One of the most remarkable articles that has been published locally in recent times appears in the October issue of "Tien Hsia." There is a number of very interesting, high class writings in the issue under notice, but probably nothing quite to equal, in intrinsic human interest some lette the Into Justice Holmes, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the [United States, to Dr. John C. H. Wu. Himself a writer of no small merit, Jand man of very deep reaching thought, his letters contain much that, must have been of great assistance to Dr. Wu, and also fruitful of thought to other people who may not have the advantage of perusing Dr. Wu's own letters, for Justice Holmes's obiter dicta stand by themselves. Thus on the subject of the style in writing:—
The best style a man can hope for ig a. free, unconscious expression hils"own spontanlety, not an echo someone "else. Therefore, although One can learn by reading, the be nly Indirect. No one could I Burke with success, and speaking from old recollection, no one would Want to. imitate Pater." Artiselailty
Srufelal following" of. "artinelality Tatural to im." but Srould be fatal To iihustrate what T mean, when you read Tenny-Som you feel that he has been care fully" reaching' for the "exquisite When you read Shakespeare you feel if the splendid speech came with-'Out effort," because" that was what Re. Wanted "to take. Stevenson Searches for a happy word. Kipling Hips an_ Unusual werd out, of" the letionary, and. in his Upe it sounds as natural ay slang.
Or again on the Bacon-Shakespeare T hope you will not yield to the Bacon-Shakespeare mystics. It seems to me that Brandes was right when pronounced the nation the product Of American. demiceulture. I never have given the matter any great study Dut Ihave heard enthusiasts tile.
{fe one of the many matters on whir One must be governed by. prejudices—Breliminary. judgments based Knowledge admitted not to be exhaustive but on. which at the peril of Ones soul one has to act as life is Short, "Ir we have eternity 1 suppose itvmight be our Suiy. to have articulate answer t every imbec that con be found from words in the. dictionary.
Whatever might be thought of the con-Jtroversy, it is plain that Justice Holmes makes his own attitude towards it very clear. Life is much too short to bother about.it. There is Imuch more of interest in the number referred to, and if the style is level which has now been set, the monthly appearance of "T'len Hsia" will be something to be eagerly ex-ceted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.