The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1909-06-12
GEORGE MEREDITH.

aud craftsmanship, and his position
with the reading public on both SIDES
uf the ocean, was 80 striking that IT
h. impossible 10 ignore II lie did not
pretend to ignore II, on the contrary,
be was very sensitive 10 the aluutu",s
1T tina, larger reading public whirh
care. Tor Thackcry aud DirUcus II is
'uc uf the cynical commonplace ~ q
certain Mind at criticism that popular
ltv il IN the inverse ratio TO excel
lcnre; one of those easy ]genctulila
| iiuns. c],utcric on the face Of ih"w,
bat misleading ~ summarize. Will" 81
- true that man, inferior novel. are
widely read, II ~ also true that the
highest Kind Of excellence doe. uu'
stand IN the way ot popularity Sen
,i'itr aud delicate craftsmanship never
kept u piece oi writing wholly within
the hand, IT the few IT the rrni'smnr
ship dealt with vital things IN a vital
spirit. The lack of popularity which
Meredith felt deeply was uo' du" 10
his strength, but 'o his wcn ness; not
10 the striking intellectual energy aud
fertility Ut hi, mind. but to defect.
style.
No English literary man Of hs liz
t]iur,iuu lived In greater retirement
than Mr.. Meredith, though he was IN
no sense n r%cclusc. Those who have
seen him in hate years ut hts humr
IN Box Hin, near London, report him
the most charming cuuyrr-u'iounli-t ct
the time, aud possessed ut q manner
which happily combined ginciuusucs,,
dignity aud hospitality III, hooks lack
atmosphere HI home seems 20 have"
been rich ~ u, and THOSE who cauc
within H. wall, NrI" ni once aWHro
that they wor" 10 IA" presence ot O.
parsonage Of rare distinction ot
thought, feeling aud manner. "A man
} of exceptional culture. rirouc~, ui
mind, aud that hIud of breeding which
~ not always the possession II the
iur'uuai" In social conditions. bui
which IN the casts, Meredith seem
~ have been the rnulgru,r of hi- Irr,
mind aud charming nature Very l''l,
us known Of hI. early lite hr,uuI 'n,
fact that hc vn- hnru iu llump,nir,
~ February, lN!N. pud that his rtU
cation was gained 10 rDrwuuy nn'
france that be- hui urlgir,IIy Iu'rui'.
?" hr,"mr 70 hnrIi-'rr. that BOO -" Do.
published q poem IA chambers Litu
hurgh journal, aud two wears later
volume ct poems. puriug the neg
few years be- wru'" fuI 70 uuuh"t 90
magazines. aud ~ 1893 The Shawn!
of Shagpat' was issued. This Was
. aud still remains. the must Fantastic
whimsical. aud teasing ri nIl Mere
dith : publications. II contains hril
liant passages. II d, full of urigiualiii
Of observation: but from the stand
point at fiction It was not, aud )
never can hc, easy reading. Three
wears later. however, the Hprrnranr,
of THE ordeal at Rirl vi I"yorcl
established Meredith 5 reputation ~
writer Of original and brilliant parts
In the opinion of many, This story a
q son and. ,crifired tu III" uhsttur
system of "a father, who had lost hi
faith IN human nature il Ou" of tn
prutuundrst tragedies ~ modern fic
ton. II 4, also u story of siuguln
beauty of Imagination aud charm -
} description. The scene ~ the islnU'
wnrn Richard first see, Lucy il per
haps the most beautiful prose idll -
love IN English literature. II Is ~
enchanting idcalilatiun Of youth un,
romance. IL is impossible to read !
without emotion. The wisdom Ut ia
book, its penetrating observation, II
immense clcverucss, are the work o
one Of the most alert and acute o
modern intellects; but this description
IN its lyrical beauty aud its deep feel
ing. could come only from II poet,
EVAN harrington, - which followed
, was an attempt tn answer the quc'
tion. "Can u tailor bc "A gentleman 2
and was notable for It's %exttemrl
clever character studies. "Saudr
Belloni,' was. in effect, an analysis q
sentimeutailty. "Rhoda Fleming
dealt with the sexual question wit
unusual fran kness, aud was a stud
II contrasted types of character. 9TH
; Adventures Of Harry Richmond
makes perhaps the nearest approach
the novel Of incident as any that can.
from Meredith y hands. ".Brnuchamp
! Career, - which il reported 10 ha,
! been Meredith %fnyoritc, cyoynd NOR
admiration and provoked more anti
. gonism than any other OF his 'torir
When "'The Egotist appeared n ~.
il was hailed as the greatest work fro.
the hand of this m0strr 1T parade
brilliant observation aud acute con
mont. In IL Meredith revealed hot
his strength aud his weakness. II WI
so full Of the peculiar Mercdirhia
quality that il NJ once captiyntcd n
- lovers Of Meredith, while is geucr.
force aud interest attracted tho
whose attitude toward the writer WI
distinctly critical. "Diana Of n
lie Crossways' appeared in l,sj; n hrI
liant study Of u very brilliant wuma
N aud deseryedly the most popular
Meredith = novels, Omitting the fir