kamschatka go into tens of thou
sands no matter whether we know what
he writes about or not. 1t is not always
true that the new writer is not worthy
of praise. but it would be better for him
and the reading public as we'll if the
promise of Immortality came after he had
published a few books instead of before
his arrival in the literary field. The
most Objectionable feature of the new
cult is that it stops and destroys original
thinking and it breeds intellectual in
sincerity.
Mary MacLane, of Butte, Montana,
has written a book about herself in that
remarkably frank manner which made
Marie Bashkirtseff famous, and straight
way the young girl of nineteen. Is hailed
as q wonder. From the extracts which
have appeared thus far, doubtless every
one will agree on that point; she is
wonder but of wonders there are many
kinds 1t is said that the manuscript OF
this remarkable book came into the or
fees of the publishers one Saturday after
noon. The reader took it home with him
and spent most of the night over the
diary of a young girls emotions. On
Monday the firm wired an offer to the
author: an acceptance was received on
Wednesday, and by the following night
the entire manuscript had been set up,
proof read and cast into page form
ready for printing.
Miss MacLane has it seems. merely
recorded her odd thoughts, and because
these have been original and sensational
at times, the publishers feel that the
book will prove to be a wonderful seller.
At any rate, those who read the story
will wonder whether the young girl WHO
wrote it is crazy or genius, or whether
she simply needs to be punished severe
ly Following are extracts which show
Just what the whole book is:
L,
years, will now begin to set down as fun
and frank portrayal as I am able OF
myself, Mary MacLane, for whom the
world contains not parallel. ..,l,
I am convinced of this, for I am odd.
/ am distinctly original innately and
in development.
I have in me a quite unusual intensity
of life.
| can feel. ..
l have a marvellous capacity for misery
and for happiness.
l am broad minded.
| am a genius.
l am a philosopher Of my own good
peripatetic school.
l care neither for right nor for wrong
my conscience is nil.
My brain is a conglomeration of agt
greSsive versatility.
l have reached a truly wonderful state
of miserable morbid unhappiness.
/ know myself, oh, very we'll
l have attained an egotism that is
rare indeed.
I have gone into the deep shadows.
All this constitutes oddly. l find,
therefore, that l am quite, quite odd"
Presently she compares herself with
Lord Byron and Marie Bashkirtseff.
but as to the latter she says, Gin most
things l go beyond her.
Where she is deep, l am deeper.
Where she is wonderful in her inten-
sity, l am still more wonderful in my in
tensity.
Where she had philosophy, l am a
philosopher.
Where she had astonishing vanity and
conceit, l have yet more astonishing
vanity and conceit
But she, forsooth, could paint good pic
tures-and what can do?
She had a beautiful face, and l am a
plain featured, insignificant little ami
NAL.
She was surrounded by admiring. SYM
pathetic friends. and / am alone-alone,
though there are people and people.
She was a genius, and still more am
genius.
She suffered with the pain of woman,
young; and l suffer with the pain of a
woman, young and all alone.
| And so it is.
| Along some lines 1 have gotten to the
edge of the world. A step more and l fall
off 1 do not take the step. l stand on
L
Nothing, oh, nothing on the earth can
suffer like a woman young and all alone!
=
Yes, you may gaze long and curiously
at the portrait in the front of this book.
1t is of one who is a genius of egotism
and analysis genius who is awaiting the
DEVILS coming-a genius with a wondrous
liver within.
| Shall tell you more about this liver,
/ think before / have done. :
Let me writhe and. falter with pain;
let me go mad-but, oh, worldful of peo-
ple-for the love of your God-give me
out of this seething darkness only one
beautiful human hand to touch mine
with love, one beautiful human heart to
know the aching sad loneliness of mine
one beautiful human soul to mingle with
mine in long, long rest.
Oh, for human being, my soul walls
"a human being to love me.
Oh, to know just once-what it is TO
be loved.
Nineteen years without one faint
shadow of love is moldy, crumbling age
is gray with the dust of centuries.
How long have l livedi