New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-02

The First Pieces in a Promising
Cole ction.

A selection from the letters OF Georse
Meredith. which have been prepared
for publication by his son. Is appear
ing in "Scribner's Magazine" the drst
instalnent being printed in the August
number. In an Introductory note II IS
stated that this correspondence gives
a reflection Of temperament ana chaI-
acter. of personal relations. Of opinions,
and even of moods, that is unsurpassed
by any similar collection and th's
claim is we'll supported by the pages
before us. They carry us well inside
the authors mind, and. what is more
they make US very glad Of the expert
ence. II there is one trait which more
than any other, they illustrate, 1t Is his
instinct for the truth. his strong grasp
UPON things as they are. The Letters
are full OF warm feeling controlled by
Judgment. He loves the friends 20
whom he writes, but you feel that the
riches Of his heart are only made ire
richer by the play Of his intellect ABOUT
all that rouses him 70 emotion.
one Of the earliest of these episties is
a bit Of good counsel given 10 his frie1h
AIaxse when tho latter had engaged
himself TO be married. Too long 70 b.
quoted intact, we resist tho temptation
TO borrow a passage or two, because l"
do that would be 10 violate the in
tegrity of an exquisite message of ten
derness and wisdom. No wonder he
wrote novels that make for thought
He was always looking life squarely in
the face and thinking hard about #.
Yet there Is nothing fine drawn or
overserious about hts letters. on the
contrary. he brims over with high
spirits and charm. Take. for example,
this letter 70 his friend Hartman:
Copsham. May 5, 1867
MADRIGAL.
Since Tuck IS Faithless Found"
Since Tuck is faithl,Js found. no more
III trust to man or maid
III sit me down. q hermit boar
Alone in COpsham shade.
The sight Of all | shun;
Far-spyng from the mound.
I'll be ut home no more,
Since Tuck.
Since Tu-a tu-a tu-a
Tuia Tuck
Since Tuck is faithless found
oh! what a glorious day ] have done
lots Of Emilia, and am now of to Riplcy
or 81. DcmitroIa Hi. or Tucks Height
carolling. | snap my fingers at YOU
And yet. dear Tuck. what would l give
to have ,ou here. The gorse Is all aolaze
a NeNNH
5 Ming m + AN day are Nightngales throng
Heaven, blessed blue amorOus Heaven, IL
hard at work upon our fair, wanton, OAR
ling old naughty Mother Eartn;
Come. dear Tuck. and quickly, or
must love n woman and be ruined An
Swer me- grievous man. nj
In thine ear.-Asparagus n ripe AZ HIP
ley. In haste.-Your constantly Toying
friend, bbOhGb NJ
Beguiing. indeed, IS the foregoing. ns
an example OF what We may expect N
abundance when the entire collection Is
printed. And the book Will be full, too
Of the most interesting light on Mere
dlth's work and his whole attitude
toward literature and art. We look
over his shoulder as he writes 10 Swim
burne and touches upon his friend 3
prOCecGlnESs Inc lI'lulro VI b'l' 20
say on Byron makes me extremely
curious. FOR. though don't distrust
your estimation OF the manllness OF his |
verse, he IS tho last man OF whom /
would venture to foretell your opinion. |
Az to the Poems-if they are not yet in |
the press, do he careful Of getting your |
reputation nrmly grounded. for | have
heard low mUtterings' already from !
the Lion OF British Prudery; and I. |
who love your verse, would play saw |
agely with a knife among the proofs !
for the sake of your fame, and because !
want TO see you take the nrst place, |,
az you may II you Will" In letter 10 |
Maxse he gives BRIEF criticism OF /
Kinglake. as fresh and luminous as IL I
IL candid. ON Tennyson. too. he Is de- |
lightful-"Im a little sick OF Tenny- |
sonian green Tea"-and, In fact when
ever one OF his brilliant contemporaries !
comes under his pen, Carlyle. Ruskin !
or Hawthorne, he speaks out, and !
speaks TO the point. They are fasc- /
mating letters. Ii Is good 20 know that /
there are TO be more Of them in Serb |