The San Francisco call. [volume], March 13, 1910, Page 7, Image 7

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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The San Francisco Sunday Call
"Sally Bishop: A Romance"
By E. Temple Tliiirston. Published by Mlt
clu-11 Kenuerlej-. New York, $1.50.
E. Temple Thurston has dedi-:
calcd his novel "Sally Bishop" to Ger
ald dv M«.uricr and writes an explana
tory and half apologetic letter with
it. He says that he knows he will re
ceive a shoulder shrug smile at his
subtitle, "A Romance," and perhaps he
would have had such a reception had
he not written the letter. Here he
says that his reasons are beyond mere
contrariness:
"The world of romance must be at
all times an elusive star — never ca
pable of being put in the exact same
place on any one's calendar. And to
me it conveys no fixed beginning, no
J\xea end. bo long as it possesses that
quality of dreaming imagination in the
!a:nd of the character with whom the
< ircumstances are first concerned. All
that we know certainly of life is
reality, and of all those myriad things
which combine to make up the one
great scheme, of which we know noth
ing, there is the quality of romance—
free to any one who cares to let his
mind dryt. upon the sea of conjecture."
This was the case ! of Sally — she
made her dream out of reality — itself.
It is almost impossible to conquer the
feeling of rebellion which this book
creates in the mind of its readers. The
tragedy, the pity of It all and the lack
of the necessity of it.
Sally Bishop is the daughter of a
clergyman who had for many years
been the rector In the parish of Cails
ham. His downfall is described in one
whole chapter which will be a delight
to the irreverent reader and will
doubtless be deemed sacrilegious by
the high church readers and those of
orthodox tendencies. This chapter tells
of an Easter Sunday service in Steyn
ton conducted by the* Rev. Samuel
Bishop In xhe absence of the regular
vicar. The bishop of the diocese was
there and so the Rev. Samuel was
doubly anxious to have things go
smoothly. In the rubric of the book of
common prayer are given directions
as to the disposal of any consecrated
wine which may be left over after
communion. There it says:
"It shall not be carried out of the
church, but the priest and such otherß
of the communicants as he shall call
unto him shall, immediately after the
blessing, reverently eat and drink the
same."
The Rev. Samuel had consecrated
enough wine for 60 people, and scarce
20 appeared, and try, as he did.
he was unable to flnd any one to
help him in drinking the remainder.
One must confess that the author has
written a most amusing chapter de
scribing the panic of the poor man and
finally his drinking the wine in des
peration. Promptly becoming intoxi
cated, he Is discovered by the bishop
and in consequence loses his comfort
able living, all for being such a slave
to d<"Tma.
When the family becomes rather hard
up Sally decides to work for her living
and, very much against the wishes of
her family, goes to London to study
typewriting. When we see her again
she has a good position. She lives with
a girl friend. Janet Holland, an artist,
a singularly unattractive girl with rad
ical ideas but a fine, big, human heart.
She is true to Sally "through thick and
thin," and though we see all too little
of her In the pages of this book she has
a dominant personality and compels re
membrance.
The author goes into many details of
Sally's life — her bringing up, her friends
and a near love affair — in order to give
a picture of her morality, her virtue. It
is so perfect that we are almost as sur
prised as Is Sally herself when she
yields to Jack Traill and consents to
live with him. It is love only which
causes her tp do this; love, too, of the
big, giving all, romantic kind, not to
le met every day in the streets. For
three years Sally devotes her life- to
i im, and then be tires a little and al
lows his elster to put "her meddlesome
iinger Into his affairs, and tragedy re
sults.
The book Is filled with, quotable
passages, chapters of strong descrip
tion, notably a description ofa prize
fight with .bare fists, and bits here
and there of writing almost too
good for the everyday novel. As for tha
story, it will have Its admirers and Its
f-nemies, and they will each be uncon
vinced by the other. The flamboyant
paper wrapper Is heartily condemned.
Nothing in the text excuses It. Th©
book Itself Is well printed and bound.
