Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-12-17

respectable c.uzcn. while a. nigh,
when released from the lettering
conventions Of ordinary life. he
r"a'ns through recorded ana rurc-
corded human history. no, at will
indeed. but nevertheless with AN OK
u'thnt sense OF being Horv.ndilc. TN.
n"miurEic author within whose mind
me supposedly real" dri--na OF life
IS plotted and enacted as a rncr. play
Of fancy.
\ survey Of this body of work
taking INTO accoun, no, oni, g..
scheme of construction. but also tho
material out Of which it is bullt.
can not fail to suggest a comparison
( with Rhlzac's Human Comedy" Tho
"iferencc in quantity may re l.f,
ASIDE at once. as Mr.. Cnbcu IS only.
IN ms forty-fourth year and already
reported at work on q new volume
Nor have tho least intention of silt
tinR In Judgment on the rcspcc,iyo
artistic merits Of two writer's So
diHcr"nt in temperament AZ ono
OF them has been dead some seventy
ana odd years. while the other ono
~ sun among us. such "A task would
be no less pcr!lous than laborious.
am now merely concerned with
their similar schemes OF rroducin.,
through individual portra!ture a col
i"ctivc picture 90 considerable sec
uon OF mankind Seen from this
limited viewpoint. am inclined to
mink ihat. even as II stands today
with man. Important parts sim
missing. Mr.. Cabell's achievement,
has the better claim 10 the ambitions
tit!e employed by the accredited
father Of modern Realism CDe Foo
and Fielding being classcd as grand
fathers. / suppose.
rs far as ] know. Mr. Cabell 4.
tn" only one ct our living literary
artists in this country who has
worked out something like truly
'phi!oSophiC conception Of human cx-
lst"nre.' With him this conception
is developed in rather whimsical
mood. but with tho infinite care be-
slowed on his sentences I, Is no
prirE!shly academic system, with
hidebound catcgurics and prctcnsc
AT combining the whole living uni
verse within its narrow pigeon
holes. MIR. Cabcll has simply been
bordering the life he observed so
closely FOR artistic purposes with
the result that gradually n. has
come 10 suspect some sort of inner
consistency beneath all the shifting
lines and coiors Of the surface. Out
Of his continued musings developed
In the end very vague and plastic
mind picture, 10 which he would he
the last 10 apply any such pr.t"n-
tious term as philosOphic theory.
Yet IL furnishes "A sort of CoSmocunic
diagram. and as such II IS the more
Interesting because It rests almost
eGClnGIvply 1G,ha,Ic
Ions. It Is as II Mr.. Cahcll had set
out 10 explain 10 himself the secret
laws of his own art, and then sud
denly discovered their identity with
those Of life itself.
Among many strange and capt!vat-
ing shapes born OF Mr.. Cabcll's
whims!cally acute fancy. that of
HoTvcndile piqucs me mos,-pcrhaps
because he comes straight out of
Morse mythology. where he Is said
TO have held place corresponding
TO that OF the Greek Ulysses AT
first this mysterious stranger played
a very minor part in Mr.. Cabclrs
imaginary world. but every revision
and addition has extended the scopn
and Importance OF that part And
II Is he that takes us naturally into
the mythical world of "Jurgcn" and
Figures of Ear;h"--the world of
true romance. where. in my opinion.
Mr.. Cabeil has found his most orig
!nal and most enduring inspirations.