New-York tribune., 1909-05-18


..E,van Harrington" which published as a
serial in once Week in 1850. and appeared in
hook form A year later. This was humorous
treatment of the problem whether the son OF a
+oiIor couId be a gentleman, and such made an
snnaaI as popular novel easy to read and full OF
diyerting incident. 1t is classed as the most en-
+rtatning of Meredith's stories OF his hero at the
o,,+set of his career the author says: He has III
- I,arac+er for the moment. Most youths are
1il,a Pope's women; they have no character at all
The next productions from the pen OF George mere
dith were his sonnet-sequence Modern Love anu
his poems Of the English Roadside, which ap-
feared in 1862. He had lost his first Wlte ana was
iivtna, in a house in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, with
Rossetti and Swinburne at this time Inc last
named published a fervd eulogy in reply 10 some
of the criticism Of Meredith's poetry MereuiIn
married again a few years 4h'ei' ON ~
wife died in 1885. ,
The next novel published under the t''i'
Emilia in England" in 1854 but in later eultiohs
is called "Sandra Beoni.' The sequel TO Iiiis dp-
neared in 1861 entitled "Vittoria." whlch might DC
called Emilia in Italy" the author utilizing 'he
exneriences gained by his stay in that country III
the previous year Between these two works ne
published "Rhoda Fleming" one OF the sinipleSt
and best told Of his stories, in which ne proven
his mastery of the universal chords Of human emo
tIons. Richard lie Galenne says Of this mover II
ts written in Saxon simple a song IL contains
the results of profound study of the feminine hesrt
in the delineation of the Fleming SISTERS F>io"a
and Dahlia, and their experiences
after 1861 prevented the appearance OF another
novel until 1871 when The Adventures OF Harry
Richmond" was published. This is roihdh'N
novel of fascinating type. which Is recorrrieLiu
to those who desire to acquire a hhlhs Ioi NJ
dith as it is in large measure free from the suoe'
enigmatic metaphysical style Of most OF ms o''e
books OF the first half it has been SAID that II
is the greatest of the authors WORKS "I'iie tl0
latter half is not lacking in keen ana oenca.s III
terest. The story appeared in The Cornhlil Nae'
zine" with sixty chapters. and although 1t vas
slightly reduced in book form, it Is the longest oil
Meredith's novels Its motto may be found III t''s
sentence: when we let romance 80 we chahse
the sky for 4 ceiling" Roy Richmond Is regaFoeu
by competent critics the greatest OF the crea-
| tions of Meredith's pen.
FICTION FOUNDED ON FACTS
Meredith had the faculty of taking real incidents
| and experiences and weaving them into his no'eis'
| and examples of his fiction founded on facts are
! 'Beauchamp's Career The Tragic Comedlans
| and Diana of the Crossways." In the hrst hdiieu
| Of these. Beauchamp is drawn from the author
! friend, Admiral Maxse to whom ne dedlcateu d
| volume of poems in 1862 1t in 1858 that FRED
| erck Maxse. then captain in the navy was tne
Radical candidate for Parliament In Southampton
and was defeated He had the support in the cam
| paign Of his friend Meredith who wrote Beau
| chanln'g Career" after the election was over Inc
| family home of the MaXses is described IN H. "A
| critic SAYS OF the hero; 'In Reauchamps character
| a type Of youth. happily not unfamiar-the pest
/
cess; one in which disregard of means to ends and
| consequent want Of effectiveness. are due. not TO
conceit or mpatience. but 10 an over-enthusiastic
! belief in the immediate capacity for amendment OF
| men and Of things"
| The Tragic Comedians appearing in 1850 IN
| THE F,ortnightlv Review is the love story and
! life story OF Ferdinand Lassale. the German agi-
| tator. who lost his life in duel, who hgures IN
| the book as Ssismund Alvan, and Of Helene Voh
| D6nniges CChotilde Rddiger), for whom his
| career ended The author says nothing was added
| to the real story and nothing invented Even the
/ dialogue IS based the herone's published ac-
count of the episode. and the work IS written in
straightforward manner with steadily sustained in
! terest.
| Diana of the Crossways." in some respects the
| most popular Of Meredths novels. IS founded on
| the life history OF Caroline Norton. the grand
| daughter OF Richard Brinsley Sheridan. and her
| self a popular poet and novelist. Her husband
! sued her for divorce, naming the Prime Minister,
! Lord Melbourne. as correspondent but falIed 10
win the suit. Later she accused Of having De
| traved 10 a London newspaper state secret. but
! after the novel published this was proved to
| he false To the subsequent editions the author
| preGxed this note. a lady OF distinction for Wit
| and beauty. the daughter Of an iluStrious irish
| house came under the shadow OF a calumny. 1t
has lately been examined and exposed as baseless
Tho sor, Of Diana Of the Crossways is TO be read
as hction' The first chapter Of the work is in the
authors most involved style and any one desirous
| OF becoming interested may wei leave it for the
| last II has been said Of the heroine: Diana s
charming personality. her TeCklesSusss, her pas
sion ror pacier her life history. including the sell
ing OF the secret were elements well within Mere
dith-s mower to combine without injuring our love
| for his heroine"
OTHER NOVELS AND POEMS
..The Egost." OF which the central figure is Sir
| Wiuoughby Patterne, and in which there is a pitt
less analysis Of the seIhshness innate in humanity
was published in 1879 and the short story The Tale
of Chloe appeared in the same year. This is now
ircIuded with The House the Beach The Case
| If General Ople and Lady Couper' and "Farna"
! in volume entitled short Stories" Three more
! novels appeared in The next decade after Diana
OF the C'rossways.' but none attained the popu-
| Iarty Of that work. They are "One OF Our Con
ouerors" Lord Ormont and His Aminta'' and
! ''The Amazing Marriage" Four volumes Of verse.
which appeared at intervals between 1883 and 1885
! Poems and Lyrics of the Joy of Earth" Ballads
and Poems of Tragic Life" "A Reading OF Earth
| and THE Empty Purse'-and the Essay Com
edy" QS9O complete the list Of the works from the
| pen Of the poet-rovelist- critic.
| The style of many OF Meredith's works IS not
simple for the author seeks 10 put much in each
phrase as possible and TO say what is worth say
ing emphaticaly and with full significance. One
feature his books IS the gallery Of fair women,
a parallel which is only to be found in Shake
| speare.
When Tennyson died in 1892, Meredith elected
| president of the British Society of Authors. He
| made his first public speech as guest Of honor
| at the meeting the Omar Khayyam Club in Lon
| don in 1895 Perhaps popular attention
| aroused by his suggestion in newspaper letter in
| 1904 OF ten yea limited contract for mar
| riage than by anything else he ever wrote. But
it was only tentative suggestion closing with the
words: This subject is kept too much in darkness.
| Air IT! Air itT OF reading of fiction Meredith
saws in one OF his novels: Light literature is the
garden and the orchard, the fountain the rainbow.
| the far view, the view within we'll with