Evening star., 1924-07-05
The Library: Table
BY THE BOOKLOvER

There are two distinct types of
biography-the critical biography and
the biography which makes Of its
subject, at least for the time being,
a hero. Each type has its admirers.
great ones in whom we are sufficient
ly interested to wish to read the
| stories Of their lives; others care no
less for a great man because he is
represented not as a god but as a hu-
man. To those who prefer the hero
type Of biography Lytton Strachey
cannot be- recommended as a biogra-
pher. He analyzes his subjects ruth
! lessly; he shows them scheming, plot
ting, tyrannizing, raging and drink
ing, as we'll as praying, sacrificing
J themselves, ministering to human
needs and acting the part Of heroes.
Strachey has drawn four remarkably
living portraits-those OF Cardinal
Manning. Florence Nightingale, DR..
Arnold of Rugby, and Gen. Gordon.
or these the first and the last are
perhaps the most interesting.
+ * +
Cardinal Manning is presented as a
strange contradictions; at times the
intriguing diplomat plotting with the
papal secretary, Mgr. Talbot, to pre-
vent Newman from being made a
cardinal, at other times the devoutly
religious Catholic, self -analyzing and
self-abnegating, resolved not to lift
finger or speak word for his own
advancement in the church. .Strachey
says that the two dominating forces
in his nature were preoccupation with
the supernatural and preoccupation with
himself In his early life, while still
in the English Church. Manning was
married. When his wife died he was
inconsolable and would sit beside
her grave, day after day, writing his
sermons. In after years, however. he
came to count her death as one of
Gods special mercies." He blotted
her memory from his mind. destroyed
every letter and record of his mar
ried life and never spoke Of her. When
he was notified that her grave was
falling into ruin, he answered: at is
best SO; let it be. Time effaces all
things" Strachey says Of him: "He
belongs to that class of eminent eccle-
siastics who have been distin-
tingufshed less for saintliness and learn
ing than for practical ability. He
seemed almost to revive in his own
person that long line of diplomatic and
administrative clerics which, one would
have thought, had come to an end with
appeared, the middle ages lived
again"
Somewhat the same contradictory
characteristics as are found in Car
dinal Manning appear in Gen. Cor
don-religious fervor and world am
bition. Gordon's religion was Prot
estant, but at times approached fa-
natical mysticism. He always de-
pended on his intuitions, which he
usually considered guidings of Provi-
dence. Like most ambitious and re-
ligious persons. he was likely to con-
slider that Providence led him to do
what his own personal choice also
indicated. Just before he was sent
on his fatal mission to Khartum he
had been consulting his Bible. which h
he often used as an oracle, and won
dering to what remote corner of the
world the hand Of God would next
lead him. AS he left Victoria station
for the Sudan he whispered to Lord
Wolseley an inquiry whether a COM
mission Of his had been carried out
the sending to each member of the
cabinet copy of DIR. Samuel Clarke's
Scripture Promises" OF the last
days of Gen. Gordon there is no GER
tain record but 1t is known that he
had long debated with himself what
moment" He had told Sir Evelyn
Barring that he should never be taken
alive. He had had gunpowder put
into the cellars of the palace, so that
the building might. at moments
notice. be blown into the air. But
then misgivings had come upon him:
was it not his duty to maintain the
faith and. If necessary, to suffer for
TITO remain d tortured and hu-
inflated witness of his Lord in the
the palace would have, he thought
more or less the taint of suicide
would be. in way, taking things
out of Gods hands," 1t is proba hle
that he met his death on the stair
case OF the palace of Khartum at
OF the mahdi The popular verdict
on Gen. Gordon, Strachey saws, has
been that he was "a contradictions
person-even little off his head,
perhaps. though a hero"
II. G. Wells has again voiced his
disapprobation of the present-day
world, as SO often before, in a novel.
The Dream" is study of the twen-
tieth century viewed through the
eyes of people living two thousand
years hence, one of whom either has
or dreams he has, in a former state.
lived in this barbaric age of con-
FUSION. Sarnac. formerly Harry Nor
timer Smith, considers the people
who lived during his earlier incar-
nation children of that hairy
old ape-nan. Man is a creature" he
says, which under nearly every sort
OF stress releases hate and malign
action, and we were then still sub
3ected to the extreme stresses" In
this old world the disgrace of disease
existed. Living the queer lives they
did, with abnormal and ill-prepared
food in world of unchecked infec-
tions, they found the very tissues of
the bodies going wrong and breaking
out INTO the queerest growths.
Their bodies were like their COM
munities." Marriage was still an in
stitution, akin to slavery. adhered to
by nearly every one, and out of it
grew selfishness. tyranny and bru-
taiity. because the code was still one
the contrary, has a tempered air.
In this world we breathe mercy with
our first fluttering gasp. We are so
taught and trained to think of others
that their pain is ours. But 1000
years ago men and women were half
way back to crude nature" If Mr..
Wells could only have given some
Indication of the methods employed
to rid the world of it's physical and
moral disease he would perhaps have
made valuable contribution to
science. So difficult is it to conceive
and express form of existence en-
tirely different from any experienced
In reality: that Mr.. Wells. like all
to fall back on the usual language
and facts of the known world. For
<his reason his ideal world 1000
years hence seems very similar to
the old one. His personages over
work and are Obliged to have a holi-
day, SO they go to the mountains and