New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-07
LITERARY CRITICISM
AND BOOK NEWS
MIR. Huneker's Adventures Among Authors
and Artists-British Commerce and Pro-
techon-Flstory and Biography.
SUMMER LIGHTNING.

James Huneker l2mO PIP. VIII SSf
Charles Scribner's Sons.
There is an essay in this book In
Praise of Fireworks" The subject was
made 10 Mr.. Huneker's hand; in fact
he is full of il. OF what he calls the
genuine art Of pyrotechny' he says
that cts chief merit lies in its lnaolhty
10 express ideas, above all, didactc
ideas" and that 1t must not tell
story, insinuate a moral or initiate any
earthly form" Thus he might be SAID
10 describe his own beguiling traits as
an essavist. save for that point about
the telling Of a story. When he chooses
TO do so he tells story, and tells II so
well that we easily forgive him. espe-
cially as the indulgence involves him IN
no didacticism. The truth is. too, mat
even when he uses his remarkable mar
rative gift he places ii at the service OF
a purpose having nothing to do with
fiction. His story is then merely hu-
man, merely personal. told for the sake
OF a portrait Witness the first piece
here printed, THE Magic Lantern.
Ii opens with touch characteristic
OF the romantic novelist More than
a quarter Of a century has passed since
I first entered the Cafe Guerbois, on
the Batignolles, where begins the Ave
nue. de Cichy. A student Of music
sans Le sou, lived in little street that
ran off the Boulevard des Batignolles'
No. 5 Rue Puteaux, in sunless room'
at the top of a dark. damp building
Could the reader even begin 10 count
the number Of stories about Bohemia
that he has known. ushered in with
lust such a prelude? Decidedly, Mr..
Huneker knows the art OF hcuon'
knows how 10 arrange his scene and 10
develop It in the right atmosphere
making sure of our attention at the
moment Of attack But not for him the
sentimental comedy, the perplexed stu
dent and his little love tale. the con-
ventional episode and the still more
conventional lamour Of that Latin
Quarter made familiar in the maya
zines. He goes on to tell us, instead
how he saw Manet at the Cafe Guer-
bols. with his fair hair and beard, his
restless gestures, SO full Of eloquence,
and presently he turns TO the real bust
ness Of his reminiscence, the portrayal
of the poet he was wont 10 meet In thdt
old environment, Villiers de llsle
Adam:
His frock coat was frayed: his shlrt Was
carefully concealed. while about ms ntCh
,Tere was twisted a silk handkerchief
And il was clean. II he did not snow ms
cuNs when he folded ms arms OH lne
table. his hands We're those OF d POSC
l0uL beautifully modelled and white
DESPITE his poverty, an air OF persona
uurity surrounded my friend, WIN HIS
uncertain. pale-blue eyes OF a dreamer
What a head he exhibited Wneh tlt
damp, shapelesS hat was Iittd. ne
brow was too wide for its height. bu'
Net q brow of exceeding power and mean
ing: II was lined with parallel Wrinkles
and there were deep depressiOns at tht
TEMPLES which made him appear O4uei
than he was lie had led such an tx
hausting mental and emotional NE una
he seemed nearer fifty than forty lilS
eyebals swimming in mystic Aght aHu
prominent were faded when ms BRAN
was not excited by some ardent thought
which was seldom lie wore mustacht
and an imperial To conceal the narrow
ness OF his weak chin; his Jaws sloped
abruptly to point; his whole appear,
ance was fantastic. little sinister anc
sometimes terrifying. But he was gen
tleman W@s ne not a lineal descendant
OF the Grand Master of the Malta? was
ne not the coming glory or FTench III
erature? Tossing his long. fair hair from
his brow and looking At me with those
faded eyes. the expression or whlch coulu
be so sparkling. so satirical, he exclaimed
Il am a friend of Richard Wagners S. :
knew Jupiter Tonans.' Pride satanic
was his foible.
we drank ! asked him: rs Wagner
agreeable in conversation? ,,,..,.
He shrugged his contempt for my !dlouc
question. Mount Etna. is II agreeable
in conversation"
There we have at its best the product
of Mr.. Hunekers essential function.
He is a connoisseur Of sensations, OF
impressions, and he is a born visualizer.
We have no one else quite like him for
the evocation Of literary and artistic
Municipalities. Of a certain order, and
ne gets his piquant, engaging portrait
u may be added, with equal success
whether he works from the living
model or recreates his figure from a
BOOK. III a Certain OlNti, VIC navy
said, in allusion to his subjects. and the
distinction is important. II is concev-
able-so clever is his pen-that he
might draw an Academician to the
life: but we hazard the assertion that
il would have to be a type more or less
open TO satire, and, indeed we wonder
H. for Mr.. Huneker. the Academician
would not be. though he were Of genius
all compact. necessarily an object for
satirical remark. The heroes TO whom
he instinctively pays tribute are the
rebels, or as he would say, the path
breakers, the Wagners and Whistlers
Of this world. 1t is brave hypothesis
one TO command sympathy If not, in
yariably, entire agreement. Its peril
lies, of course, in the specious 'catho-
licity" II implies The Post-lmpression-
lists squeeze into Mr.. Huneker's
Pantheon along with their betters
Squeeze into 1t? They are assisted
over the threshold with something like
a flourish.
Who shall say this critic nay? He
is so sensitive and so witty. so full Of
BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.
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IIENDV VAN DXKEtC