New-York tribune., 1906-12-05

'ahe MIN Tor q scholar, in the strict sense he
SHOWS IN these letters a great deal Of what we
can only describe as the sentiment OF scholar.
ship.
Ihis comes out with special vividness in the
many letters to Mr.. II. E. Krehbiel. which are
placed in the forefront Of Mrs Wetmore's work.
| The two friends had common interest in
creole music. and under the stimulus OF his cor
respondents more specialized handling Of the
SUBJECT. Hearn grew more and more enthusiastic
In the pursuit OF researches which brought him
! In one way or another closer to the mysterious
folk-lorish problems he loved so well. There
was some science but there was more poetic
emotion In his talk about these things. He re-
joices II he can get upon the track Of an OBJ
scure fact, but he would willingly leave scholar
ly examination Of IT to the musical critic with
whom he discusses his adventures. Writing to
Mr.. Krehbiel he says: My work is ornamental
my dream is poetical prose: a style unsuited 10
literature OF the solid and instructive kind" and
the spirit Of this observation applies to his cub
stance as well as to his style. IT, In that de-
scriptive writing which was his special gift, he
makes you feel above all things that he has his
I eye on the object, he touches you also by the
quick response OF his Imagination OF his emo
tions. to all that the object might vaguely sug-
gest. We know this from his fiction and from,
his volumes Of literary impressionism. We find
letters to his friends. as In this passage
BY the bye. did you ever hear a real Chinese gong7
of o g2n but Wcs 4f Rate eoss ss
Bangor. North Wales. who had private museum
one t. ne. i was, .hanging anlds. Fri spears
seagy & bsTSed With Ss sharks Is teeth TIM, Witch M to-
stone and Sandwich Island paddles wrought with the
from the walls: Also there were Indian elephants
IN ivory carving balls in the Garven bellies each
gong liIamered pale snd huge and yellow: like the
tapped It's ancien. face With maied irSmst.ck. R SICK
and II commenced TO sob, like waves upon a low
nd in g Of again as and hs
'G tn seemed IKE mts ef tap hs
an abyss in the Cordilleras. or the crashing OF
s S yoa dd a
at s me as s9s'hns ts tsTe hG ans
that thin. thin disk Of trembling metal could pro-
au3s sas SO being eeS nsS. % of that ss
most precious metals.-sver and gold.
Whatever his theme he wrote of It with this
same picturesque touch. and scattered through
his correspondence there Is much entertaining If
not particularly impressive reading. In places
like New Orleans Martinique he came upon
and phases of life which In their color and
romance oonsoled him. at least at the moment
for the harsh grayness OF the workadey world.
which seemed perpetually to be stretching out
gaunt arms toward him. For q long time his
affairs refused 10 prosper. and then. some ten
years or more before his death. fate sent him to
japan and kept him there. The struggle for ex-
istence went before. but with a difference.
Under Oriental conditions he learned little bet
ter how to be happy; his work a teacher.
though It had its drawbacks, not without
its pleasant side and writer he found in
Japan material after his own heart. His view of
life sweetened. 1t is interesting to fnd him
hat
certain change in his nature. In one OF his let
ters he says:
rnent against certain things in which used to take
Journal pour Rire or the charivaT wtheut the ve1
alton, almost anger anger ! can't find pleasure in
pealng to instincts that interfere with perception
see he Paris opera If il were next door and nd had
a free lcket-or, II did go. II would be for the
else else. - '''03''' S''''
Life in Japan widehed his interests. He was
often respondent and given to regarding him
self as a kind Of Ishmael But in cheerful
home circle. with wife and children about him.
and faithful friends showing him the truest
Kindness either face to face in letters from
home. be could not well remain forever in the
bitter mood which underlies many Of his
letters. Fortune. though never lavish, did not
altogether withhold her gifts from him. and
you can read some Of his later letters. especially
those In which he talks OF japanese subjects
with Professor Basil Hall Chamberlain. without
being overborne you are in the earlier pages
Of this work. by a sense Of the morbidity at the
roots of his character
Read as q whole, the book confirms the i'm
Dression left by ell OF Hearns writings, that
his tenperament was little warped, a little
overcultivated warmed by the dangerous heat
Of the tropics rather than by more normal moro
generously kindling fires. Like Lott. who infu-
enced him profoundly. he achieved a subtle and
often beautiful STYLE delicately coored. and OF
exquisite artifice all compact. II is interesting
10 come in contact with that style. and accord
ingly we are grateful TO Mrs. Wetmore for hav-
ing gathered together some capital specimens OF
It. On the other hand. 1t is unfortunate that her
sense Of proportion should not have equalled her
affectionate zeal. The unCrtical attitude Illus
trated by the few sentences we have quoted from
her memoir, is shown also In her selection of
letters There is much IN the mass that can be
OF interest only TO those to whom Hearn wrote.
Neither author a personality did
he possess the weight and vital force which are
required to put beguiling stamp upon every
shred of a mans cores spondence. A brief mono
aph, in the course of which he from time TO
time spoke for himself, would have formed
more fitting tribute to his memory.
BOWLING DISCUSSES MARC ANTONY.
Old Roman q Goo5 EeIIou perhon1 hut