From The Spectator: Review of The Evergreen, Vol. 2

For the good intentions and some of the ideas of the pro-
ducers of The Evergreen we have sympathy; but they appear
to us to confuse the ardent desire for the presence of art with
the power to produce it.    The essence of their movement for a
“Scots Renascence” would appear to be a kind of social settle-
ment including University teachers and students, and they are
anxious to add culture and an artistic creation to their study
of science and aspiration after social good-fellowship.    But
these things do not come only by wishing and taking thought
and trying.    Talent too is necessary, and is not to be had to
order.    These two numbers of the” Seasonal” are marked
by an anxious self-consciousness, an effort to have style that
defeats itself.    The type has so much of this style that it is
ugly and unreadable. Style stands like a grille before the
articles, and hits one in the eye from the drawings.    We find,
however, some feeling and talent in the writing of Miss Fiona
MacLeod, and in Mr. Charles Mackie’s Hide and Seek.