New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-05
MACHINE NOTES.
Fact and Fiction in the January
Numbers.

Gr. Robert Grant n his new novel uhe open
ing chapters OF which appear in the current
~scribner'D, has taken for hero the sort Of
smart" young man who served 20 make "A
Modern Instance the best c. AIr. HoweIs's
stories. Like BARLEY Hubbard. 8!r. Grants
hero Emil Stuart. ie cheap soul. fall OF fine
phrases and rascal at bottom. Where Nr.
Grant is diverging from the plan Of his brother
novelist Is IN giving the creature a young wife
OF type Infinitely superior that OF silly Marcia
Hubbard. The action upon one another OF these
two matrimonial factors is enough to MAKE
THE Undercurrent' an inviting story but It is
easy TO foresee that 1t is TO have larger !uter-
est as a stady Of American lfa and OF American
tendencies.
The letters OF Thackeray offer an Irresistible
lure 10 the reader Of The Century" Gay and
whimsical and arectionate are these epstles.
yet little melancholy. too, here and there.
Pm fl low Spirits" he writes, about The New
comes" It's not good. It's stupid. Il haunts
me like a great. stupid ghost 1 think il says,
Why Go you go writing this rubbish? Y on
are old. you have more invention etc Write
sober books-books OF history-leave novels 10
younger folks"
There is an interesting reference IN the last
letter OF this group Cant we find" he says,
ANY plan OF healing that absurd Mr.. Washing
ton feud? ] feel myself shocked and panied
by II II some dear friend had turned round
TO abuse mel. who for once IN my life kept
my own council; who have got to consider yours
as my country almost; who have praised the
States so outrag eousy since came home. and
made myself such a violent partisan. How dare
people think I could be guilty of such stupid
abuse as that they attribute TO me? I. who
love and honor Washington 1 love and honor
40 other man? It serves you right man
said TO me IN London. You see what good you
have got by praising the States Oh. st puts
me in rage
In ''Everybedy's Magazine we discover that
Mr. T. T. HH the novelist. holds gloomy views
TO what he believes TO be the declining ethical
and moral standards Of Americans. He attacks
what he calls the great pail Of seishness"
covering the country the demand Of the aver
age citizen 20 be left alone and avoid bother,
and he adds: Our growing tolerance Of graft
IS dulling our moral perceptions; our lstiess in
difference 70 private and public conditions IS
sapping our strength TO the point where We may
consent to he governed rather than trouble 10
govern ourselves
Even to those who co not agree with him. Mr..
George Moore is auusinE-and he is particularly
amusing in his paper on Mr.. Kiplns in 'Lippin-
colts" He approves the abundance Of his fell
low authors verbal equipment but he thinks his
mental equipment is the very slightest In fact.
he goes so far As to call Kim "cineu,ato-
graphic literature" The descriptive writer, he
declares. flashes his wares in front Of our faces,
and the moment they have flashed they fan 70
rothingness: they become as dust IN eyes.
Then we turn to the poet, and he tells tale
Of a heart that suffered two thousand years ago,
and we are astonished to find that inter
ested in its suffering, whereas all the brilliant
externalities that read last year have passed
well like the SHOWS Of yesteryear. Not Of the
habits and customs. nor even of the passions, is
great literature made but of the hearts joys
and gr!efs. The intellect weares and the flesh
forgets: the heart alone is unchanging and the
Joys and eriefs that troubled il two thousand
years ago trouble # to-day. But of the heart
Mr.. KipIing knows nothing, for Mr.. Kipling can
- Only observe, and the heart cannot be observed"
THE Atlantic" is as usual filed with serious
and interesting rnatter-the first part OF An
drew .. Whites paper on Fra PaoIo Sarpi con-
tains some especially delightful pages-but We
tempted 10 pause a mere trife in this
number, the satirical note on modern illustra-
tion printed in The Contributors Club" 1t
may be but trihe. but il mean much
the reader Of latter day books and magazines.
The author Of this note IS tired-as who is not?
of the illustrations that do not in any way IL
iustrate. In novel Of American Society,"" he
says, y find both in the book and in the num-
hers Of the magazine which offered the story in
serial parts a dozen pictures handsomely illus
trating the text. she smiled and looked I'D at
him expressively' Half tone picture of her
smiling eXpressyely. The picture does not give
a better idea OF her smile OF Of MS manner Of
receiving il than the reader could get from the
printed words Unless the Illustrator has had
personal conference with the author he derives
his idea from the text just The reader de-
rives his"
These futile pictures bad enough, but even
worse, perhaps. those which In the blithest
manner completely misrepTesent whatever the
author may be driving AZ. Long ago American
illustrators earned high repUte for their purely
technical ability, but TO this day fidelity 10 the
text seems. with many Of them. to be matter
of chance. Here and there artist has some
sense Of responsibility. Too often the picture is
drawn with something like-positive contempt for
the unhappy author.
Professor Lounsbury has fears the
future Of The English language IN a vigorous
article in 'IIarper's" he answers with refreshing
common sense the question, Is English becom-
ing corrupt? He holds that the largeness Of
the number or words struggling TO be brought
into use is a sign Of the health Of a language.
not Of its decay. and he recalls many changes
attacked in past centuries as excruciating vu-
Earisr,s and now counted justly as valuable ad-
ditions TO our tongue. The final decision" he
concludes. as 10 propriety Of usage rests not
with northumberland with men of letters.
however prominent. nor with scholars however
Of cultivated users OF speech. They have an
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