New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-11
BATTLE, of ssos ,.x..o., rue coeo


such Judgments Of "scribbling wome1'
he should become the financial patron
and the literary sponsor Of Della Bacon
and her shakespeare Problem Solved"
/ He never, Of course. had any belief IN
/ her fantastic vagaries concerning the
authorship OF Shakespeare's works
But he was so much impressed with
the depth and acuteness Of her Shake
spearean criticisms that he lent her
his name upon the title page OF her
book, as the author Of It's preface. or
course, they fell out in time; when she
demanded that he should subscribe to
all her insane notions, and he declared
her "the most impractical woman
ever had to do with-a crooked stick
It would have been well for him II
Ticknor had been there. to stand be-
tween him and her. II would have
spared the world thereafter the refec-
ton that. II Hawthorne had not given
us the Scarlet Letter" 1gnatius Don
nelly might never have imposed upon
us the Great Cryptogram'l
There are other judgments. more In
teresting than gratifying. 1t is not sur
prising to be reminded that Hawthorne
thought q book Of Whittier's poor
stuff" and had mo high opinion either
Of his poetry OF his prose-; though iogi-
cally the author OF the most charac-
teristic New England romances ought
to have appreciated more highly the
author Of the most characteristic New
England poems. His opinion that
Frank Pierce never did better thing
than in recognizing Walkers govern
ment" Gn Nicaragua may be set down
to his love and admiration Of his friend;
though If It were just It would damn
Pierce beyond redemption. But Haw-
thorne was seldom happy In his polil-
cal judgments. He doubtless had
ground for much complaint against the
governments treatment Of him. But 1t
IS not pleasant to meet with references
to such a mean old scoundrel as Uncle
Sam" or to read that II sympathize
with no party, but hate them all-Free
| Sellers, Pro-Slavery men, and whatever
else-all alike. In fact, I have no coun-
try, or only just enough Of one to be
ashamed Of" After that, little wonder
that in the stirring days late in 1860 he
could write: IT have left off reading
the newspapers. and only know by
hearsay that the Union is falling
asunder."
One other infrmity Of judgment may
be cited, not by way Of reproach. but
as an illustration Of the strangely i'm
practical mind OF this genius Of letters.
and his consequent indebtedness 10 the
essentially practical Ticknor. When he
visited Virginia during the war he was
much impressed by Mcclellan. IF he
is anything less than brave, true
and able man, that mass OF soldiers
were utterly deceived. and so was
the present writer; for they believed
in him, and so did l." Yet little later,
after the retreat from Manassas, he
wrote again of the same Mcclellan:
Unless nc achieves something Won
derful within q week, he will be re-
moved from command. and perhaps
shot-at least. I hope SO; for l never
did more than half believe in him"
In disclosing these and innumerable
other phases Of a complex and fas-
einating subject the author has con-
ferred a lasting benefaction upon those
who are old fashioned enough to care
for the personality Of favorite author,
and who are not willing to regard him
as a mere automatic typewriting ma
chine. If not, indeed, linotype at once,
and who are able TO appreciate the SER
vice OF a publisher. not merely as a
commercial manufacturer, but also as
the guide. philosopher and friend of
men Of letters. Az for those who, with
Gallo, caro- for none of these things,
the volume is still to be commended,
IL as nothing but reminder that there
were brave men before Agamemnon.