a psychological counter-current in recent fiction-第4部分

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however；　I　must　not　fail　of　justice　to　the　higher　beauty　of　Mary

Fairthorne's　character。　　She　is　really　a　good　girl；　and　saved

from　the　unreality　which　always　threatens　goodness　in　fiction　by

those　limitations　of　temper　which　I　have　already　hinted。



　

V。　



It　is　far　from　the　ambient　of　any　of　these　imaginary　lives　to

that　of　the　half…caste　heroine　of　〃A　Japanese　Nightingale〃　and

the　young　American　whom　she　marries　in　one　of　those　marriages

which　neither　the　Oriental　nor　the　Occidental　expects　to　last

till　death　parts　them。　　It　is　far；　and　all　is　very　strange　under

that　remote　sky；　but　what　is　true　to　humanity　anywhere　is　true

everywhere；　and　the　story　of　Yuki　and　Bigelow；　as　the　Japanese

author　tells　it　in　very　choice　English；　is　of　as　palpitant

actuality　as　any　which　should　treat　of　lovers　next　door。　　If　I

have　ever　read　any　record　of　young　married　love　that　was　so

frank；　so　sweet；　so　pure；　I　do　not　remember　it。　　Yet；　Yuki；

though　she　loves　Bigelow；　does　not　marry　him　because　she　loves

him；　but　because　she　wishes　with　the　money　he　gives　her　to　help

her　brother　through　college　in　America。　　When　this　brother　comes

back　to　Japanhe　is　the　touch　of　melodrama　in　the　pretty

idylhe　is　maddened　by　an　acquired　Occidental　sense　of　his

sister's　disgrace　in　her　marriage；　and　falls　into　a　fever　and

dies　out　of　the　story；　which　closes　with　the　lasting　happiness　of

the　young　wife　and　husband。　　There　is　enough　incident；　but　of　the

kind　that　is　characterized　and　does　not　characterize。　　The　charm；

the　delight；　the　supreme　interest　is　in　the　personality　of　Yuki。　

Her　father　was　an　Englishman　who　had　married　her　mother　in　the

same　sort　of　marriage　she　makes　herself；　but　he　is　true　to　his

wife　till　he　dies；　and　possibly　something　of　the　English

constancy　which　is　not　always　so　evident　as　in　his　case　qualifies

the　daughter's　nature。　　Her　mother　was；　of　course；　constant；　and

Yuki；　though　an　outcast　from　her　own　peoplethe　conventions　seen

to　be　as　imperative　in　Tokyo　as　in　Philadelphiabecause　of　her

half…caste　origin；　is　justly　Japanese　in　what　makes　her

loveliest。　　There　is　a　quite　indescribable　freshness　in　the　art

of　this　pretty　noveletteit　is　hardly　of　the　dimensions　of　a

novelwhich　is　like　no　other　art　except　in　the　simplicity　which

is　native　to　the　best　art　everywhere。　　Yuki　herself　is　of　a

surpassing　lovableness。　　Nothing　but　the　irresistible　charm　of

the　American　girl　could；　I　should　think　keep　the　young　men　who

read　Mrs。　Watana's　book　from　going　out　and　marrying　Japanese

girls。　　They　are　safe　from　this；　however；　for　the　reason

suggested；　and　therefore　it　can　be　safely　commended　at　least　to

young　men　intending　fiction；　as　such　a　lesson　in　the　art　of

imitating　nature　as　has　not　come　under　my　hand　for　a　long　while。　

It　has　its　little　defects；　but　its　directness；　and　sincerity；　and

its　felicity　through　the　sparing　touch　make　me　unwilling　to　note

them。　　In　fact；　I　have　forgotten　them。



　

