ison with many another,
and with the writers of the preceding generation. It is for this that
the young minds of his native country rally round him--the country that
is loaded with clanking fetters.

Gorki is dominated by a characteristic passion for strong, abnormal
men. This type reappears in almost all his narratives. Here it is old
Isergil, whose Odyssey of Love swells to saga-like magnitude. There we
find the bold and fearless smuggler Chelkash, in the story of that
name. Now it is the brazen, wanton, devoted Malva, who prefers the
grown man to the inexperienced youth. Anon, the red Vaska, boots and
janitor of the brothel. And there are numbers of other such titans.

Unfortunately Gorki endows many of them with a vein of sentimentality,
on which account his works are compared with those of Auerbach, in
certain, more particularly in the aesthetic, Russian circles . . . a
reproach that is only partially justified. Emelyan, _e.g._, is a
notorious and professional robber. He sallies forth to attack and
plunder a merchant in the night. But he encounters a young girl of
good social position on the bridge which he has chosen for the scene of
his attack. She intends to make away with herself. And in talking to
her he forgets everything else; she moves him so profoundly that he
dissuades her from suicide and takes her back to her parents.

Despite its rank improbability and sentimental character this tale has
a fine humour of its own. And there is, in particular, one sketch that
is steeped in humour. This is the "Story of the Silver Clasp." Three
casual labourers break into an old factory and steal a silver clasp.
One of them relinquishes his share and takes back the clasp. And all
the thanks he gets is a rating from the old housekeeper.

These, of course, are only accessory productions, artistic enough, but
of a lighter character. Many of the tales unfortunately suffer from a
hackneyed use of situations, materials, and ideas, suggestive of the
hack writer. Gorki's cheap sentiment, and maudlin pity, often result
in clap-trap and padding which are foreign to the artist proper. But
this is the effect of his predilection for individuals of forcible
character.

Gorki is always partial to despotic characters. And here and there he
has succeeded in creating men, who take life into their own hands,
instead of letting it take them in hand.

It was inevitable that a writer who makes positive affirmation