In Atalanta, which one naturally buys for the sake of ‘David Balfour,’ there is an article by Mr. Watson on ‘The Mystery of Style.’ A mystery indeed it is, and a mystery Mr. Watson leaves it. What in the world do we mean by ‘style’? What is the Greek for style? What is the Latin for it? Had the ancients any word, or set of words, to express this idea, about which so much is written? We set up an unknown god called style, which we ignorantly worship. If one had to define style, one would probably define it as the best manner in which a thing can be done. There is style in fencing, style in golf, style in cricket: we know it when we see it. Grace combined with economy of effort goes far to make up style in these pastimes. There is a best way of attaining the ends aimed at, and that best way is natural to some people, not to others. Their movements are free, fluent, swift, classical, without eccentricity or stiffness, or over-exertion or flourish. Anyone who has seen Mr. Edward Lyttelton bat or Mr. Egerton Castle fence, or Ayton drive a ball at golf, has seen style. But nobody, perhaps, will maintain that the best style is always productive of the most valuable results. No man chooses Dr. Grace as a model of style at cricket, but it is he who gets the runs; and at other sports we find that style is by no means everything – that it does not make up for the want of a good eye and strong muscles; that these can do better without style than style can do without them. Thus, a person singularly gifted may do a thing not in the best way, yet better than it is done by others whose way is that of perfection.

Let us try the analogy in literature. Mr. Watson says, and many people say, that style is ‘the great antiseptic in literature, the most powerful preservative against decay.’ By ‘style’ he means ‘a peculiarly distinguished air and carriage,’ wherein is recognised ‘serenity based on strength.’ This is all very interesting, but one doubts whether many authors have not escaped decay without possessing ‘style,’ thus understood.