New-York tribune., 1906-08-31
AWOMhN 0FDISTINCTION
Mrs. Croig1e as an Artist and a
Personality.
London, August IA.


se,self has left a permanent impress on every
,,e who knew her. In every sketch and tribute
.ryoh has followed her death there has been a
,avis personal note Underneath every critical
.,irnate OF her literary career Is synpathetic
srrreciation OF g. gracious and brilliant woman
anoSe work could not be interesting and fas-
cirafing as herself Conscientious and paAnstak-
.-s workman as she was, with q complete COM
-snS OF ell the resources OF expression she
,nuis not put all that she was into her books
80 recent writer has been more characteristic
q her literary style. Her vivacity, WIT, subtle
,-anv, exquisite sensibility and dazzling clever
-sss were 81 &c. and 81 reflected her freshness
q mind. her serenity OF spirit, her whimsical
rsanges OF mood ana her sweet, wonanly
nature; yet, while she wrote as she talked, her
o-rvsrsafiOn had fewer nlannerisms and was
--ore vivid than her writing. Her epigranis and
-suier-ike flrlssts at table IN a drawing room
,sre pointed with a radiant smile or a quick
change of expression; and whether she WAS
grave or say there was a personality that
charmed every one with its insight, sympathy
and distinction. She could entertain half a
soren men az once. including one after another
viii a bright glance. an incisive question. or a
graceful movement Of thc head; and rapid as
vas the how Of her ideas she invisorated them
sl 50 that they were thinking more quickly. ex-
--essing themselves more felicitously and shar-
sng the exhilaTafion Or her stimuIative vivacity
Neither social nor literary London-and she
equally at home In either circle-has known dur
snr the last decade q more charming personality
than Mrs. Craigie.
Refined was her taste for music art and
literary FORM and well informed as was her mind
By singularly complete education, Mrs. Craigie
uss not capable OF sustained intellectual work or
creative effort Of marked individuality. These
novels II there had been an English public for
comedies Of manners OF the Moliere type, "The
wisdom Of the Wise might have been followed
By a brilliant series OF plays: but theatreGoers
we're not content with slender plot and sluggish
action. and rebelled against dramas OF mere talk.
bright and animated though they might be. Her
stories were neglected for the same reason when
fhe charm Of novelty OF style was lost. The
plots were condemned as artificial and the char
acters as puppets without flesh and blood, and.
while the craftsmanship was as delicate as ever
and the huEnoP even more mordant and auda-
cious her later work fell short OF the promise OF
Some Emotions and Moral sketch II
Mrs. Craigie. ambitious and eager 20 90 great
work was not imbittered by a sense OF failure,
bat labored more diligently and strenuously than
before, and she was reproached for going in for
plot. dropping her intellectual style, and IN a
frenzy Of industry writing three novels ar once.
In letter TO me. written not long ago. she
answered these superficial criticisms with some-
thing like asperity. am tempted TO repeat this
passage. as Il is characteristic one:
Each one Of my novels represents at least three
seans OF study and consideration. keep sew
eEal themes IN my mind, just artists keep
several portraits or subject pictures in their
studios. Where work is the result OF thought,
tion Is the one possible method. and it has been
followed invariably by authors. painters and
composers of music who wished TO convey TO the
best OF their gifts a large impression OK NE
and human feelings. ''The Flute OF Pan" was
first sl1stched by me in 1900 have been work
ing az it at intervals ever since II Is romencs,
but il contains a most definite philosophy into
70 tell the truth. an anecdote qua anecaote
does not interest me. must find some meaning
in IT, I can invent plots easily enough, but
situation no matter how dramatic, rs blank 10
me unless knew something of the SOULS of tne
individuals posed. I believe you agree with me.
write because I take such an intense interest
in psychology. and there is not a line IN any
one OF my books which have any reason 70
think is false-taken sentimentally or otherwise.
That thing should be done IS not enough Ior
me. I want 20 understand why rightly or
wrongly, IL was done. / may not be novelist
az all. am, according 10 my lights. psychol-
ogist; my study is mankind. ana therefore
cannot play for what is known as BOOM
Mrs Craigie. with lucidity OF mind, always had
q definite as well as high purpose in her work.
and while she was grateful when she was under
stood she was impatient when critics did not catch
her point Of view She was delighted when an
appreciative friend told her that her little play
"a Repentance" was inherently foreign and
that he could not realize that he was IN London
when he saw it. for that precisely the effect
which she had tried TO produce. On the other
hand she was sarcastic when writers on the
theatre failed 30 distinguish between pure COM
eey and drama, and mischievously asked them
sshy they didn't blame portraits for not being
landscapes. or subject pictures for not being
marine studies. She was q spirited American
and could make brave fight for her ideas'
but there was neither guile nor resentment In
hep heart. even when she glanced contemptuous-
" at the critics and compared their victims
with the man who fell among thieves" Hers
was the artistic temperament as she herself
described Il as one that thinks more than there
Is TO think feels more than there is 20 feel sees
more than there is to see" With all her charms.
graces and accomplishments, she had intensity
OF thought ana emotion and could find rest and
peace alone in her religious faith The weak.
fiutfering heart. which constantly warning
her that her Ifte would be a brief span. at last
ceased beating and those who had known her
as a woman as lovable and noble as she was
brilliant were left sorrowing. Her books Will
reunaiE a whispering gallery where the echoes
OF her paradoxes her mockng irony and her
ph,losophv OF life will be family heard. but she
VIII not be in them with fulness Of life, keen
ness OF vision and warmth Of heart. but will be
only a gracious memory. softened and refined