KUHNE BEVERIDGE, SCULPTOR
PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE LATEST WORKS OF THE FAMOUS
ARTIST WHO BEGAN HER CAREER IN SAN FRANCISCO
BOOK PAGE OF THE SUNDAY CALL
"The Inspiration of Poetry"
By G. E. Woodherry. author of "Heart of
Man." etc. Itiblixhed Ity the Macjnlllaii
<-<ini|.«!iy. New. York. Price $I.2*>.
VA poet of distinction himscf Mr.
Woodbcrry is perhaps even better
known as a critic of poetry and a guide
to its deeper meaning and more subtle
beauties. In such works as "The
Torch" and "Heart of Man" the real
meaning and purpose of literature are
expressed with an eloquence and sin
cerity that Inevitably carry convic
tion and enlightenment. The new vol
ume. "The Inspiration of Poetry," is of
somewhat the same character. It is
based on the Lowell lectures, which also
formed, for a previous year, the basis
of "The Torch." After a preliminary
chapter, In which Mr. Woodberry treats
of the more general aspect of his
theme, he takes up a number of the
great names of literature and shows
how these men were really possessed of
inspiration. Canioens, Cervantes, Mar
lowe — these are a c few of the poets
whom Woodberry discusses with the
warm sympathy and unfailing eye for
the permanent and universal quality in
a man's work, which makes his great
value as a critic
The author has just sailed for Europe
and will .be gone a year. He first goes
to East Africa and thence to Naples and
London. It is understood that he is
now at work on an important publica
tion which he will -complete upon his
return to America,
Gossip of Books and Writers
"Despite their furious energy ' and
their genius for mechanical invention,
the Americans are no more civilized
than the Japanese. The men are cruel
and dishonest In business and^ the
w6men are hard, immeasurably con
ceited and impatient of the duties of
domesticity." This is the indictment
of America made 5 lately by the English
Saturday Review. The occasion was
a discussion of Mrs. Humphry Ward's
novel, "Marriage a la- Mode." Of
Daphne, the American heroine of Mrs.
Ward's novel, the English journal
says:
"She is simply- insufferable, con
'celted, pedantic. Insolent, lecturing .
everybody. The book may shock those
who make the mistake of regarding
the Americans as civilized people.
Daphne is a splendidly drawn type, the
woman who is swept into marriage by
'a sudden gust of physical inclination';
is disappointed and disgusted by. the'
first experience of marriage, and then
Impatiently cancels the contract, talk-
Ing about her career, her Individual- !
ity, her chances. Of course a great
deal of the trouble," continues - our
critic, "is caused by so many American
girls being left in uncontrolled posses
sion of so much money. Until the
United States adopts a decent and unl>
form law of divorce we shall persist
In regarding the Americans as semi
civllized and as setting a very bad ex
ample to the rest of the world."
There, now!
• • " • ;• \u25a0 . . \u25a0 \u25a0
The essentially difficult choice, of
short stories which the editors of the
"Great English Short Story 1 Writers"
have made for their two new volumes In
the Harper's "Reader's Library" has
been based upon. these principles: "That
the shorl story must be complete In it
self; that it is short because it can not*
be long; that It consists of a single in
cident." Thus the first example chosen
is "The Apparition of Mrs. Veal," an
amusing half satire by Daniel Defoe.
Next comes a very serious ghost story
hy James Hogg, "The Mysterious
Bride." Among later writers is Wash
ington Irving, represented by "The.
Devil and Tom Walker"; Nathaniel
Hawthorne, by that strange tale, "Hei-.'
degger*s Experiment"; Edgar Allan Poe,
one of the greatest students of the short
story, by "The Purloined Letter." From
Dickens comes "The Boots of the -Holly
Tree Inn," and from Dr. John Brown hie
never to be forgotten "Rab and His \u25a0
Friends." A catholic selection covers
recent short story writers — among them
Stevenson, Bret Harte, Frank R. Stock
ton, Thomas Hardy. Henry James, Mark
Twain,. Gilbert Parker. Conan Doyle
has a Sherlock Holmes story, "The Ad- \u25a0
venture of the Speckled . Bard." The '
selection from Kipling is "The Man .
