The San Francisco call., 1909-12-05
Charles Warren tOddard His Place in American Literature

pathos. and delicate sensitiveness to
the beautiful are his chief characteris-
ties In humor he strongly suggests
irving; but Stoddard's humor is sub
Jective. Irving's delight is in the in
congruities of Rip Van Wrinkle or Ich
abod Crane, but Irving's own person
aiity does not intrude in these charm
Ing stories Stoddard is usually the
butt of his own jests. Read the follow
ing from The South Sea Idyls'' with
Irving in mind, and this difference will
be clear:
Where would I be dropped? asked
the driver In the middle of the street.
please you, and take half nv little
whole for your ride, sir, He took it.
dropped me where we stood, and drove
away. l pretending to be very happy.
God help me and all poor hypocritesi =,
With a faint heart and hollow
stomach l threw myself upon my ell
bow and tried to sleep. 1 lay till my
heart stopped beating, my joints were
wooden, and my four limbs corky be-
yond all hope of termination There
the mosquito reveled, and it was a
promising place for centipedes"
Many of the exquisite effects are pro-
duced by juxtaposition of pathos, or of
the beautiful, with humor For ex-
ample:
shri1l bell called me from my bed
at dawn. l was not unwilling to rise.
for half the night / lay like a saint on
the tough thongs, having turned over
in sleep, thereby missing the mattress
entirely Made my toilet at a spring
on the way into town; saw a glorious
sunrise that was as good as breakfast
and found the whole earth and sea and
all that In them is singing again while
listened and gave thanks for that
privilege"
And again: I'm spirit l walked again
among pepper groves, and summed nv
soul beside the palm fringed sea. It
tine letter. was message of love from
my savage, and my heart leaped within
me as | recalled the inconsistent mast
l replied cordially and set sail for
other shores. The whole world lay be-
tween us. We stood with the soles Of
our feet turned toward one another. and
had we ascended at that moment oir
spirits could never have met in the wide
universe. Fortunate fate, We both sur
vive, and have lived to prove myself a
prophet in my own country, where.
thank heaven. honors are easy Once
more / drifted back to the land of my
adoption. Seven years stretched be-
tween me apd the glimmering past I
thought of it as dream; l dreamed of
it as a thought-oply the semblance of
realty remained"
And here we have very near to each
other a touch of humor and breath of
infinite pathos:
THE mystery that hangs over the de-
parture of any craft that goes by wind
is calculated to appall any landsman;
and when the date of sailing is fixed the
best thing he can do is to go aboard in
season and compose his soul in peace.
Some one saw me off that
night-some one who will never again
follow me to the sea, and welcome me
on my return to earth after my wander
ing
Stoddard never writhes in rage; never
discloses the glories of a sublime will:
never reveals himself as a giant Crap
pling with the problems of destiny:
never falls into despair because the
world is lashed with sorrow. Rather.
he devotes himself to the sweetness of
life, preferring not to venture in the
walks of those who have borne the bur-
dens of the world on their backs. He
is merely Stoddard, who has gone
through the world, laughed with it.
sighed with it. and given himself to
revel in its beauties.
Address delivered during the summer session
r. tho ITr,fry r. ~.fre1.