New-York tribune., 1910-02-27
Gl,e Nem:2pof1.s 0ribu'1e>
SUNDAY. FEBRUARY u. 1910.


of Biography has recently declared that some
tf the fashionable memoirs of the present DAY
should have the word Lie branded i'll bold
characters across their title pages He said that
lie knew of one biographical work which had
been suppressed because it frankly represented
The subject of it as engaged Ill trade But he
regarded suppression better than the mlsrep-
rcsentation in which many biosraphers indulge
for fear of what the family would say. Ihere
is such thing he remarked. as becoming 1nvlsi-
he in blaze of publicity. He dwelt vita
curiosity upon the case of Il modern blographer
having to deal wi the following facts i'll the
lite of an eminent man:
/. He married early, and his first wife was
an ''objectionab BILE person who upset his lie a
great deal and disturbed him so much that for
several years he did his work under serious
disadvantages.
, In consequence of family troubles ne be-
came from time to time slave to drugs, "hch
injured his prospects.
;. His temper was extremely bad and he did
himself harm by giving way to it. In particu-
lar indefensible hatred of one of his maiden
aunts led to very serious financial dlsappoint-
ment. which hampered him.
T. With good features. he had unprepos-
sessng birthmark the left cheek, but, being
sensitive, he always had his portrait taken IN
profile from the right.
) While witty. he could not restrain him
self from saying things which gave PAIN 10
others and great offence. Habitually sel1ish IN
dealing with per-ons younger than himself
What asked the lecturer. would the modern
liagrapher do In such circumstances!
The difficulty of framing 4 satisfactory reply
TO Mr. GosSes query is increased by the un-
,ristakable value of the information he sup
plies about his eminent man." He went on
10 assert that all the five facts he had tabu-
lated were important in the evolution of the
mans character and added color to his his
tory" Moreover. they were facts which he
would have desired to conceal or else baye de
med The lecturer advocated of course, the
telling Of the truth, and in this no one can dis
:gree with him, yet one cannot help thinking
a. the same moment of that worst license of all,
the license assumed by the writer who can IN
yoke some intensely respectable principle to
cover indulgence in absolutely unprlncIpled gar
Iuty. After all, these beautiful academic dis
cSsons invariably bring Us back to the SOLID
fact that the whole solution of the biographical
problem lies in the character of the bloSrapher
The right man, the man who has discretion,
z..c, taste a sense of proportion and a sense
of decencv an instructive feeling for the point
OF honor and for the rectitude of art. will deal
i,1stly and inoffensivey with even such grave
defects as those enumerated in the brief cata
lu~ue we have quoted The reckless if not posi-
lively malicious. ScandaImOnger will do his
dirty work only the more nastily if he knows
that he is going to be patted on the back for
lis "truthfulnesS.' In ether words. we are not
sure but that Mr.. GoSse's otherwise unimpeacll-
able plea has upon it the blight of futility. In
Almost any other form of literature the force
Of public and professional opinion may make
itself felt. In biography. as il poetry, we must
trust to the gods.