The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-31

s''ss 10
that turbulent Slavic people.
There is a we'll authenticated tale
that young Aleksycl Pyeshkof. un-
kempt and III dressed. once carried
the manuscript Of Of his striking
early sketches to a famous editor.
The great man kept his petitioner
standing while he read the story
through. Is 1t not a striking picture
to imagine? For Gcrky cvcn in mid
ole x when he visited this country
was ~strlkingiy beautiful and so wild
looking yer then that children who
came across him suddenly were
frightened and ran OF telling strange
tales OF seeing "a great. yellow haired
giant. like Balder. the beautiful" one
can fancy him standing there. the tall.
sombrc eyed young giant, waiting for
a favor-no. for Justice. At any rate.
h tale goes that the editor turned
finally and said:
Yes, we will buy your story. but vha,
IL your name?"
"My name is 0orky' (Which means
bitttr,.
"dcrkyr But what oorky:"
"MaSim Gorky" (srcatiy bi,tcr).
This tale is v%ariously rendered by
various writer's and some say that
Maxim Gorky means bitter PEN but
both versions have the same pictur-
csque value. In reading that ainaz-
lngly straightforward narrative my
Childhood one understands why the
pen name Of the young author was
SO spontaneously given as greatly
embittered." for despite the poetic
passages. the wonderful bits of oh.
servation. the picture is one Of un-
believable suffering. violence. unmean-
ing misery. Yet. as the author says.
II IL worth recording because It In
actual fact: so life Ia In some places
and so 1t will continue to be until
literature holds up the mirror to life
and men see the folly and wretched-
ness OF it all and begin the work Of
transformation.
The picture here given is more
trenchant, more vivid than anything
this great painter OF human misery
has yet done. Wretchedness enough
he has given us In "Malva.' 'Foma
Gordycev.'' "Archiv and Lenka'': hor-
rors in "Chlld's Misery; sheer poetry
In such sketches as 'Once In Au-
tumn": but all his capacity for minute
observation. for sympathetic compre-
tension. for magical and poetic con.
ception are employed in this book Of
happy childhood.
Maxim Gorky's earliest recollection
was OF his fathers funeral and of
his mothers mother. who had a big.
round head. large eyes and a nose
like a sponge. a dark. ten6e-. won-
derfullr interesting person." This
grandmother. with her endless tales.
her deep philosophy of life. her love
of poetry and her innate. radiant op-
timism. is the heroine Of the book.
why don't you cry?" she asks the
little Maxim. who has Just watched
his father lowered into the earth.
"'I don't want to- was my reply.
We'll. II you don't want TO, you
needn't sire said gently"
For whatever TRANCE and turbulent
things happened. things that appar-
entity only can happen among this
strange. Maynard. primitive people.
the grandmother had n philosophy Of
acquiescencc ready. She had had
eighteen children. "lf they had all
lived they would have filed a street
eighteen new families :. but God so
loved my flesh and blood that he tool
fifteen Of them-sll my little babies
to the angels. and ! VAS sorry and
glad at the same time. . 1t was
better for them TO be taken. but hard
for me 10 be left ~desolate. so even now
I feel the pain Of my love for you. my
l,;t!e ones"
She had her failings. the grand
mother. and il Is not in Maxim Gorky
to overlook or fail to record them. for
the quality hat above all others is the
Russian artists is an u~nvarnished
truthfulness. So with the grand
mothers tenderness. submission 20
fate and poetic perceptions he chron-
icles also her love for drink.
when she had been drinking she
even more attractive; her eyes
grew darker and smiled, shedding the
warmth of her heart upon every one.
Brushing aside the handkerchief
which made her face too hot. she
would say in n tipsy voice:
Lord. Lord. How good every
thing is. Don't you see how good
everything is"
And this was L cry from her whole
heart--the watchword OF her whole
life"
Her prayers too. constantly listened
TO 10y the young grandson. who shared
her room. were wonderful revelations
Of her whole life:
Grandmother gave God a circum-
stantial ccoun Of all that happened
in the house. Bowed down. looking
like "A great mound. she knelt. at first
whispering rapidly and indis,inctly.
then hoarsely mutterlng: % Lord.
thou knowcst that all Of US wish to
do better, Michael, the elder, ought
TO have been set up in the town:
1t will do him no harm to be on the
river; and the other Is a new neigh
borhood and not overdorc. I don't
know what will come Of it all. There's
father now. Jaakov Is his favorite.
than the others? He is an obstinate
old man. DO thou. Lord. teach him.
Gazing at the dark featured icon
with her large. brilliant eyes she thus
counselled God:
"Send him a good dream. o Lord. to
max" him understand how he ought
to treat his children. And send Var
vara some happiness. How has she
d!splea sed Thee? Is she more sinful
than the others? Why should a heal
thy young woman be so afflicted? And
remember Gregory, o Lord. His eyes