HARDY MEMORIALS.

Evening Star, Issue 19803, 29 February 1928, Page 6

HARDY MEMORIALS.

There is to be no lack of Haul} memorials. A fund which has been, already opened in England provides foi three. They will take the form 01, first, the preservation of tho great novelist’s birthplace at Rockhampton; second, an obelisk in the same neighborhood; and third, a memorial building in Dorchester, containing a collection of his works. There is also to be a memorial edition of his poems, to bo published, by bis own desire, at a price which will bo within the reach ol poorer readers, and it is to be presumed that the new university for Wessex, for which he lias left a bequest, will also, if it is ever established, be in some degree a memorial to Thomas Hardy. Its name of Wessex would be sufficient to make it so. A proposal made a few years ago, which _ must surely be almost a unique suggestion to do honor to a writer in his lile time, was to begin it by the institution ot a Thomas Hardy chair of English literature. Will the cheap edition ol tho collected poems bo valued by the pooler classes? We fancy that they might prefer the novels, although Hardy did not. The reading of poetry is not yet such a popular predilection as it might bo, though if the more enlightened of Hardy’s rustics share the taste of Gabriel Oak, this benefit will nob fail to bo appreciated. With a few works of utility and improvement, Gabriel’s small library included ‘Paradise Lost,’ ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress,’ -and ‘Robinson Crusoe.’ Rockhampton, which is to be a Hardy place of pilgrimage, stands a little way outside Dorchester. It is one ol a group of hamlets, Stinsford the chief of them, which approximately compose the M.cllstock of many of the novels, it is specially familiar through ‘ Under the Greenwood Tree,’ entitled also ‘I he Mollstock Quire.’ Upper Mellsteek, whore Dick Dewy lived, has been surely identified with Upper Rockhampton, the birthplace of Hardy, and Mellstock Church with Stinsford Church, on their way to which the girls were carried through the water by Clara in 1 Tess of the D’Urbervilles.’ Dorchester can be reached from Upper Bockhampton by the public pathway, trodden frequently in Mr Hardy’s pages, from which can bo got a glimpse of Kingston Maurward House, the Knapwater House ot ‘ Desperate Remedies.’ Hardy’s birthplace was on the fringe of Egdon Heath, which becomes almost a sombre character of the novels. It was recalled at the time of his death that Hardy had a particular objection to “utilitarian” memorials. In this phrase he condemned the common practice of making the death of a famous person tho excuse for raising money for drinking fountains, lecterns, village halls, and other useful purposes, however commendable they might be on general grounds. He preferred a monument to be commemorative, and nothing else. As an example ho often pointed with approval to the column raised to his famous namesake on a Dorset hilltop within sight of Max Gate, and had stated that if any local memorial wore to bo raised to him he would like that column to have a fellow. The provision which is being made for an obelisk will fulfil that wish. His objections to utilitarian monuments doubtless would not have extended to a university or chair of literature. Those are much more than mere utilities.