The Washington herald., 1908-03-15
IN THE WORLD OF BOOKS
LITERARY GLEANINGS AND GOSSIP

Harvard is booming that man now
Yes, answered the other rather regret
fully. so my boy was saying last night;
but, nevertheless. it's q mighty good
story Only to think Of a jest ike this
on Harvard appearing in Bostonl
The Rev. Stopford A. Brooke has lust
finished volume Of essays upon Mat
thew Arnold. Rossett. Morris, and Ar
thur Hugh Ciough. The volume viii be
entitled -Four Victorian Poets" and viii
appear shortly under the Putnam i'm
print These essays may be regarded as
directly continuing The course entered
upon by the same author In his Studies
in Poetry (Putnam) in which viii be
found admirable criticisms Of Blake, Sir
Walter Scott. Shelley. and Keats. criti-
cisms which reckon carefully with con-
diuons Of time and place that played so
important a part in the direction taken
oy the work OF at least three out OF four
OF the writer's Just named
Harry Leon Wilson. author Of +Ewing-s
Lady Is with his old friend. Booth
Harrington. in Capri. where they are
renting the lovely villa long famous 10
American travellers as the residence Of
the artist. Elihu Vedder.
Kenyon Cox. in writing Of the art OF
St Gaudens in the March Atlantic saws.
His angels and caryatids are not clas-
sical goddesseS- but modern women. love
", but with a personal and particular
loveliness. not insisted upon, but deli
cately suggested. And It is not the per-
sonality OF the model who chznced 70
pose for them. but an invented person
ality, the expression Of the nobility. tbe
sweetness. and the pure-mindedness of
their creator And in such figure as
that Of the Adams Memorial. in Rock
Creek Cemetery, IN Washington. his
imaginative power reaches 10 a degree Of
imp-essiyeness almost unequaled in mod
ern art. One knows Of nothing since the
tOmbs OF the Medici tnat fills one with
the same hushed awe as this shrouded
hooded. deeply-brooding figure. rigid with
contemplation. still with an eternal still
ness. her soul rapt from her body on
some distant quest Is she Nirvara9 Is
she The Peace OF God? She mas been
given many names-her maker uo.,Id
give her none Her meaning is mystery:
The death Of -Ouida'' has severed a
link that has connected Us with Iarer
Victorian popular literature Though her
works viii never enable her 10 rank as
an important writer. says writer in the
London Daily News. she is in this way
distinguished from most Of the popular
writers OF tO-day-that while the latter
suddenly gain the ear OF the public. gilt
ter prominently for three or four wears.
and are thencefOrward almost ignored.
she succeeded in retaining her hold for a
quarter OF a century. IN this respect
there are only two living writer's who re-
semole her, Mrs Humphry Ward and
Miss Marie COreIH- The early books os
these two nOvelists stiIl have a continu-
Gus sale, such as the early books OF other.
popular authors do not enjoy. While sew
eral Of these can sell new book BY tens
OF thousands. the circulation OF a last
years book may be practically at an end
But during the later 10s. the SOS. and
the early SOS "OUida's' works as a whole
continued 70 commend themselves 10 a
vast novel-devOuring public. as those OF
Mrs. Ward and Miss CoreIH do today.
She was won't 10 give a strenuous. highly
c0lored preSentment OF q wholly unreal
life She delighted in staggering. hand
some, sex-COmpelling heroes OF high birth
and admirable breeding. and impulsive,
hne-featured herOines who lived for pure
/ ly fictitious romance She did much 10
populartze what We now know as the
/ society novel," but rather with gJlsto
and buOyancy than with the bitterness
| OF the modern realist. Her books were
accounted unhealthy bv those who
were censors Of their young peoples read
ing. and IN tie sense that they gave A
wholly unreal glamour 10 life they were
unhealthy; but in comparison with some
members Of the so-called "1eshly school
OF fiction which is in fashion to-day
"Ouida' might almost be regarded as q
moral reformer.
The First Duke Of Buckingham. bv
Philip Gibbs. which the Putnams have
Just published. is a life OF the most TO
mantle character OF the Stuart times. and
book that seizes upon readers in
Serest and never permits il 10 slacken
from the eloquent and spirited introduc-
tiOn OF the duke in the ''Foreword-' 10
the end OF the closing chapter. George
Nilliers was man whose personal beauty
cazzled his contemporaries and whose
career has strongly appealed 10 all lovers
u A4-e Iolildnllc- daring. and adventurous
IN character Scott brought him upon the
scene In The Fortunes of Nigel" and
Dumas IN The Three Nusketeers.- II
IS easy 10 write this man down a scoun-
drel, yet many OF the best men OF his
time found many virtues in him. even
after his deatT. when hope OF future
tavors no longer prompted them 70 seek
Tor moral pearls in his nature. The truth
is that George VillierS was neither demon
nor angel, and. IL rigid classification were
necessary, il would be most Just 20 class
him with the angels. Many shining quail
tiles he had besides his handsome face.
He loved his country and identified his in
/ terests with il; he chsmpioned courage
ously the cause Of his friends; he had a
prodigal generosity and a certain mag
nanimity, and whatever ne did was done
in the grand style. He was. too, il must
be confessed. a complete egOtist. and did
not allow small scruples TO stand in the
way of his pleasure. his advancement. or
| his pique.
Music Beneath the Stars.
In memory OF A. 81 c.
Music bengl-h the starS-rcmemhering HIM
VINO music loved. and who on slch a righf
Had. through white paths celestial winged diS
sight
TIesrs~r tho --s-.s-- a..