Life, 1890-05-29 · page 6 of 18
Life — May 29, 1890 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page contains literary commentary rather than political satire. The top section discusses "The Unconventional in Fiction," praising Adrian's unconventional approach and praising a work called "Youma" set in the West Indies, featuring a character described as a melodramatic enslaved woman who dies heroically. The bottom section, titled "A Robber Caught," shows a humorous office dialogue between a clerk and Mr. Hardist. The clerk asks to speak about his reduced salary; Mr. Hardist responds that he's been "mercifully" allowed to keep his position, given the clerk's "entire interest" in his job, and promises no further salary reduction—a patronizing response that treats basic employment consideration as magnanimous generosity. The accompanying sketches appear to illustrate domestic scenes, though their specific connection to the dialogue remains unclear.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIFE: in this direction lies most happiness, and the surest refuge from despair. THE UNCONVENTIONAL IN FICTION. HE wise Adrian becomes sententious when he begins to smoke. The other day he blew out the following between two whiffs at a cigar : “ All things that are unconven- tional are not of a necessity unusual. The conventional is simply the abominable.” He was thinking of some stories which he called “ bizarre,” and which be liked accordingly. I suspect that he believes there are more noticeable things in life than most writers see, and that the unconventional is more usual than they imagine. If you asked him to give you his generalization of life, he would say: “It is a beautiful pageant: and to be interested in it is to be perpetually young.” For one who sees so much variety and color in the actual daily pageant, the reflection of it in literature must, of course, be variegated to approach the reality, Whether this outlook on life and letters is nearest the truth, or whether it is simply a matter of temperament, one may not say, for one’s own personal equation is a large factor in such a judgment, But it is safe to hold the opinion that HERE is enough that is unconventional in Lafcadio Hearn's “Youma” (Harper's) to make it pleasant reading. It is, however, the picture of life on an island of the West Indies, and not the story, as we say, that makes it go. You could tell the story of this picturesque slave ina dozen pages; but you like to loiter around this tropical island, catch the rich color at every turn, and become a part of the plantation life, with its indolence and simplicity. Youma, the beautiful slave, who was reared almost like a lady, is a vague, melodramatic figure in her way—a personi- fication of fidelity and love. She can hardly reach the most sympathetic reader, for even he will say—at the culmination of the tragedy, when Youma sinks out of sight in a burning building with the child Afayoffe clasped in her arms—* such a woman was created to die in just that way. She would have missed her destiny without this opportunity to be heroic. . . . OTES.—Augustus Jessopp has written “ The Trials of ‘a Country Parson” (Putnam's) in a frank, uncom- plaining way, touched with just enough humor to show that the “trials” are not half so bad to him as they would be to a Clerk; Mr, Harorist, | WoULD LIke To SPEAK ToJvou IN REGARD TO MY SALARY, Mr, Hardfist : Au, ves; MR. Lepcer, 1 was coinc To ‘MEN- TION THAT MYSELF. YOU HAVE, DURING THE PAST YEAR, BEEN HONEST, UPRIGHT AND DILIGENT. YOU MAVE WORKED ENTIRELY IN MY INTEREST, I FULLY APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICES, AND IN CONSIDERATION THEREOF YOUR SALARY THIS YEAR WILL— Clerk ( joyfully): THANK YOU, SIR; THANK Y— Mr, Hardfist WIL Nor BE REDUCED. A ROBBER CAUGHT. comicbooks.com