New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-15
SUNDAY. OCTOBER Is, 1905.

The anonymous contributor 10 CoFhnh'
whose observations "Brom College WINDOW
have nroyed among the best things ever printed
in that excellent periodical, addresses hlnlSe.I
IN +ba current number to peculiarly faSci-
Mating subject the sense OF beauty WIN MS
usual delfcacy he is careful to avoid dogmatlz
inc about this precious gift He does not at
temnt to explain it, but simply glances at diner
ont sides of the great mystery what strange
mower" he excIaims, "the perception of beauty
isl It seems to ebb and flow Ike some secIel
lido ipdenendent alike of health or disease, Of
49, ~ oorrov Neither does It seem to
he an intellectual process. tan seems 10
enact itself In q separate region or the spirl.,
neither in the physical nor the mentaI region.
In short it is a gift of the gods How true THIS
60 NAV no seen from the rarity of the gift in
oon+omnorarv fiction Consider the average
novel or for that matter, the novel that IS
shove the average It may be prodglousy
clever it NAV be rich in wit and WISDOM, IL
NAV disclose real insight into human nature
but how often does it suggest that the "rlleI
hoe ononq all his resources the sense of beauty?
The novel that Is truthful and interesting Is
fairly common but the novel that is also a DedU-
tiful book, with a feeling for beauty running
through it or manifested at least now ana lneii.
is practically unknown. 1t is queer state OF
believe we recognize and appreciate, it Is Deauty'
The assumptions of the dullard sometimes
sublime Here Is one Of the genial creatures
who think that they can think for other people,
when It is pIain that they cannot think to good
purpose for themselves, INDUCING in the follow
Ing sage remarks: 'How few people read the
fuII Don Ouixote' throughout, or at all, wllh
endowment! 1t is not so much that it Is a Dig
book flor big books may often be enJoyaDlej'
but that its bigness is largely due 10 numerous
6igressions and side-StorieS having little or no
connection with the main narrative, and pos
sessing but slight interest for the casual reader
1t has, therefore, occurred to Mr. Dom1mck Day
70 abridge Cervantes great composition OT
selecting and transating the more interesting
md amusing parts, keeping up the continuity oL
the narrative as a whole by introducing here and
tbera a few words or sentences to bridge over
the gaps caused by any omissions" We hardly
know whom to admire the more, MIR. DAILY or
his commentator. For the honor Of affrontins
q master with conSummate impertnence they
press one another hard What earthly right mas
Mr. DAILY to lay his hands upon don Quixote,
violate its integrity, and add insult to injury
by introducing here and there few words or
sentences" to take the place Of what he has
chosen to cut out Of the text? And what au-
thorfzes his obsequiOus paragrapher to assert
that there Is anything In the Spanish classic
possessing but slight interest for the casual
reader? The statement that few people read
Don Quixote' as whole, cor at all, with en-
ioyment" Is sheer nonsense. Science ought to
take these modern wiSeacreS in hand and try to
find out why it is that they are never happy
except when they are meddling with the mas
terpieces of men Of genius.