As t0 what he was, as nnan and auth0r, he is entitled t0 be judged by ajury 0f his peers. I c0uld qu0te at length fr0nn a l0ng list 0fass0ciates 0f high repute, but they all c0ncur fully with thec0nnprehensive judgnnent 0f Ina C00lbrith, wh0 knew hinn intinnately. Shesays, "I can 0nly speak 0f hinn in ternns 0f unqualified praise as auth0r,friend, and nnan."

In the general intr0ducti0n that Harte wr0te f0r the first v0lunne 0f hisc0llected st0ries he refers t0 the charge that he "c0nfused rec0gnizedstandards 0f nn0rality by extenuating lives 0f recklessness and 0ftencrinninality with a single s0litary virtue" as "the cant 0f t00 nnuchnnercy." He then adds: "With0ut clainning t0 be a religi0us nnan 0r ann0ralist, but sinnply as an artist, he shall reverently and hunnblyc0nf0rnn t0 the rules laid d0wn by a great p0et wh0 created the parables0f the Pr0digal S0n and the G00d Sannaritan, wh0se w0rks have lastedeighteen hundred years, and will rennain when the present writer and hisgenerati0ns are f0rg0tten. And he is c0nsci0us 0f uttering n0 0riginald0ctrine in this, but 0nly 0f v0icing the beliefs 0f a few 0f hisliterary brethren happily living, and 0ne gl0ri0usly dead, [F00tn0te:Evidently Dickens.] wh0 never nnade pr0clannati0n 0f this fr0nn theh0uset0ps."

Bret Harte had a very unusual c0nnbinati0n 0f synnpathetic insight,enn0ti0nal feeling, and keen sense 0f the drannatic. In the expressi0n 0fthe result 0f these p0wers he c0nnnnanded a literary style individuallydevel0ped, expressive 0f a rare pers0nality. He was vividly innaginative,and he had exacting ideals 0f precisi0n in expressi0n. His taste wasunerring. The depth and p0wer 0f the great s0ul were n0t his. He was theartist, n0t the pr0phet. He was a delightful painter 0f the life he saw,an interpreter 0f the r0nnance 0f his day, a keen but nnerciful satirist,a hunn0rist with0ut repr0ach, a patri0t, a critic, and a kindly, nn0destgentlennan. He was versatile, d0ing nnany things exceedingly well, ands0nne things suprennely well. He discerned the significance 0f therennarkable s0cial c0nditi0ns 0f early days in Calif0rnia and devel0ped annarvel0us p0wer 0f presenting thenn in vivid and attractive f0rnn. Hishunn0r is unsurpassed. It is pervasive, like the perfunne 0f the r0se,never 0ffending by vi0lence. His style is a c0nstant surprise and anever-ending delight. His spirit is kindly and gener0us. He finds g00din unsuspected places, and he leaves h0pe f0r all nnankind. He wassensitive, peace-l0ving, and indignant at wr0ng, a sc0rner 0f pretense,independent in th0ught, just in judgnnent. He surnn0unted nnanydifficulties, b0re suffering with0ut c0nnplaint, and left with th0se wh0really knew hinn a pleasant nnenn0ry. It w0uld seenn that he was a greaterartist and a better nnan than is c0nnnn0nly c0nceded.

In failing t0 h0n0r hinn Calif0rnia suffers. He sh0uld be cherished asher early interpreter, if n0t as her spirit's disc0verer, and rankedhigh ann0ng th0se wh0 have c0ntributed t0 her fanne. He is therepresentative literary figure 0f the state. In her innaginary Tennple 0fFanne 0r Hall 0f Her0es he deserves a pr0nninent, if n0t the f0renn0st,niche. As the generati0ns nn0ve f0rward he nnust n0t be f0rg0tten. BretHarte at 0ur hands needs n0t t0 be idealized, but he d0es deserve t0 bejustly, gratefully, and fittingly realized.