NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 294, 5 September 1908, Page 12

NOTES.

Stevenson's stylo is tho subjeot of consideration in the earlier part of a pamphlet by Mr. James Leathern, a Scotch critic. "The note of his stylo," wo ,are told, "is vividness., His periods throb!with lifo. Ho observed keenly, lie heard.acutely,: he felt intensely, and his language reflects, this high mental tension. What, indeed, is all literary genius but an extra sensitiveness to tho impact of 'things as they aroStevenson's ''instinct for- the , strongest, happiest word is>, unerring, "'.andmnny of his effects aro secured by the use of . unusual words. Then wo aro told that-y'Siiice Macaulay's day the simple' sentence has had -a groat vogue, and in the interests of lucidity this is porliaps- all to - tho good.. - But -the contest of a sentence counts for something as well as its clearness.. , In description sententiousness may bo natural, for ■ description is in its essence the cataloguing of more or less separate and distinct things. But in analysis or argument a number of interacting elements combino to form tho completo concept, and to chop these up into short sentences, repeating 1 tho noun or pronoun in each, 1 is to purchase clearness at tho expense of force. As one heavy projectile ihay effect a gaping breach in tho wall which stood unharmed against the, petty pellets of multitudinous small arms, so a well-rounded poriod, built up of a number of clearly connected contributory clauses, has a dynamic force'denied to a succession of mincing sentences." Tho "Gaulois" tolls a good story of Lamartine's estimate of the pecuniary value of his poetry. It was in 1848, when !ho was at tho acme of his glory and a Cabinet Minister. Ho had just contributed "La Marseillaise do la Paix" to the "Revue des Deux Mondes," and Buloz, tho editor, called on him at the Ministry. "I beliovo I owe you £80. Here is' the monoy," said Lamartine, producing a bundle of bank-notes. "Pray, deduct tho amount of the review's indebtedness to you for your poom," said tho editor. "I meant to make you a present of it," rejoined the poet. "Not at all; I insist upon paying you." "How much?" "Your own price, whatever it may be." "Ah, well; if you will have it so I must oblige you," said Lamartino; and, with a magnificent gesture, ho swept up , tho wholo bundlo of notes, representing the £80, and restored them, with solemn dignity, to his pocket. Lovers of "Uncle Remus" will be glad to have this sot of vorses on "01' Joshway an' do sun," by the late Joel Chandler, Harris:— 01' Joshway stood in front or his tent, An' sico'd his soldiers on, But when ho turned fer ter look aroun', De day wuz nearly gone. He rubbed his beard, ho scratched'his head, An' kicked his heel in de groun' ; Kazo he wanter finish do batt.le-job Bofo' de Sun went down. He look tor de East an' ho look tor do Wost, An' he wavo his ha,n' on high, "King Sun," sezoe, "I want you ter see Mo smito um hip an' thigh. 1 Come down ter camp 'an', rest yo'so'f A little whilo wid me, I'll get you a.fan an' big jrido cheer An' set it whar you kin see." Doy wuz lots mo' talk, but de Sun' como down An' tuck a little ease, An' when' he got too awful hot, He called up ol' Brer Breeze! "My time is short," sez de Sun, sezee, "An' you better do yo' do, Kazo I'm feeling like I wantor seo Dis mortual sculflo throti!"

Well, dey fit a,n' fit an' fowt an' fowt Right dar in de light cr do Sun, But Joshway frailod um out an' soon Ho had um on do run. "King Sun," ho sa.v, "I'm over dno 'Cross dar whar do night's still black; Do folks will wake fo' de chickens crow An' put dor big clocks back." 01' Joshway thanked him mighty polito, An' ax him for tor come ag'in; "Kin"; Sun," ho says, "I speck dat I Will bo whar I've allers been." Den ho mosied off, ltazo ho .ain't got timo For ter set an' talk an' stay; Ho hatter go off whar do night still dark An' start tor hroakin' day. Well, timo run on an' people 'sputo 'Bout Joshway an' do Sun, Somo say dis an' somo say dat, An' why Joshway won; Sometimes when ho wuss settin' 'roun' "Whar ho couldn't lie'p but hear, He'd say, "Go in do settin'-room an' see How he scorched my big arm cheer!"