Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-23
REVLEWl

JOAQUIN MILLER; And His other Self. By
Harr Wagner. San Francisco: Harr Wagner
Publishing Co.
1.-TWO men in one. Each quite at odds
with the other. For years both ad-
vocates and critics have been busy
with the troubling personality of
Joaquin Miller. No sooner had his
friends interpreted and explained some out
breaking of the poet than the critics came
running with another load Of misdemeanOrs
literary or social to put upon the careless
struggling shoulders Of this troubadour Of the
Western World
The main truth about him In his outer re-
IationS is that Joaquin Miller dramatized his
every move, morning, noon and night. But
p that is no sin. 1t Is, rather, a natural i'm
pulse Every one Of US does this pretty much
all the time. Where we. however. achieve in
this gesture nothing more stirring than mild
parlor charade Miller becomes q pageant, a
ceremonial procession, all in himself. He
shocked routined people by the novelty of his
stage effects. And he reused no end of envy
in the writing craft For example, that literary
pundit here In the East whose words Of light
and wisdom fell into the habit of appearing in
thin illuminated volumes which were found,
chiefly. on the tables OF refined Spinsters. or
I'm the hands of young college girls. painting
their love Of true literature" You recall that
ehis kind gentleman and inspired writer called
Joaquin Miller q liar-terrible word from so
high a source-and o pretender, posing in q
made-up limp-a thing to attract and not at all
an honest-to-goodness wound gathered out Of .
real combat. Stupendous charge! Perfect
boomerangl
However,. let US get on with Harr Wagner and
his Story-for 1t Is story worth reading. First
pioneer life is made to center around this little
lad crossing the Middle West into the real West
in the ox-drawn covered wagon Of the day.
Here Is clean-cut picture Of the influence Of
this great adventure upon the boy who, by ma
ture, was Of the wide-open receptive sort. Then
come the growing days and the later ones
wherein the poetic gift Of Miller begins to
exercise itself Justify under the influence of
the great mountains and forests, under the In
duence of his own expanding inner life. With
. 0awning recognition from the world there are
,rthe days OF navef-Alaska. China, Europe,
down to Washington where. out in Rock Greek
Park, stands the memorial cabin to this
American poet Here are personal letterS-the
most truly and honestly revealing of all docu-
ments. in every case. Here is q roll call of the
friends of Miller-distinguiShed names, the
world over. And here is an analysis of his
work-not heavy analysis but very plainly
useful one. And, Of course here are the
w0men-friends, lovers, the passing craft OF
daily acquaintance. Not bad record at all
as men and women go-despite the obloquy IN
this respect that has been piled around Joaquin
Miller. To make the volume useful in the
highest measure there is at the end Of the
Uo&4A q SoAioCAoCa OAOSA0PAy VA bAAC POCs. EAAA0S
beyond that. most interesting Photographic
record Of this truly picturesque figure. This
volume is of the first printing, that Is limited
to LOO copies. 1t bears the number 209 But
there will be other printings-there is no doubt
about that.
Long ago copied the following fugitive thing
that came into my hands. did not know the
author till Harr Wagner told me his name,
Joaquin Miller. But I've repeated 1t q thousand
times. 1t is worth repeating, worth minding.
@'In men whom men condemn as iii
I ind much of goodness still;
In men whom men pronounce divine
I flnd so much of sin and blot,
hesitate to draw line
Between the two, where God has not"
And the grand swing of the '4Columbus"-
Now must we pray
For 10! the very stars gone.
Brave Admir- speak, what shall 1 say?"
why, say, Sail on! Sail on and onI"
TO THE VALIANT. BY Norah G. James,
author of Sleeveless Errand" New York:
William Morrow & Co.
KNOW Norah James? Meet her. Irish by
blood. Many things by occupation. Sculp-
tor, designer, war worker, secretary to oflcial
politician, a politician quite unofncial herself,
trade union organizer. An active adventure In
being alive you see. And, by virtue of her own
nature. these activities soaked into the girl as
clear artistry, emerging as novels of fine literary
distinction. ITO the Valiant" is the second one.