Who Would Be King." Finally there Is'
even a story by that most modern of
short story writers, O. Henry. "The
Hiding of Black Bill." Historical ref
erence is well served by such an as
sembly and good reading is assured.
Because he dictates his novels, E.
Phillips Oppenheim has ample .time for
travel and recreation. He gives a few
hours in the forenoon .to his secretary,
60 that the afternoon is free for golf
and the evening for bridge, two games
over which he is extremely enthusiastic.
Mr. Oppenheim 'Is reputed > to be one
of the best bridge players In England
and often plays at the same table with
another novelist, Frank Danby (Mrs.
Frankau), .who has also an' enviable
reputation as a bridge player. He has
made It one of the chief factors in his
recent story. "Jeanne of the Marshes."
UNA H. H. COOL
The Isle or Whispers
A "Tale of the New, England' Seas,"
an American sea story!: Oh, that can be
disposed of in short order. But, can it?
Not a bit of it. Once begin E. Law
rence Dudley's latest tale, "The Isle of
Whispers," and it will not be laid aside
for any reason whatever until the last
page is turned. • ' ( - i\'-- \ \u25a0
' We. are warhed on : the paper wrap
per that It Is. a highly picturesque
yarn; it is. . It was suggested to the
•author through tnles of /it 1 mysterious
"No Man's Land" off Nantucket.
A successful' young broker is .taking
a much needed rest orihis- yaclit. .He
intends to cruise' about off the coa-st
with, no aim at all but-rcst and health.
At a little Cape Cod seaport, where
Odes on the Generations of Man"
ny'Hartly Rurr Alexander. Published by the Baker & Taylor company. New York."
In a sort of foreword Professor Alex
ander explains a' "few - things about
poems; as compared to music. .What he
has to say is very ; interesting. -To
quote: "For the nibre regular, poetic
structure the ! rendering that- answers
to the author's moodmay be expected
to be obvious; but .for a complex and
varied poem, especially the* oJe In ir
regular-strophes, the-, effective reading
Is often to be obtained only as"a result*
of study. It has ; seemed, therefore,
worth while (following worthy prece
dent) to aid the interpretation jsf the
present composition by giving for each
division Indications of' tempo: and ex
pression such as are , customary in
music." \u25a0 • -
New Books Briefly Noted
No author .has ever had such a re
markable reputation as Mr. ; White en-,
cbuntered on hie return , to Emporla
from Europe. The -whole town turned
out to welcome the author of; "A Cer
tain Rich Man." -The characters of the
book must seem real to the" Inhabitants
of. Emporia, for Mr. White's creations
were persdnifled by several of 'the ora
tors of the occasion. It is noteworthy
that, /although Emporla has a popula
tion of lees than 10.000, over 2,(r00
,copies of "A Certain Rich Man" have
already been sold there — an average.of
about one copy to a- family. What
would happen if this ayerag.e were
maintained throughout the entire coun-'
try Is rather staggering to the imagina-
Carollne Norton,, whose biography by
Jane Grey Perkins has just been issued
by Henry Holt & Co. under "the title
"The Life of the Honorable Mrs. Nor
ton," was, as is probably not' known to
many. person*, the author of songs that
have got themselves \u25a0\u25a0\u25a0 sung. In Helen
Kendrlck Johnston's "Our Familiar
Songs and Those Who Made Them" she"
Is credited with the authorship of the
words of "Blngen on the Rhine," "We
Have Been Friends Together," "Love
Not! Love' Not! Ye Hapless Sons of :
Clay/ "Juanita, Soft< O'er., the Foun
tain" and "O Take Me Back to Switzer
land." which Jenny Lind made popular
in America. -- Mrs. Norton Is probably
best known as the author of "The Lady
of La Garaye." i - - :
• " •- • . •\u25a0\u25a0 '
That Moll: Pitcher, the brave woman.
who followed her husband through. all
the campaigns of the American revolu
tion, was a German is one of the many
Interesting facts brought- out in Pro-
Tessor Faust's "The German Element in
the United States." Her real name was
Maria Ludwig. and at about the begin
ning of the war she 'married William
Hess, a gunner — once taking his place
when he was wounded in loading the'
cannon. She trot the name by which she:
is generally known by her courage in
carrying food and water to the Boldlers
on the field. "Here comes Moll with' her
pitcher" was a welcome cry in the stress
of the battle and among the wounded
afterward.
