New-York tribune., 1908-03-08
OBJ Nrtu;2lnrk Gribaasse.
SUNDAY. MARCH 8. 1908.


hbit with unconscious comicality, dread lest
they 90 too far 1t was so long the fashion to
sniff at Ouidas books that it apparently comes
hard TO declare right out, the solid fact that
something like genius went to the making OF
them. We note, by the way, one happy circun-
stance where all the recent newspaper articles
about her are concerned. OF her personality IN
private life very little is revealed This is de
Ichtful simply because it is what Ouida would
have wished She kept the interviewer at arm
length. She not only did nothing to encourage
gossip about herself, but actually took pains TO
keep her affairs veed from prying eyes. she
was shining example to those authors VINO
talk in the loftieSt fashion about the importance
of distinguishing between the artist and MS
work who protest against being pursued py the
paragrapher but who are nevertheless forever
being celebrated in print in ways not to De eA-
planned save Oh the hypothesis that they them
selves supply the material. Ouda, VINO Is even
now treated in some quarters as II she mao peea
p distinctly f1amboyant and sensational figure IN
literature had, as matter Of fact Infinitely
more dignity than belongs to most OF the su
ueri0r persons who fan would patr0nize her
She had profound sincerity. Though her style
was sometimes seemingly careless she was
really one of those writer's who have peculiarly
keen sense Of what they owe to their proteSSlo1
himself taken with due seriousness are I'M
ouestionably edifying. Nothing really dis
courages him. If i'll treatment eXcteS his in
dignaton he makes dramatic appeal for JUS
tice. and making il in print, thereby succeeds
in attracting the attention which he desires.
Take for example, the case Of one sweet singer
who writes to The Academy to show how lie
has been "infamOusly treated by a certain
naughty editor Il recently sent several poems,''
Illustrated London
daily which does insert verses in every issue.
They were declined quite irrespective Of their
merit. on the ground of my name not being well
enough known" We do not wonder at that
exclamation point. In the circumstances who
would not be astonished by such treatment?
The illustrated daily, it appears, informed the
poet that it used poems only by well known
writer's, but, as he inquiries Is not his claim to
be ranked with such abundantly confirmed by
the following facts?
% 1 was called by Mr.. Quiller-Couch "one
of the sweetest of Devon singers now alive"
and this III rerico in The Speaker"
ca The late H. D. Trail included me In his
list of Minor Poets in "The Nineteenth Century
CMarch, 1899. Before doing this he read one
OF my volumes OF verse.
(;) | was included in the last list published
Of living poets and in many anthologies
"a Mr. Churton Collins highly praised my
Hexameters and a lyric L sent him.
Surely this poet, Mr.. f. B. Doyeton, has made
out his case. We doubly sympathze with him
when he adds that Ito crown all, the paper in
question constantly inserts poems with unknown
names attached, including Anon" AS the
complainant bitterly asks, rs he well known
poet*'
4 commentator on ''BookishnesS" writing n
the London spectator" justly deals with it rs
q matter of temperament You are b0oksh o.
you are not Just fate decided for you when
you were born. Nevertheless this is emphac-
tcalIy trait which depends for its wellbeinS
upon surrounding conditions. ''The Spectator
clearly brings out the point In the following
words: ITO put it practically, b0olishDess i'm
plies leisurely nlethod-a certain affectionate
dallilnce that is natural to one who feels that
the soul Of book is somehow myStically
pressed in its paper and binding-and a public
1t is not alone "a public life" that is thus inim
fcal to bookshnesS. 1.-The Spectator discussing
the subject with special reference to the literary
diversions of statesmen, might easily have gone
on to show that in all walks Of life, and
women, too, for that matter are nowadays
rarely permitted to give to books anything like
the easy long, lazy hours which are indispel-
sable to your truly bookish mood. 1t is true that
Q large proportion Of the readers Of our time are
supposed to read "for amusement" but do we
take our amuSementS in leiSurey fashion?
Here and there the gods give to man not only