NOTES ON A CRITIC'S REVIEW OF "THE UNCALLED."(') After perusing a signed article (2) in one of our great newspapers headed "Dunbar," in which the writer, whose reputation as an expert in literary diagnosis has no inconsiderable weight with the reading public, I made haste to judge for myself if the review was a fair one. The Uncalled as I read, is a plain story of obscure people. The critic "Doesn't know whether they are white or black"-evidence of a lack of knowledge of racial distinctions. It is perhaps not "a novel" for the same reason that many of our great works of fiction are not novels, in that they are not wholly "intended to exhibit the operations of the passions, particularly of love." The aphorism of Ruskin which is in substance this, "The more closely we adhere to nature, the nearer do we approach true art," will apply to literature as to all arts. If a writer finds his inspiration in the lives of the people in a town like the "Dexter" of this story, who shall say he might have found a richer field elsewhere? The artist depicts things as he sees them, and the "environment" is only the background of the picture; one artist may lay great stress upon it, while another may rely upon his strength with the figures. A picture would be as complete without background as a story without its environment. (1) The Uncalled. A novel. By Paul Laurence Dunbar. 12mo. cloth. Price 90 cents. By mail $1.02. (2) The article referred to was written by Miss Gilder and appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Sunday, April 24.-[Ed.] We remark a tendency on the part of many who would create a standard of literary excellence, to decree that no literature is good, that is not fervid, or that does not affirm a new theory, or propound a new problem of "ology.," or "ism.," or adduce a new code of ethics. Mr. Dunbar in none of his writings has attempted any such flights. In the story under comment there is an intense realism in many portions of it, and as in all of his work a fidelity to nature that gives the tale a simple charm. True, it does not deal with a phase of life or with an assemblage of character that is exalted, but there is literalness in it of a kind that arouses the indignation and again one's pity, that it is all so true. The types of character portrayed are not mere "creations," nor so commonplace as to be unworthy a study. The repression of character enforced upon the boy "Fred Brent,” by the well-meaning, but mistaken foster mother, has been the sad heritage of many another man, and some have at last broken from its thralldom with less credit to themselves; but in that he did not become profligate or an atheist as the critic would seem to infer he should have done, does not to my mind detract from the merit of the story. Had the critic wished to have given a fair epitome of the writing, there would better have been quoted one of the stronger passages, as this from Brent's first sermon in his home church: "Over the parapets of high heaven the gentle Father leans, waiting to take into His soul any breath of human love which floats up to Him from this sinparched world. What have you done to merit His approval? Have you been kind, or have you been hard? Have you been gentle, or have you been harsh? Have you been charitable, or have you hunted out all the evil and closed your eyes to all the good? You have forgotten, O ye of little faith, you have forgotten, you without charity in your hearts, and you who claim to follow Christ and yet have no love for your fellows, you have forgotten that God is a God of wrath as well as of love; that Christ has anger as well as pity; that He who holds the hyssop of divine mercy holds also the scourge of divine indignation. You have forgotten that the lash you so love to wield over your brother's back shall be laid upon your own by Him who whipped the money changers from His temple. Listen! The day shall come when the condemnation you are accumulating against yourselves shall overwhelm you. Stop trying to steal the prerogative of heaven. Judge not. God only is just." Being afterward commended for "the way he gave it to them," he said, "I remembered all that I had been, and all that I was; I knew what they were thinking, and I was angry, angry. God forgive me. That sermon was preached from as hot a heart as ever did murder." "Taken simply on its merits" as the critic writes, it may not be a great story, but I am much mistaken if it does not muster a long roll of readers who shall be well entertained and brought into close touch with real characterization sketched by this "ambitious young man." Let us be glad that his ambition does not overtop his capacity for production of healthy literature. CHARLES TOWNE. A NECKLACE OF LOVE.(*) No rubies of red for my lady- Of two little arms that are clinging And the wealth o' the world and Love's sweetness impearled In the joy of a little one's kiss. A necklace of love for my lady That was linked by the angels above. No other but this-and the tender, sweet kiss That sealeth a litle one's love. (*) FRANK L. STANTON in the August Ladies' Home Journal. WHAT IS PHILISTINISM? By THE BOOKWORM." the When that smart little periodical The Philistine made its appearance in June, 1895, it was generally supposed to be a "take off" on the various freak magazines originated by the Chap Book, then a year old. And the impudent youngster did scoff and chaff brightly, tersely. Now the Chap Book, or as The Philistine nicknamed it, the "Chip Munk," and all its followers were certainly out of the ordinary. They had broken loose from convention and tradition in style, thought and form-how else then could meaning of the name of The Philistine have been interpreted than as an open confession that this little warrior wanted to be considered as one of the old ones, conservative, opposed to freedom of thought, and modernity of ideas? For that is what was generally called in a sneering way "Philistinism" by the unconventional,"modern" ones, just as the frolic and freedom loving German Student calls the staid, early-hourskeeping burgher contemptuously a Philister. Augustine Birrell (in Res Judicata1): "By a Philistine I suppose we must understand someone who lives and moves and has his being in the realm of ordinary stock conventional ideas." Standard Dictionary: (1) "Philistine-An ignorant or prejudiced person. (2) Philistia-The abode of Phili stinism; the vulgar Plutocracy. (3) Philisitian-Of the nature of or characteristic of a Philistine or Philister; hard, narrow-minded and materialistic. (4) Philistine-One of a civilized and warlike race, supposed to have come from either Crete or Egypt, that dlsputed the possessions of southwestern Canaan with the Israelites for several centuries. |