• '• \u25a0 ;, • '\u0084". '..
The Year Book of the Carnegie-fn
stitution of .Washington is Just out,
containing a resume of the work ac
complished; under the auspices of the
institution during the year 1909. Thl3
book Is the eighth year book to be
published and is a volume of about 250
pages. It comprises the annual re
ports \u25a0of the president, the Executive
committee and. the directors of the va
rious departments of research, together
with reports upon the progress of other
investigations carried on, by Individual
grantees and associates -of thejiistitu
tloh. These year books; Bhow better
than any words can tell the tremendous
amount of ueeful research now .going
on through the Carnegie endowment of
$12,000,000. Every branch of research
Is receiving some benefit and all done
By.-E. I>awrence Dudley. Published by Henry Holt & Co., New I'ork.
they run In. a new man is signed on
among the sailors.' At the same time a
telegram is brought, on board saying,:
"Market smashed. Firm going to the
wall. Come at once." , . It is signed by
a clerk ,ln the office and : not' by the
young broker's partner, and it makes,
our hero very uncorrifortable. He orders
the, captain, to. take him .to New Bed
ford to catch a; train, but first they are
becalmed, then are suddenly- in the
midst of a fog. then squall, then storm.
During the storm the new. sailor Is at.
the wheel and after many exciting ad
ventures succeeds in wrecking the little
yacht on the "Isle of Whispers.".
The troubles which pursue the hero
are /dreadful, but perfectly plausible,'
and, one reads page after page wonder
With j the explanations which follow
It .is of added /interest "to read the
serious ; odes whfch go to compose the
book. 'For "example; the' author says:
"In the first group, the prelude' lea Js
Into ode I, . which, : < moving '.with . a
marked crescendo to 'an abrupt retard,
is |an interpretation; of man's evolu
tional genesis, while ode 11, slow and
poignant, interprets his ideal, evolu
tion.".-..: \u25a0 ' \u25a0-. " '\u25a0" .;\u25a0".; ;; ....
Explanations for each and all are
equaily clear and are of great he*lp in
interpreting the , decidedly profound
work. Ode 111 is a very musical num
ber.' It is entitled "Strange Prayers
Ascending Up ' to God" and is marked
adagio pugnente. . The opening lines
in ure iiiusL bjaienmiic ann scieniinc
manner!: Botanical research, experlmen
ttal evolution, economics and sociology, .
geographical " investigation, marine
biology, meridian astrometry, historical
research, are a few of the departments.\
The solar observatory at Pasadena. and.
the nutrition laboratory .in ; Boston' are ;
also under the management of the in
stitution.': (Published by; the CarnegieV
Institution of Washington, D. C. Price'
$1.); \u25a0- : \u25a0\u25a0\u25a0 - \u25a0:'-;-. , . . : \u25a0> •. . - ' v ;
:-\u25a0 \' -\u25a0 ' '\u25a0'•;.-'.-* ; ;- -\u25a0\u25a0•-'•-'"" -^ '.'.''\u25a0: i-i.t.
"How to Study the Stars" Is the title
of a book by L. Rudeaux, which' Is
now translated into- English by A. H.
Keane, LL. D., F. It. :',G. S. It ih an ; ex- '\u25a0]•
position of astronomy with small tele- ;
scopes and the naked* eye and /besides
contains many suggestions and exam- ;
pies of celestial -photography. Now
that we are almost In the tall of Hal
ley's comet, it seems, a fitting time for
the amateur and layman to. find out:;
n few things about the heavensiwhich
he has not known before. This Is the
book for him. In simple, unscientific
language a knowledge of the/stars is
unfolded, making; the- study fasclnat- |
ing. Itjs a book for those, past the
echoolday age who "want to know."
(Frederick A. 'Stokes company, New
York.) , ' .'
• . • . '\u25a0 » \u25a0 .
