New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-29

country. His publishers and his daugh
ter, Mrs. H. D. CoTden, Of Bloomington.
ILL.,, have never heard from him since.
Bierce was a satirist, wrote bitterly
and destructively against all sentimen-
tally and yet betrayed himself into
something of the sort in some Of the
stories he wrote. However, in England.
where lie lived in the '10s, ne was
known as Bitter Bierce.' and Gertrude
Atherton once remarked Of him, after
encountering his reputation and his
works in California, that he had ''the
most brutal imagination of any man OF
the English-speaking race" The Neaie
Publishing Company several years age
put out the collected works of Berce
in twelve volumes 4 better selection Of
his most effective pieces has been made
by Boni & Liveright, who have put out
a volume of war sketches, in the Midst
Of Life" as the first Of a set Of FIVE
volumes Of his collected works.
Bierce was generally accepted for i
long time as a genius who had gone too
long unrecognized. II. l.. Mencken, IL
THE Smart Set has turned his atten-
ton to the Bierce legend and doesn't
leave great deal of it standing.
His complete works, IN twelve voiulne.
are far too garruous and unconsidere6
Preparing them for the press in his lase
days he heaved in q great deal of etuF
that vas stupid and unreliable forgotten
newspaper editorials, epigrsms upon no
bodies long since dead, ancient wheezes,
aalf-baked sketches. all the trivial lumber
Of busy journalists clipping drawer THO
result was that the twelve volumes, instead
OF improving his celebrity, as his friends
counted upon them doing, actually revived
The doctrine that he was dull fellow and
much everestimated.
The truth about Dierce, believe, IS that
ne vas good deal damaged by the exces
sive praises Of his partisans, some of whom
graTely ranked him with the great master
Of English prose and put him in the first
place among American writers. careful
study OF his writing shows that he i'll de
served that gigantic encomium. He wrote
skilfuliy, clearly, nicely, but always BIZ
tightly, always somewhat like an unusually
talented college professor The full savor
the true gusto OF the language, The uativ>
wildness, the gypsy quality. ] can find IT.
music in his style Put beside thai o.
Ihackeray it is hard and artificial. Put
beside that Of Macaulay or Huxley, or cvea.
Stevenson, it IS cold and patry. a puris;
OF the most extravagant SORT, he carried
HIS prejudice against vulgar looseness
OF expression 50 far that his writing, more
L. =
exercise in Correct English" and So
the life oozed out Of It and Il grew stir
and disagreeable.
Nor vas he the great story teller cha
his admirers have sought 20 make him OF
In the present volume some OF his yer
best work in fiction . undoubtedly pre-
scented, and 5os 3 rereadins OF It learcs
one cod. All he could achieve was sur
prsins anscdctc, and very often the 81,
prise baual enough Federal soldie>
shooting his Confederate father, an Office.
accused of cowardice throwing away has
life IL some fantastic act Of heroism No
genuine play OF character IS IN these
stories. The men they set before u.s. witt
precious Few EXCEPTIONS mere lay IL
ures. They are moved about 10 make tho
plot, to prepare Tie surprise, ~ shock the
ancrtical reader; one learns nothing from
them or OF them; they remain almost marie
notes 1t the end. And this even in the
best Of the stories, capital thsiliers theug,s
rhss :a4y be. IN the worst orc iiuds
Iesble talent Tor raising the hair, -aolo-
drama reduced 20 scenarios
"But vas Baerce, then, q saise alails..
Nay, turn first 10 his epiesslns, and psr.icc-
.agly 10 "Ihe Devils Dictionary" There
you will lind the most brilliant stuf, first
and last, that America has ever produced.
There you mill ind the true masterpiece
Of tie one genuine wit that these STATE
have ever sesM. There you Will Nalioe' II
BieEce, and, walIowing, lament that IL
eTer tried 10 be an Edgar allan Poe
Arnold Bennett once said that Biegae
reached as far as Thomas Hardy IL
the first story in the rev volan... T.
Horseman in the Sky
This is the ending OF the story ira
moved Bennett to his enthusiasm:
Did you fire! the sergeant whispered
Yea"
az vh4t?"
"a horse. Il was standing o. yonder re-.
z prstt; Sa- ou-. YOU see K i 10 lonxe.
there. l. went over the elf
Tie man's tace Was white, bit IL s..oae.
80 other slogan OF en,otion Having a.
: sacred, ne turned away his eyes &nd ia,
20 more. rhe serseant did 10. aader
) stand
a "see acre Bruce :. -4ic. after .
s moments silence. 'it's no making ny
n ,ee.. 7 order you to report VS. thes,
= anybody or the to-ss?"