The Washington herald., 1909-02-08
AMBROSE BIERCE.

There has been peguu Inc pUblicaLiOn
Of the collected works OF Mr. Ambrose
Bierce, collected, edited, and arranged
by himself. The edition is 10 be in ten
volumes. the first OF which was issued
IN January, the others to follow rapidly
The beauty ard the literary Importance
OF the work: the fact that the man who
wrote the books has been his own editor
and judge; the variety OF Bieree's work.
in form and attitude and treatment, the
perfection OF the mechanical makeup Of
the v0lumes-these things combine TO
make this project one Of great literary
significance. The edition is 20 be num-
bered TO 30 sets. each volume autograph
ed by the author. They are to be pub
lished by the Neale Publishing Company,
OF this city
In this edition win be found the best
Of the life work OF a unique figure In
American letters, for Ambrose Bieree is
recognized as one Of the forces in con
temporary American literature In these
volumes Rieree's msny-sided genius Is
presented IN all Of IS phases; his stern
ness and tenderness. his charity and his
satire. his wit and gentleness and fancy
biography. poems. rOmances, s2tires.
short stories. fables, and marvel tales
/ all are 10 be found In these beautiful
books. The contents Of The Collected
| Works cannot be reviewed in detail here
because Of lack OF space. The first three
volumes, for instance, contain more than
100 stories, while the next two volumes
contain over 800 titles. But the contents
OF the volumes wiz be taken VI in gem
eral way. and under the various group
/ ings and arrangements.
Volume I viii contain Ashes OF the
Beacon. The Land Beyond the Blow.
and Bits of Autobiography" Volume II.
the famous short stories, IN the Midst
Of Life;'' Volume III. his marvel stories.
dealing with the occult, hypnOtism. COW
ardice, bravery. dreams, haunted houses
and strange forms Of death, "Can Such
| Things Be?n Volume ", his poems,
Shapes Of Clay" Volume V, his satire ln
verse-bTilliant, keen. searching Black
Beetles IN Amber" Volume VI. that ex-
quisite medieval romance, The Monk and
/ the Hsngman's Daughter novel. Fan
tastic Fables" and On With the Dance;
Volume VI, The Devils Dictionary
and 'Epigrams." Volume VIII. ''Negligi-
! bic Tales" and Kings Of Beasts" the
/ latter being the wel.-knOwn Little John
I NY stories: Volume TX. Essays on
| things political. poetical practical, 70
mantle. and general; and Volume y.
! Miscellaneous pieces too laWless and
dissimilar for classification.
! These volumes viii be finely repre-
/ sentative Of every phase OF Mr.. Bierce' S
work, as story-telleT. mystic, satirist.
! poet. Gertrude AtheTton says that Bisrce
/ has the best brutal imag agination Of any
man in the English-speaking race and
/ thinks that the reserve and brutality
/ OF some OF his stories produce an i'm
/ preston never attained by the most
: riotOus imagination" Robert Barr refers
( 10 the vein OF gTimuess in al his work.
running even through his humOr. and q
writer in the Philadelphia Press speaks
/ Of his "vicriolic satire on current topics.
/ Possibly the reason for this popular
estimate te''-oue that Bieree himself
Z would be the last man on earth to object
to-is that the popular mind" is caugh;
and held By the briIliance and force Of
/ Bierce's satire. Just as peoPle-most peo-
ple-would rather lock az a burning house
( than a beautiful sunset Be this as Il
may. his satire has been dvelt upon ;c
the exclusion Of everything else-to the
exclusion OF his tenderness, his broad
/ humanity. MS grace, his lovableness. He
/ IS tender without affectation, lovable
! without that clOying sweetness that ws
are so used 10 IN other writer's as not "a
notice any more. he IS sympathetic
without being sentimental. and gentle
/ as all stern men are. without being aware
OF il himself
Bierce IS. too. the great American real
ist-using the term ''reallst" in its besi
/ art sense. AprOpOs OF Bierce's realism
the late George F. Parsons, writing II
the New York Tribune. has this 10 say:
These tales are 81 original rs % defy comparison
and they are sngrlariy e not Elrsvs aEreeably IN
I p7ossiTe- The sio-ies q soldiers. vhich occsp'
more thsa haE the volume. aeFita5lv real thl
paintings q the Russial ark Fs-eschaz1r The,
deal with The realism Of wsT- They shoE the o5
verse Il n-ilifsry giory. They are Einutely elsb
Grated pictures of what the American soldier &C
tHallr experienced Fl the great var. Ever
one a ths sc1ries Is tragedy. csar-cst distinct
srd rnercess 10 the sccoupshnrert of the Destiu-
which herc asSlmes the antique form and sway
The ;r0ny q lie and fate - illustrated with a.
ardscify. : 6irectuess ard 4 haEnocxiug cynicisu
which enhances the EreEs11ne eject Of The circrm
Stances 50 powerfully relstsd-
And then. one must speak OF his worl
as poet. Two OF the ten volumes ar,
4 devoted 70 Mr.. Bierces lsbors in verse
over go poems being included n the twS
volumes
Here is 8 bit from The Passing Show
that Is poetical in the highest sense:
The Sun With s1Iln and po-ts1to1s Eesm
Hung Ike meuace OF TIE sez's extreme:
Nor TIE dead waters uoT ths fsr. bleak hsTs
o. cloud we're cousGous o. his failing besn-
It vas a dismal and dreadful sight.
hat desert IN is col5. unczuny light;
No sol bit slons 70 max TIE fear
Ard iuminsncs of everlasting right.
Al p~eSEes ard prophecies q doom
Glimmsred and tabolei II the Ehostly gloom
And II the midst of that scoarsed scene
A wolf sst bowling On & broken tomb
Another example Of the same passion
and freedom OF expression Is from "FinI
Aeternitatis:''
Into the staSnaut sea The s1lle7 sGH
Sank behind bars q crimson. ere by one.
''Etemity's AZ hand 7 cried aloud.
Eternity" the angel said. IS done"
For Man IS sEes dcad IN eTcTJ 1cnss
TIE angels al are dead tslt I slons;
The devils. too. ere coid enough a. last.
And God lies dead before the great Ehits throns
Essays, stories, satireS, verse, and hu
mor-the best Of Mr.. Ambrose Bierce'
, work viii be found Incorporated in thes
! ten volumes. They viii be volumes .
octave size, and the publishers guarante
a grade OF typography and binding tha
. IS fitting for q work OF such literary i'm
portance-
SCHOOL HAS ONE PUPIL.