The February number of the Western
Journal of contains a very
interesting discussion of "Women in
Education" " by Effie B. McFadden, 1 Mrs:'
Clara « Martin, Partridge, Mrs. Mary
O'Neal, Ednah A: "Rich, Mrs. Arthur
Washjburn. Elizabeth M. -Sherman,
Frances dv Brutz, Isabel Krench, Paul
ine Hart and Miss Laura T.Fowler.'The
discussion covers "every phase ,of the
subject and every, one of the papers are
worth reading. - The editor of the mag
azine, Harr Wagner, also touches
"Women . in Education" in his depart
ment. - The,; magazine keeps up its
standard of excellence and Is interest-
ing to a large body of the public as well
as'to teachers. (Published in San Fran
cisco.; $1.50 per. year.) k '
' '\u25a0' \u25a0'\u25a0'-. T [* : < : ViV •- , ".'-.' " "
\u25a0\u25a0• Brentano's "Wisdom Series" has been
enriched by the, addition of two new
volumes, one v'The Wisdom^ of Shakes
peare" and the other "The Wisdom of
Ralph Waldo Emerson." The .Shakes
peare consists ' of: extracts from
prose and verse selected and arranged,
with an introduction by -Henry Copley,
Greene/^ Not only are ' the -.extracts
chosen with much taste and judgment. 1
but they cover so big a field that they
wilU.appeal to air readers. ,The Intro-.;
ductlon is' clear andHlluminating. and"-'
the : glossary wIUC be found of great;
value to the unscholarly wise. :-
The Emerson book has been similarly
arranged and contains an 'excellent In
troduction 'by .William B. : Parker, who |
Shows in every:w6rd he writes his love
and appreciation of the great essayist.
It* was., a difficult matter to^plck and \
choose as carefully as the- editor had ,
to i here, for c the ; book is a 1 small one
and each quotation is a. gem. '\u25a0'/ None of '
the old favorites Is mlssingr and' none ;
in the volume could be omitted. ; Every
thanks is due, the compiler for so much .
ing how he can possibly, be extricated.
There is a girl, of course, tout she is not
of "first Importance -in-, the story. She
helps the. hero in- the final unraveling
of the tangle of .trouble about him, but
is a rather colorless- young person. .The
story must be read." It would spoil the
whole book to tell ' the plot; half, the
pleasure-is in the surprises. . •:.
So much _for the storyl The writing
of it'deserves special mention and much
praised The author has succeeded; In
Imparting; a, real' flavor of "salt ;to his
narrative not o{ten found in such hur
ried: fiction. It is almost a pity that
the story Is sO interesting, for one hur
ries through the ; fine : descriptions in
ofder to see what happens ,next. The
bookis for readers of' all ages. -
are quoted as 'giving a taste of. the
author's ! style: " ... • - : * • ?_ ' */?
"Strange . prayers ascending op to God
Through rJI the aching aeons, year oo year;
Strnnge tonpups uplifting from th«» sod
The old antlphohy of hope. and fear:
Strange "If He should not hear!" . '
. ,/This [particular odo goes 'on to de
scribe the material development of man,
sinking, through three changes, from
the; rapid history of the inaugural al
most to quiescence In ; the fthal theme —
a • quiescence preparing for the slowest
movement of all. the vision of ode IV.
The - little book V j»: decidedly worth
reading, 1 for'it is*un usual* and has real
literary merit. The author; is a doctor
of philosophy in the University of Ne
braska. ....- ' „ :; • ' \u25a0\u25a0 .
worn bo Eucceßsiuuy-accompuoHeu. iv«
little books are daintily bound in red
limp .leather with conventional deco
ration in gold. \u25a0 (Price $1.)
* -i \u25a0'*'>\u25a0?''':; • -- \u2666 \u25a0 • "*.\u25a0\u25a0 ..
Isaac. Newton Phillips has printed a
monograph on Lincoln," a. worthy "con
tribution to the bibliography of the
president whose__rnemory is more, re
vered as the years go by and whose
simple honesty and wholesome- phil
osophy of life are getting to have a
deep significance to the people of this
as well, as other countries. . .
