New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-10-01

9lG Houghton Nidlin & Co
The late I.afcadio Hearn was born In the
1onfan Isles hfty-four years ago. He saw some
thing Of England and the Continent IN his you'h'
and on this side OF the water knew the west
the South and the East. Yesterday ne was
buried in Toxic where he had settled himself IN
1sqo Like George Borrow. he was one Of the
zagabonds Of literature. a man avid Of the SEN
sation which only contact with strange peoples
can give br,t. unlike Borrow. he looked at life
with far more OF the vision of the metaphysi-
clan than that OF the thoroughly humanized
traveller. To all the numerous books he wrote
he communicated an atmosphere Which one
would call poetic II Il were not that on close
scrutiny its qualities are found to suggest other
things. a subtlety bordering on the morbid, an
instinct for things eery fantastic and exotic
like the instinct Of Poe
II view Of his adoption OF Japan as his home
TO the extent Of naturalizing himself there and
taking a Japanese wife, many readers Of his
later books have jumped to the conclusion that
his nature was transformed by Oriental inffu-
ences. It is true that he seriously affected
by them but IT is also true that a writer.
at all events he disclosed long ago the qualities
which mark his books on The East. His two
West Indian Stories for example. "Chita. q
Memory Of Lost Island" and "Yourna," have
In them the same delicate charm, the same per
fume, that belong to his much later writings.
They have especially distinct note Of style.
Hearn was always a dainty craftsman in words
perhaps. on occasion, too dainty. He was not
exactly precious but the sensUous quality OF
his English sometimes took an overexquisite
turn. so that he left an impression Of some
4everish dollhouse growth. The last word he
had TO utter as prose writer and as psychol-
ogist lingering the mysteries Of race has still
70 be studied. II viii be accessible next week in
the book which the MacmIIlans publishing.
Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation" the
proofs Of which he passed by cable the day be-
fore he died. IN this volume work planned on
a generous scale the summing up of his Jap
anese experiences is to be expected But in
'Kwaidan" which appeared only the other day,
we have also thoroughly characteristic express
sion OF his mental and literary traits
Most OF the tales in this little book were taken,
according to the preface from old japanese
books but in far as their essential character
IS concerned one cannot help feeling that Hearn
might himself have invented them. No doubt
the local color' comes from authentic sources,
yet TIE very Threshold of the book come
upon passage that seems pure Hearn. 1t oc-
ours in q story starting with the battle Of Dan
no-ura, in the Straits Of ShimOnoseli. in which
certain clan, the Heike extinguished,
even 10 the last mar.
That sea and shore have been haunted for seven
the strange crabs found there, called HeiRG crabs
which have human faces on their backs. and are
said TO be the spirits Of Heke warriors But there
are many strange things 10 be seen and heard alons
that coast On dark nights thousands OF ghostly
nres hover about the beach fit above the waves
pale lights which the fishermen call On-bi.
sound Of great shouting comes from that sea Ike
clamor Of battle.
How many times did Hearn. in lines as brief
as these, evoke picture, vivid and arresting, in
which nature and the supernatural both make
themselves felt, On that borderland between
observable phenomena and delicately grotesqae
mystery he loved to pause. "Kwaidan" is full Of
me sort OF thing he found there This initial
story. for example. draws from HIS favorite pre-
occupation curious fascination. It relates to
blind lutte player. famous for his song of the bat
tie Of Dan-no-ura, and to the summons ne re-
ceives to appear before listeners whom he be-
heVes 10 be the guests Of great noble. but who
are really the spirits Of the slain Heike. to whom
he plays among the tombs. From beginning TO
end this story has the touch Of mystery upon II
but especially would we note the part I'm which
the musician hurries through the street with the
messenger from the dead. 1.-THE hand that
guided was iron; and the clank Of the warriors
stride proved him fully armed" The hand was
the hand Of ghost. but with Hoichi we feel the
touch Of the iron and hear the cIank of armor.
i was In conveying such impressions that Laf-
caoio Hearn excelled We could quote several
instances from "Kwaidan." but In taking leave
OF the book we prefer TO cite the tale called
Diplomacy" a capital illustration of the ORR
entail mind II treats OF the execution of q man
who. as he knelt beneath the sword. called down
vengeance upon the SamErGi who held It and
promised to give sign Of the persistence of his
purpose by biting stone after his decapitation
y VIII bite 81" cried the man, in great anger
7 will bite It! ] viii bitei" s
the hound body bowed over The rice sscIsTo .I o
plood Jets pumping from the shorn neck-and The
STEPPING stone it rolled then suddenly bounding II
tteetn' chung desperately for moment and dropped
None spoke: but the retainers stared IN horror =.
I1er master He seemed to be quite unconcerned
Ee neTeg helo out his sword 10 the nearest at
siI I Te eaqs ron haf 70 point and then care
part Of the Incident anu mus ehoeo the ceremonial
For months thereafter the retainers and the do
Hesues tIHeo n eeaseiess fear Of ghostly vista
Ion, none on them doubted that the promised
kengsshee would come; and their constant terror
caused them 20 hear and 10 see much that did
WIND in the bsmbcos-afrad even Of the stirring OF
SHADOWS IN the garden At last after taking coun-
sci together they decided TO petition their master
70 have a SeEah service performed on behalf Of
Quite unnecessary" the ssmurai said. when his
chief retainer had uttered the general wish. .
i underst and that the desire Of dying man for
there Is EothtnE 10 fear"
The retainer looked at his master beseechfnelv
but hesitated 10 ask the reason OF this alarmnig
confidence. -e
fOh the reason IS simple enough" declared the
samurai. oivning the unspoken doubt ''Onv the
very last intention OF that fellow could have been
asngerous; snd when CHALLENGED him to give me
the sign. I diverted his mind from the desire Of
revenge Sc cied with the purpose OF hitting
The stepping stone: and that purpose ne was abIe
70 accomplish but nothing else All the res. Re
must have forgotten. So Won need not 81
any further anxiety about the matter ~
And. indeed. the dead man gave no more +ro,,b,a
Nothing az al happened