New-York tribune., 1906-08-16
literary NesOs and Criticism

WIN DOUBTS as 70 whether .h. w.r. not h.xsn-
illle 70 take herself little too s-rfouslv .7ob-
eII orange, the sequel which appeared ti1r-.
years later. decpened this impression. Vet eve,
Oien MIS- CraiSie maintained her hold uuon dis
oeInli's readers. ccr she still the searching
analyst probing human nature with a sfazyl-
larIy sympathetic and delicate touch; she might
DC losing her sense Of literary proportion, but
' AHO"IeoEe OF men and women was increas-
ias' and nothing, apparently. could quench her
ulaooilcal cleverness In Love ana the Soul
hunters she recovered lost ground and was
pretty nearly her best self again, as 10 be .ure
seemed only natural, for It was absurd that the
charm Of her artistic youth should be so soon
ana so swiftly worn out by the stress OF our
modern life. with it. terrible demand upon IN.
successful author for a nav boolr 49,, 80
but IN the long run the strain told Mrs Craieie
wrote too much. Her work lost something of
uhat hne houogeneity which had been one of
IT'S most beguling virtues. There was less fin
lsh' less art. and. what was worse, there was
less substance The Vineyard" published in
1SNp4' was one OF those books which are only so
good that you wish they better. and 'The
F1ute OF Pan" printed only last autumn had
not even the merit OF making you wish that Il
might be rewritten-it was natIy forced and
melodramatic piece OF work We remember
that It made US think OF Ouida at her worst
and caused US 10 reflect that the older writer
undoubtedly had greater staying powers. But
Ouida, at her best, is woman OF genius.
Mrs Craigie's powers. brilliant as they were
sre 10 be traced to less mysterious source
There - more brain than there is heart in her
work. She understood her world up to q GER
tain point, and, understanding It in rather cruel
sardon'c mood. her wit often cut deep Give
her the kind OF character she loved to observe
character in conflict with purely mundane sur
roundings, and IN her deft. clever way. she
would turn It inside out. But we saw her do
ing 1t, where the masters leave character to
turn itself inside out az though without anv
adventitious aid. Mrs Craigie was so accom-
plished a craftsman. there was such distinction
In her method. that for long time she exposed
not single crack in her armor Within her
limits she was consummate But a talent like
hers needs rest and reinforcement, and. II one
may judge from the rapidity with which she
published her novels. she gave herself little time
for the seeking OF that inspiration which even
the least OF US can get from patient study Of
our fellows. 1t would seem. too as if she
sought or. at any rate, found, more sustenance
IN books than in mankind. She was much oc-
cupied in the last few years with philosophical
and critical speculation. lecturing on such
themes as ST. Ignatius. Dante, Botticelu. and
perhaps in taking the whole field OF religion
art and literature for her province she dulIed
her instinct for life at the very moment when
she doubtless believed that she was widening
and enriching her Intellectual being She did
not know how TO be mediocre. and therefore
whatever she said or wrote. no matter what the
subject, was received with interest Also. since
she was very much in earnest. it was received
with respect. Nevertheless, II is impossible not
20 wonder II she would not have been fhe bet4Ar
as writer for concentration Of her gifts in
the few directions to which they were absolutely
suited. AS a thoughtful. shrewd commentator
on modern fashionable life. witty, artistic and
light in hand possessed Of vein Of golden
idealism, but too clever to exploit It at the ex-
pense Of the truth as she saw It, she filed =
niche which she ought never to have abandoned