:\u25a0 -This volunfe Is a revised lecture de
livered some 10 years ago in Illinois.
It-Is a rare appreciation ,of a great
man and. is truly entertaining. As a
man, as a politician, as a statesman, as
a friend of humanity,' Mr. Phillips -has
presented this president of the. people.
He |j has done this in pure, delightful
English. The \ publishers have com
pleted \. the charm of., this volume by
large print and good binding. A repro
duction {of an ambrotypeAtaken four
days,*after the'Lincoln-Douglas debate,
and said to be the most perfect likeness
pfS Lincoln in existence, adds to the
personal interest of the book. ,
j (A; C. McClurg & Co., .Chicago, pub
lishers. Price *1.) ,
• . •\u25a0. \u25a0 •\u25a0 . . • . .
"A recent book is "The Menace of So
cialism,'-' "by W. Lawler Wilson, who
has taken so prominent a part as writer
and speaker in the campaign against
socialism now; being conducted' in Eng
land. y.The .book is comprehensive and
original. * It ! considers socialism and
anti-socialism' the two great economic
forces which are about to enter into a
struggle for supremacy, that will decide
the ; political- future of the; western
world., : Taking a scientific- and evolu
tionary view of the movement, the
author regards: socialism as a -real
menace and forecasts a great outbreak
of social revolution in Europe within
the next. thr^ee or four years. Strangely
enough, that coincides with the Imag
inative foreview of;the socialist author,-
Jack London, one of whose latest works
is a study, of social revolution In 1912
1913. : . .
..\u25a0\u25a0'.'•- * *
According to The Spectator,; the late
George- Meredith's father. Augustus
Urmston Meredith, emigrated to Cape
Town in the middle of the -nineteenth
century, kept a. tailor's shop at the cor
ner of.; St. -Georges and Hout streets!
And returned, to England after a stay
of some years/ The Cape Times has
published .letters fro-m. several persons
who remember him and, knew that • he
was the novelist's .father. :;' His ; fine
presence and dignified reserve, his!fond
ness for Walking and. his readiness at
the age ,of> 66 to* make the ascent of
Table -mountain are among the things
recorded; also .his_ pride. In his son's
"Farina,*. 1 published In 1857. Meredith
was hot wont to talk'expansively of his
parentage, says .The . Spectator ; writer.
Considering the^quallty of: EnglishjWit
oh the subject', of tailors, who" blames
Jiim? 'One, can' not pass one's days .in.
knocking^men down for repeating an-,
dent; jokes at ; the expense of - one's
father.: ... •
"The Tempting of Paul Chester"
By Aliw and Claude Asipw. Published . by
"\u25a0\u25a0 R. F.;Fcnno & C 0.." New York and London.
It took two people. Alice and Claude
Askew, to write "The Tempting of
Paul Chester." There ought' to have
been a- third to edit it andcut>it down.
It is a long drawn out story,' curiously
chaptered and the dialogue is spangled
with banalities. '. There Is a somewhat
worthy plot, entertainingly English,
but the characterizations are not con
vincingly human. . There is just enough
charm about the story and Its develop
ment to bring considerable regret that
it failed when success was possible.
jrThe story deals with- the" woman's In
terest and acknowledged influence-* in
English politics, but the woman.: is
thoroughly bad." She draws Into her
net man after man for the tone of
domination and influence. One of her.
victims is the straying husband of the
typical good English wife." He Is saved
from himself 'and the vampire, and for
the second time falls In love with his
wife. Qne of the best features of this
limping book is the English color.
'What sort of an excuse can any, one
flnd * for the .writers who . permit the
bad woman heroine to act and talk
like the email boy in the street? She
says at different times and places and
to . men as well as women: \u2666
"But you shall suffer. You'll be
sorry for this some day."
"You had better not insult me, Ru
pert, or. I'll make you suffer for It as
you'-have .made me suffer!"
"I'd make her suffer." • • • -
In the end virtue triumphs and the
vampire .Is . banished to Sahara.