VI。　



I　wish　that　I　could　at　all　times　praise　as　much　the　literature　of

an　author　who　speaks　for　another　colored　race；　not　so　far　from　us

as　the　Japanese；　but　of　as　much　claim　upon　our　conscience；　if　not

our　interest。　　Mr。　Chesnutt；　it　seems　to　me；　has　lost　literary

quality　in　acquiring　literary　quantity；　and　though　his　book；　〃The

Marrow　of　Tradition；〃　is　of　the　same　strong　material　as　his

earlier　books；　it　is　less　simple　throughout；　and　therefore　less

excellent　in　manner。　　At　his　worst；　he　is　no　worse　than　the

higher　average　of　the　ordinary　novelist；　but　he　ought　always　to

be　very　much　better；　for　he　began　better；　and　he　is　of　that　race

which　has；　first　of　all；　to　get　rid　of　the　cakewalk；　if　it　will

not　suffer　from　a　smile　far　more　blighting　than　any　frown。　　He　is

fighting　a　battle；　and　it　is　not　for　him　to　pick　up　the　cheap

graces　and　poses　of　the　jouster。　　He　does；　indeed；　cast　them　all

from　him　when　he　gets　down　to　his　work；　and　in　the　dramatic

climaxes　and　closes　of　his　story　he　shortens　his　weapons　and

deals　his　blows　so　absolutely　without　flourish　that　I　have

nothing　but　admiration　for　him。　　〃The　Marrow　of　Tradition；〃　like

everything　else　he　has　written；　has　to　do　with　the　relations　of

the　blacks　and　whites；　and　in　that　republic　of　letters　where　all

men　are　free　and　equal　he　stands　up　for　his　own　people　with　a

courage　which　has　more　justice　than　mercy　in　it。　　The　book　is；　in

fact；　bitter；　bitter。　　There　is　no　reason　in　history　why　it

should　not　be　so；　if　wrong　is　to　be　repaid　with　hate；　and　yet　it

would　be　better　if　it　was　not　so　bitter。　　I　am　not　saying　that　he

is　so　inartistic　as　to　play　the　advocate；　whatever　his　minor

foibles　may　be；　he　is　an　artist　whom　his　stepbrother　Americans

may　well　be　proud　of；　but　while　he　recognizes　pretty　well　all　the

facts　in　the　case；　he　is　too　clearly　of　a　judgment　that　is　made

up。　　One　cannot　blame　him　for　that；　what　would　one　be　one's　self？　

If　the　tables　could　once　be　turned；　and　it　could　be　that　it　was

the　black　race　which　violently　and　lastingly　triumphed　in　the

bloody　revolution　at　Wilmington；　North　Carolina；　a　few　years　ago；

what　would　not　we　excuse　to　the　white　man　who　made　the　atrocity

the　argument　of　his　fiction？



Mr。　Chesnutt　goes　far　back　of　the　historic　event　in　his　novel；

and　shows　us　the　sources　of　the　cataclysm　which　swept　away　a

legal　government　and　perpetuated　an　insurrection；　but　he　does　not

paint　the　blacks　all　good；　or　the　whites　all　bad。　　He　paints　them

as　slavery　made　them　on　both　sides；　and　if　in　the　very　end　he

gives　the　moral　victory　to　the　blacksif　he　suffers　the　daughter

of　the　black　wife　to　have　pity　on　her　father's　daughter　by　his

white　wife；　and　while　her　own　child　lies　dead　from　a　shot　fired

in　the　revolt；　gives　her　husband's　skill　to　save　the　life　of　her

sister's　childit　cannot　be　said　that　either　his　aesthetics　or

ethics　are　false。　　Those　who　would　question　either　must　allow；　at

least；　that　the　negroes　have　had　the　greater　practice　in

forgiveness；　and　that　there　are　many　probabilities　to　favor　his

interpretation　of　the　fact。　　No　one　who　reads　the　book　can　deny

that　the　case　is　presented　with　great　power；　or　fail　to　recognize

in　the　writer　a　portent　of　the　sort　of　negro　equality　against

which　no　series　of　hangings　and　burnings　will　finally　avail。



　

VII。　



In　Mr。　Chesnutt's　novel　the　psychologism　is　of　that　universal

implication　which　will　distinguish　itself　to　the　observer　from

the　psychologism　of　that　more　personal　sortthe　words　are　not　as

apt　as　I　should　likeevident　in　some　of　the　interesting　books

under　notice　here。　　I　have　tried　to　say　that　it　is　none　the　less

a　work　of　art　for　that　reason；　and　I　can　praise　the　art　of

another　novel；　in　which　the　same　sort　of　psychologism　prevails；

though　I　must　confess　it　a　fiction　of　the　rankest

tendenciousness。　　〃Lay　Down　Your　Arms〃　is　the　name　of　the　English

version　of　the　Baroness　von　Suttner's　story；　〃Die　Waffen　Nieder；〃

which　has　become　a　watchword　with　the　peacemakers　on　the

continent