New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-21
SUNDAY, MAY p, 1905.

current fiction is concerned. For example one
of these books, Mrs. Darrell is by a writer
already known as the author of dozen novels.
Does he or she, crave reviews which will be
absolutely untinged by recolectiOns of these
other books? Is the who wrote The
House of Cards. unwilling to disclose his iden-
tty simply because his publications have hth-
erto been outside the realm of fiction, and he
fears that his novel might therefore be taken
up from wrong point of view? Or have these
and other anonymous romancers merely deyel-
oped notion that there is something about q
curtaed title page which piques public curios-
ity and therefore promises to accelerate sales?
The idea has something to recommend it, but
not much. Though an anonymous book may oc-
casionally gain in circulation through the very
fact that it is anonymous, when 1.-THE Bunt-
ling Ball" and 1.-THE Bread Winners" set every
body guessing, it amounts almost to an axiom
that the anonymous book, to succeed, must be-
like any other book, good one Readers have
doubtless felt much curiosity as to the identity
of the author Of Elizabeth and Her German
Garden and they would like to know just
who wrote 1.-The Garden of q Commuters Wife"
"a novelist who is represented among the four
we mentioned at the beginning), but no one
would care two straws about either of those
mysterious individuals unless they had proved
themselves capable Of writing interesting books.
In unwilling a bust of Elizabeth Barrett
Browning presented by Mr.. Passmore Edwards
80 South London, Mr.. Alfred Austin called down
upon himself the wrath Of the feminine poets
of the day. For he cast doubts upon the poetic
ability Of women:
Though the quality and range Of her genius
deep. generous and wide Elizabeth Bar
Tett Browning cannot be described, If language
Is to be used accurately as occupying place
among the poets justly designated great In no
tongue hitherto, has any female writer attained
TO that position, and were this the appropriate
moment, it would perhaps be possible to explain
why woman is likely ever to do
1t is too bad that Mr. Austin was not speak
ing at the appropriate moment since he seems
to have an explanation up his sleeve Of what
has hitherto remained an tnsOluble mystery
The facts are on his side. But how explain
the facts? The task has been undertaken by
more than one daring wight, but we have never
heard of anybody who had anything really con-
elusive to say on the subject That Mr.. Austin
would only have repeated the errors of his
predecessors we are the more inclined to think
from the fact that he told his audience that
the wiser poets are ''in harmony with the con-
servatiVe social organization which continues to
commend itself to the general good sense Of
the English people" Even if we did not re-
call Shelley and Byron, we could not help feel
fng some amazement at the Introduction of this
sort Of remark into a discourse on poetry.
There Is an amusing paper in 1.-The Fort
nightly" on the work of Mr.. Stephen Phillips
amusing through no intention of the author
Mrs. Il. A Wodehouse, but because 1t shows so
clearly how absurd it is for the faddists to
Imagine that they can log-roH unimportant
person into permanent eminence. CHANGING at
the course run by this poet from 'Paolo and
Francesca" to 'EThe Sin Of David" Mrs Wode-
EO Use observes that one has only to look at the
press notices Of the later drama to see that MI
Phillips has ceased to be a superstition" We
anticipated this recovery of common sense
among the critics long ago, when pointing out
Mr. Ihillips's limitations and we are glad to
nave Mrs. Warehouses; testimony to the fulfil
ment of our expectations. Her essay is an adj
mirable piece of analysis, clearly showing, what
we have all along argued, that Mr.. Phillips Is
not a great poet; but we are more especially
concerned to-day with the point which Mrs.
Wodehouse thus advances:
Any scruples which I might have had CON
corning perpetual fauItfnding. unleavened by
Der all that has been written about Mr.. Phil
lips Every feels 1t his duty to protest
when he sees landed as first rate what he hon.
estly thinks to be only second rate. This Is my
feeling about Mr.. Phillips
This is feeling about Mr.. Phillips and we
rejoice in the English critics recognition of the
duty that is laid upon all those who care fer
literature to lift ND their voices In season and