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

going. here. a little too fast? There
IL "a suggestion OF some m~isgiving, on
the c~ssayist's part, lest he MAJ not
have said just exactly whFt le meant.
ard no more. and Of determination.
having started, to go the full distance,
when he selects "Wuthering Heights"
to point his charge against Haw-
thornc's story.
In Jonathan Edwards. New Eng
land has "a genuinely great metaphy-
stefan" Her poets have phospior-
essence rather than fire. But. II New
England cannot wear the purple have
We those who are 1T for such eNalta-
ton? Yes, two III three. First,
Cooper. known II valued all over
the civilized world" THE Spy" Is IA
great novel, the sea tales. 'in their
combined rendering of elemental and
human action" are hardly cqualled"
His canvas eNcels parkman In depiC-
ton ~ tie American wilderness life.
Coopcr's Indians are 'idealized"?
Not more. says the cssayis,. II the
heroes of Homer or the Highlandeis
Of Scott. and Misunderstanding is one
of the great figures of prose fiction
or course. there are the technical
faults. much dwelt upon. Of mechanical
plot making. inan!ty IN the minor
characters, stilted conversation. Eat
'his broad pictures Of forest aud lake
stamp themselves ON our minds. II Is
| tie epic Of the making Of an empire,
the disappearance of u race. which We
follow in his books
Mr.. Moore might protitably have
...-- e. 81 -.- ,.G,l s,... 1sIA
common criticisms are "A bit super
fetal. Many discriminating admirers
of J. Fenimore will refuse To accept
them readily. Many instances might
be cited In which Cooper rises To- dra-
matte heights. deriving his drainati"
effects not merely from incident or
coincidence hut from an accurate aiI-
probation ot the forces "f character.
: He drew many 'typ"s," and drew tlen
eXCol,"ntly we'll. l'ut. for n single 'N-
ample OF first casual occurrence - In"
memory where doubtless many better
ones might hr found, what of that ire
mcuduus scene IN THE Two Adnlirals.'
whore the bluff old sea dog who had
planned To hetray his friend DOTTED his
treaChery and puked the bow Of his
fighting ship into tie battle clouds
just a. the conflict was beginning To
90 against the British Admiral" Back
Of the stirring action" Of that chap
ter. is there not a genuinely critical
sense for character?
Cooper is. inevitably. compared e.
Scott. Sir Waiter has his literary
Deficiencies. he is acclaimed. by d.
vine right of merit compelling re,ognI
! ton. The story teller. Cooper has tn,
same merits and the same defects
Little novelists command perfection ot
style and construction: great noNc..sts
sin greatly against the rule book
Even the praise ~ De.rS.ayer'
Observation-Disclosures Is checked
short Of It's proper extension. l. Their
IN all the worlds fiction any one char
actcr more clearly viSual!z"d To- a Wild
community OF readers II this pIo'
necr American woodsman? The mere
physical reality * u fine achievement
But Lcatherstocking IL Il living crei'
ton in more respects than those tina
appeal Ia the eye. \ minor char
acter was never better managed. T.
take one instance ont of manN. thar
the New Hampshire seaman. lt!Iur'cI
bolt. in Wing and Wing An'
that l. a story, one ~ IN. loss r"a'
and talked about. a historical novel
Nelson AT Naples, that :" far as his
torical accurIry * concerned Cooper
whimsically challenged his critics e
~analyze and weigh 1t, confident n hi'
reuders-must be- set immcasur. h.N
ahead Of the recent books. OF wh.c'
. - - 49,. 40 80.
two, On the Emma Hamilton cp.sod,
in Lord Horatiu's life.
l. 1t hopclessly Old fashioned =,
admire the ,eisurcly, logical progress
of such a tale as WING and Wing.
lie F~cu-Follet." in the sub-tit,e
/, rather more than the tense, nervous
impressionisn Of So much of tn,
present day fiction? Cooper had The
old. healthy, tested and found sterling
qualities and methods. And withal
: still sticking to the random choice q
a novel, we remember. though II B.
| too many years since we read il, th'
trial Of I:aoul with "A thrill in th'
recollection Of Ghi,a's part in 1t. Per
haps memory overplays the part tn
Caraccloli girl played In II; f -, the
more credit To- cooper's graphic man
ner. But WAS not the very spirit @
drama in her conflict between regar,
for the sanctity of an oath and he.
love?
No doubt there Is some mc'odram,
in those chapters, too; but If hutl
Rapul and lthuricl Bolt are "A little
too h-raggadocious. is not there iin'
, skin-not ucCilput--in the luning q