Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1922-05-19
BY VIVIAN RADCLIFFE

An Appreciation
BY VIVIAN RADCLIFFE
Well-known reviewer Of the "New
York Herald"
Under above well displayed cap
tion, brenton's Book Chat, published
on Fifth Avenue, New York, with
Washington and Paris branches, .
periodlcai devoted to latest publica-
ton Of high-ciass literature, in its
issue for April, contains q splendid
steel engraving Of Miss Alma New
ton, formerly Of st. Joseph, who
has MADE her home at New York for
some years and 10 dev0ting her time
to literature. An appreciation Of her
talent is shown by Vivian Radcliffe,
well-known reviewer Of the New
York Herald's literary columns, who
says:
: A Mystic is q person who takes the
spiritual Interpretation of things a.
tinal, for it answers the cosmie need In
his particular mind, soul or individual
desire.
To the Aystics the spiritual Life
is flowing through ~ world, ~ .
great river flows to the sea, and they
tell Us not to swim against this stream
but to rest upon the flow and thereby
we are finally able to pass down the
stream Of life in spiritual harmony.
The cosmic need requires Q
mediumship for expression and God
has given US that in our dreams; art
is the individual expression Of .
dream; q dream il the individual ex-
preston of God, for when the result
of q dream becomes an object it il
. miracle in creation.
Call this mediumship wh, you will ;
dream, intuition, natural law. love or
whatever you wish, it il the real pow
er Of the soul. Alma Newton calls
this great urge "love" and in her
book, "The Jewel in the Sand," we
find this lofty desire:
"Give me the exaltation, the dig
nifty, Of a noble love. Help me to 20
light my lamp that no idle wanderer
will stop at my door. Make it 20
clear and 80 bright than only the great
Of soul will enter here. Let it be 10
bright that the vain will pass IL by
for the far red lights that burn in
the mystic night. Let it be %, tran
quill that only the wise will compre-
hend it. Let it be 20 gentle that
only the kind will heed it. Let it be
20 sweet that only the pure viii love
it. And teach me the simple things"
SO that cannot lose any way. Teach
me the higher laws, those of sim-
plicity, faith and impersonal desire,
for l know that to welcome the guest
l must know how to wish, to hope
and to smile."
The Boston Transcript has said
that Alma Newton Is truly akin to
but that she il no mere
disciple. The New York Tribune has
said that her work suggests that of
Edgar Allen Poe. The New York
Times has said that it was the art
Of Oliver Screiner.
Certainly she IL q versatile artist,
but yet I cannot zee kinship to any
Of the three artists mentioned. The
strong rhythmical sentences, the col
Or effects and the dramatic quality
suggest the prose poems and the "de
profundis" Of Oscar Wilde.
One does not find this Likeness to
Wilde in "The Blue String" or in
the Love Letters Of . Mystic" her
earlier works; but it il found in "A
Jewel in the Sand," "Shadows" and
Dreaming True" Her themes are
often occult and in this respect do
not resemble Wilde. It b the dietion
Of which I speak.
Alma Newton often writes IN the
first person. She does this because
it makes the story more realistic.
Du Maurier said it takes . genius to
write in the first person. One
might add that it takes the aristo-
crat to annihilats al egoisn and
write in sincere love Of realism.
And speaking Of this, Alma New
ton ID q great granddaughter Of
David Hunt Of Mississippi. . nsmbss
II one Of the oldest and best known
Of the South. Her fathes,
Algeron Emmett Newton. wss born
in Louisiana, his family having gene
there from the "Eastsrn Shore Of
Maryland" which in AnttBellum
days was, symbolieally speaking. q
Goat Of Arms," itssk.
Alma Newton was bern on Hunt
ey Plantation, one Of the plantations
inherited from her grandfather and
Is q woman Of the highest culture
and loveliness. She il young and fun
IF enthusiasm, . sincere lover Of art.
She is q true Mystic. one In whom
yentleness and kindness are art Of
IN esoteric creed where the spiritual
principal is more potent than . love
If occult phenomenon.
When n man ianH auna 0f him.