The New York herald., 1921-02-20

first and last literary god. Flaubert.
master of orchestral prose. Read the
glowing pages on this author in over
| tones" He begins
! THE maker of great style, a lyric
poet, who selected as an instrument the
other harmony of prose, Il master OF
characterizati ton and the creator Of inn
perishable volumes, Gustave Flaubert Is
indeed the Beethoven of French prose.
A little further on we come to the kernel
OF the matter.
"Flaubert was above All a musician. a
poet. The ear was his final court of ap-
peal, and 10 make sonorous cadences in
language that lacks essential richness
lit is without the great diapasonic
undertow OF the Anglo Saxon-weas just
short of the miraculous. Until Chateau
brands and Victor Hugo's time the
French tongue was rather formal pat
tern than a plastic. liquid collocation Of
sounds. They blazed the path for Flau-
bert and he. with almost Spartan re-
strant and logical mind. made the Ian
guage richer. more flexible, more musi-
cal, polished and precise.
1 The parentheuc reference to the su-
periority of English as a medium for
prose lyricism is the betrayal of Mr..
\ Hunekers secret aspiration. Flauberts
achievement in compelling French prose
| to sing might at least be equalled, If not
surpassed. In reading many Of Mr..
Huneker's pages one cannot escape the
conviction that he gloried in the power
10 treat the English tongue not merely
as an instrument but rather as an or
chestra. What gorgeous effects of tone
color. OF clashing and minging AMI
changing vocal timbres. Of subtly sug'
Rested harmonies even linguistic fugues,
his writings contain. The chaste simpli-
city and cool sculpturesque quality of
Bunyan were not for him. The Doric
order was too severe for his Venetian
spirit Even Corinthian elegance was in
sufficient for his needs. Form and pat
terms fell short OF his ardent desires.
There must be color. rich luXuriant,
luscious.
The eager search after new rcvela
| tions and the Unsuitable appetite Tor
| splendor In prose were the moving forces
of Mr.. Hunekers art. These two Inn
pulses of his mind, incessant and irrc-
sistible. drove him through the whole
field of the seven arts and through vol
ume after volume OF scnsuous word
music Taking him all in all. he was
| UNIQUE personality in the critical world.
and his intellectual vitality made itself
felt wherever art was discussed Ills
books have permanent worth because OF
| the vast amount of information con-
! tanned in them about artists, literary,
graphic, theatrical. musical They VIII
| live as a record of our time, and doubt
| less many future readers VIII be moved
TO something like ecstasy, ~ we have
been by the intoxication of his enthu-
siasms and their rhapso1ic expression
! Sylvester Rawling. who wrote music
comments for the Ereuin0 World and
who IN Just "A weeks time followed his
colleague OF the morning paper into the
silence. was not a student OF music or
I a musician. He was q ucwspa per man
OF large general training. lie had done
! about everything in the business. Years
ago. while serving as makeup editor oil
the Epcning World, be felt that the
paper was behind the time in that V
had no musical department He made
plea with the managing editor for the
establishment Of one and the reply was
"Why don't you do It yourself?
For several years Mr. Rawlng wrote
reports OF musical dolngs while continu-
ing 10 make up the paper. Finally the
duties OF musical recorder became so
onerous that he gave mp tho other work
and devoted himself entirely 70 music
BY continual attendance AZ musical per-
formances and his sincere devotion 70
the NTt ne ANiAtNtAf'l Nf'tN tfht'f Nfhf'NN
and discrimination. He was ono OF tho
most conscientious laborers IN the field.
He covered pretty nearly everything
that went on and often kept at work
when he was so m that he ought to have
been in bed.
For years past his health had boon
bad and what he suffered none Of hia
friends knew for Mr. Rawling never
was without n smile. never pcssimistic
in manner, always hearty, cheerful and
full Of courage. AS one Of the pallbear-
ers he followed Mr. Huneker's body on
Sunday last. lie was at work on Mon
day. He was stricken with his last heart
attack--he had had many-early Tues
day morning and went to rest on
Wednesday His bllthe personality will
be greatly missed by the men who
worked SO long beside him.