New-York tribune., 1922-12-17

der as 20 what there may be in the
profession Of criticism to attract man
n except the noble art Of praising, | must
first record my Impressions Of the merits
Of this volume before I seize upon its short
eomings. Il is written in a style that is
eadenced and felicitous by a critic in pos-
session Of the high qualities Of wit 'and
malice poetic sensitivenecs and scholarly
resourcefulness Mr.. Sherman is extremely
clever; he can be amusing, iinpressively sol
emn and eeststically lyrical, all within the
compass Of three RACES. So deft master
Of the language is he that having said that
M Meneken has style becoming retired
military man, he can describe that style IN
words that have the very ring and beat OF
the manual Of arms:
HE likes a sentence stripped Of baggage
and roups Of sentences that march briskiy
CT at the word Of command, wheel, con-
true to march and, at the word Of com
nsnd with equal precision, halt"
Again, when taking sorrowful leave Of his
former master, Paul Elmer More, he can
suit the words TO the occasion, the rhythm
10 the utterance. Having admonished Mr..
More that he should have loved the "exeiu-
sive. metaphy aristocratic Plato less ana
the bobnobbing, inquisitive, realistic, demo-
CRATIC Socrates more" Mr.. Sherman explains
wherein he would have profted;
4He would have learned that the average
man is, like himself, at heart n mystic
vaguely hungering for peace that dipio-
mat cannot give, obscurely seeking the per-
nanent amid the transitory; poor swimmer
STRUGGLING for a rock amid the huH Oh
waters a lonely pilgrim longing Tor the
shadow Of a mighty rock in a weary iahu'
The last three pages in the book contain
A., sustained bit Of noble poetic prose IN tne
rrsnd manner, without a false note, mere
tricious phrase or touch Of senumentaiism'
On the credit side we have, further; Inc
finest sketch Of the career OF lheouore
Roosevelt that has yet appeared; an essay
=, tho Adams family that is as mastery as
ANYTHING written by Lytton Strachey; d"
imaginary conversation with MT. I. T. m0iS
vbieb is an incisive and devastating erit'0@i
,n.ivsis couebed in the suavest and most
nbsne irony: an appreciation Of Emerson
maj takes eognizance Of Emerson's deheien-
,iss and rates him judieially; a sympathetie
consideration Of the personality OF AndIe"
Carnegie which is a valuable contributor
70 the historical criticism Of our age OF IN
6os,rialism: an admirable and iniofmA.''
study Of BENJAMIN Franklin and sa'is-
factory eauserie on Whitman
NOV for the demerits, which are men
N aOnable only by reason of the fact tna'
n, sb,rman Is by way Of becoming THINK
n important factor in the literature o. O''
pshod o,t
Y, sherman has not yet found himself.
Mnh. is Speaking in the passage quo'eu
snonent ago Of Mr. More and the aVerage
Esr. he had himself in mind; he too Is
rsor swimmer struggling for rock AiHiO
The aux Of waters" That is Why suoeon-
NiOusly, he so greatly admires H.
hsncken; that is why he aho"s
ksneken's personality TO enshaoo~ s
whole view Of contemporary literature; tnA'
is Why he cannot think Of modern eil''eiSnl -
except in terms Of Mr.. Menckeni ina. -
Why, in an article deriding Mr. Meneke3,
he makes heavy drafts upon Mr. Menekehs
hammer and vocabulary. For, Wnale'st =
dsfeieneies, Mr.. Meneken has iouno H'n -.
self ne has an undertaking philosophy, ;,,., n1
Knows where he stands on social pop',eAl
and neral questions; he may be wrong ~
he is not vaeiilating, timorous' dubious Ok
hesitant.
Because Mr.. sherman does not yet kn0"
Just where be stands, he wanders INTO
most amazing labyrinth Of contradiction. vn
one page he will be scathing in his af'aeks