The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-03-05
THE
L J. LOCKE

A philosopher and Poet Who Manages
60 BE Al Once an Optimist and a
Realist.
\, II II. PErkIAM. A. & NJ. College.
NrIIam j. Locke is the greatest
,.radox among ~present-day fiction
,ritera. for he Is both an Optimist
sr1 =. realist. OF course the Victorian
.r. produced a whole group Of opti-
.ntgtjc reaIists: but that was in the
DIS before Ibsen and his disciples
,.4te forward to teach us that the
only real side of life, artistically
epnaking. is h seamy. side. Once
,!t.on q time, when we used to read
about Such characters as Colonel
Nrucone and DObbin and SilaS Mar
nor we believed that goodness and
happiness really had a place in the
trna interpretation Of human nature;
bnt for the last twenty years OF so,
Az have been going to lbsen and
S4dcrmann and Hardy for our real
,sm. while for our optimism we have
turned away from the actual and
sought the pages of-well. a few such
/. refaced and shameless sentimental
lists as Stevenson and Barrie n Hop
tinSon Smith.
NON ticJIS III AiAist - A-NSt
and sets all artistic standards topsy-
;1rty by his jnsiStence that human
nature is not utterly dep-AVed or ut
inrly unhappy or utterly at the mercy
ol blind fate, locke all-pervasiVe
optimism, his buoyant confidence that
"life is Il glorious thing no one will
deny. ana TO accuse him Of not being
:. r,alist il. as ] shall presently try
40 show, to judge his work. very
supcrficialiy.
The Personal Locke.
Eut before ] get into any discus
SONS relative to Mr.. Locke's art, let
me saN a few words in answer to the
question which has been asked again
and again during the past six or seven
sears: Who is w. }. Locke? Con
aiderinc the great popularity Of The
Morals Of Marcus Ordeyne' and
"Sep:imus' and "The Glory of Gle
nentina.' il is really amazing how
jftle has been written about the life
.f tht genial author of these books
William John Locke is OF British
ancestry, but happens to be a native
al the B~arha does. He was born IN
1868 md is therefore close to the
half-centuIN mark in age. For sew
trat wears ne specialized in lnathe-
UatjrS N 81. Johns College, Cam
bridge. receiving his degree in 1884
IVAN az o''CE' "tH NJ " CNtN itA
3.ocke made u brilliant record as ;
mathematician; but he has alway:
frankly admitted that even in his stu.
.iSlt DAYS he greatly preferred liter
-turc and philosophy to lOgarithm:
and triang!es, and that he has spent
great deal more Of his life in deSultorl
frHding than in following prescribe'
."'lrseS IS study. From ~nathenat
Mr.. locke turned 10 architecture, IL
which tiel6 he has attained 6iSfin
suashed success. His first novel. "A
She Gate OF S3nlaria,' appeared II
49,. the year that both Hardy an
Meredith, the last Of the great Vic
torlun novelists. closed their Caree
- MEitcrs uf tictioR. Ever since tn
apprararce Of Az the Gate Of Sa
maria Mr.. Locke's output Of credit
able novels has been pretty steady
bat il was not until 1905, when h
brought out THE Morals Of March,
ordcNnc.' that the world acclaime
htnl rs . most extraordinary artiS
az his subsequent brilliant success. i
such works as The Beloved Vaga
bond" t9oTJ. "Septimus' (l909.
simon the lester I91O), and "Th
Glory Of Elerntntina" G91l). it
Unnecessary To speak here. With rel
tFeNcc to his other literary attain
Hf"Dts, ii Will be. Well to remark thu
hi has enjoyed fair success with tw
original plays, The Palace Of Puck
1900 and "B,ltterfiies' G90S) an
hat dlarnatiZations Of The Mora
~ Marcus O~rdeNne,' The Eeiovs
N"Gahond,' and " Septirnus' have NJ
Win mnch favor.
LOckc's Great Vogue.
SOW why is it that for The pa
"Erh Wears William u. Locke has ha
r" great a vogue. not only among il
\tl"rtte and undiscriminating move
f'adoSs. but also among SerjOuS-min
&" persons Of the most cultivate
'tStcS" SO many replies may be ma
!" TINS question that it is difficult
't"ldr lust where to begin. OF cour
the world loves Il WnOle-SOuled OPT
h'IS', especially an optirniSt who
constantly provoking laughter, al
mere can be no Dub that Mr.. Locke
possession, IN common with his q
IlSnt1lIl character PaTl COf IF 60