The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-07

With how delightful a mixture If
the emotions of ~pleasurable antic'ri-
tiun and dread of disappointment Il .cs
one take mp a volume of studies IN
literature" That IL CHARLES LEON Rp
MooEE's description of his collected
Dtdl essays, Incense and IconocldSm
I'utnamsb. For the cultured few tie
description Is an attractive invitation,
with promise of either JOY. the raising
Of inccns" or being incrnsed; for me
merely intelligent multitude it is
something of a challenge. Mr.. Moore's
papers are marked with the stamp of
literary professionalism: hut the ii. It
distrust which that inspires is not
long lived.
To make way for his ideas the cs-
sayist must demonstrate an attitu u
and mood not of fortnight s.ncel.'y
but Of loyalty to his affectation. An
essayist who was not affected would lie
unnatural. He would also be unin,rl-
est!ng, He plans surprises. and Won
ders at the surprise he causes. Sou"c-
times the surprise fails, and then ine
entertainer is left IN the position 4
a Latin salutatnrlan ON commence
ment day waiting for his cliuuc to
take It's cue. lIut Mr.. Moore is 90
skilled an artist 10 stand in any dan-
ger of snch miSliapS. Al the precise
moment when his audience may prs-
Sibly begin 10 tlr" Of the pure literary
nc gives them "A spicy litt!" pap
on al" h1mcly topic ii, To- fires zen
tho mind. lie discusses ''stllc,' "Tlc
Solidarity of Literature" The Novel
.,,l .t. ItlA,s - s'Tl. I'.Is t1n,. -
Fiction" The various stock ar s,nudaid
motives and themes of fiction. Tile
Analytic Method" and witt these poo
funditieS he intcrspcrscs such lighter.
brighter topics as The splendid Years
Of Modern Literature" 'Tho r.du,a-
tional system OF the Elder Mr..
Weller" The Weather in Literature"
and Tile Magazine Girl" Mr.. Moore
Is journalistic, not academic.
What about those old New Eng
landcrs ''and us" They We're Greeks
in the Tacitean sense of prais!ng only
their own achievements, "Thcy stood
shoulder To shoulder and cried each
other up:
Like MoIicre's learned ladies. they de
cided that NO ON" should haze any VT
hut themselves and their friend. scat.
tered uN"r our country. they took Wit,
them wherever they wont inc trtcms ut
their tribe, and set them up Ia bc wor-
Sh ippcd hy the outer larbarianS They
had some excuse fur thi., hooLusc thcl,
~ all Americans, did ackunWl edge somr
sort Of intellectual weights and measures.
Hut 1t was inevitable, Ia the rnd. that the
rule of their gods should Ice challenged,
their stnrt!ty questioned. Bn,iird ouf ~
obedience, some of us arc ready to say
that tho New England writer's wer" re-.
specialize people vino dli good In their
day, hut that in the consideration OF
universal literature they are not much
and that oven in the consideration OF
American literature they are second rate.
What separates, in lIcrary achieve
ment, New England from tn" rest of
H. country. Its ingraiuel didactic
tendency" Moral ideas are brought
nearest To us in great creative art.
The New England writer's had not
that splendid insincerit.'' which IL
the terminating kernel of tie imug-
ination that creates They had Ia
moraliZc. allcgurizc, What Of "Tl,e
Scarlet I"ttor": Almost a genuine
tragedy. but it leaves Ms dun. ,lc-
pressed, dispirited. convinced that
human life is Il hidcuus mistake in