About Neitzsche and - Others
- "Neltzsche in Outline and Aphorism"
is the title of a little book compiled by
A. R. Orage. It is exactly what it pur
ports to be and is therefore a very
useful little book to readers who have
not sufficient time to study Neitzsche as
a whole. In a short, clear introduction,
a brief sketch is given of Neitzsche's
life and the difficulties under which he
labored. One gets a glimpse of the per
sonality of the man which is a distinct
aid in appraising the value of his
works. The definition and aphorisms
are -carefully chosen and prove that
the compiler is not only an admirer of
Neltzsche, but a careful student of him
as well. --The aphorisms have been di
vided under 10 chapter heads, philoso
phy, life, man and woman, etc. The
book is attractively printed and bound.
(A. C. McClurg & Co., New York and
San " Francisco. I 75 cents.)
\u25a0-.\u25a0 / • • • \u25a0»
From, an English letter one learns
that "Miss Rhoda Brough ton has Just
expressed through the Morning- Post
her deepest gratitude to the anonymous
donor of the very handsome gift re
ceived by her on December.l 2." Twenty
five years ago Miss Broughton was the
Sand-Eliot-Bronte-Corelli of that re
spectable time. "Cometh Up as a Flow
er," ."Red as a Rose Is She" — ah. what
books her youngsters considered those,
with their "willful, impassioned hero
ines and wicked, carnally minded he
roes'*.; with their feverish liveliness,
their sweet sentiment, their breathless
onrush in the first person .singular!
Now — well, now. I fear. Miss Broughton
would not be labeled dangerous by the
libraries. She still writes. -Since 1903
she has received a. civil list, pension of
£75 a year "in consideration of her mer
its as a writer of fiction."
• .'\u25a0 • * •
How. the "Swiss- Family Robinson*
came to be written, and what its his
tory has been, is .told in a note pre
ceding Howells' introduction to the
new edition of the story. Illustrated
by Louis Rhead, which the Harpers
have issued. In this edition the name
of David, (not Johann Rudolf) Wyss
appears as the author. It appears that
the story was written in ; the latter
years of the eighteenth century, not by
Prof.' Johann Rudolf Wyss of Zurich,
as books of reference generally state,
but by his father, David Wyss of Berne,
a chaplain of the Swiss army. He
wrpte the story to amuse his children,
and after his death his son revised
and published it. The first copy was
printed in. 1812 under the tremendous
title, "Der Schweltzerische Robinson.
Oder der Schiffbruchige Schweitzer
prediger und Seine Familie; Em Lehr
relches Buch fur' Kinder und Kinder
freunde zu Stadt und Land." When it
came, to be translated into French it
was enlarged by baroness de Montolieu.
the new portions being later retained
by the German publishers. The Eng
lish translation used by the Harpers
is. the standard one made by Mrs. Paull
in ISGS.
.* "'"" '" * - . • •
Dr. Henry Van Dyke was recently
elected an honorary, member of the
Royal Society of the United Kingdom.
The j honor is at present enjoyed Dy
onlyv one other American, Joseph
Choate, former United States ambassa
dor to Great Britain. v The election of
Doctor Van Dyke,, it is understood, is
the result of the recognition by/ the
society' of his literary merit.
"Kings in Exile"
By Charles CD. Roberts, author of •'The
Backwoodsmen." efe. . Published by the *tfac
millau company. New York. Price $1.30.
In the ' hue and cry against nature
faking during the last few years 'much
has been said for and against the
work of Charles G. D. Roberts. If
this 'be nature "faking:, give us more
of it. for it Is the kind of faking
that rings true. No one ca.n deny that
Sir. .Roberts paints wonderful word
pictures of prairie and wood and great
silent spaces, but in this book there
is little to > remind us of the author' 3
favorite field. Here he takes us to
the city and introduces to us tha
"Kings" of the . wilderness in a new
setting. ,
The "Kings" are the buffalo, the
puma, the moose, the wolf, the eagle,
the . octopus, the seal, and the bear.
Each story tells of the life or of an
Incident in the life of one of these
"Kings,** now exiled In the home oC
the white man. The second story In
the book is perhaps as strong as any.
It is entitled "The King of the Flam-
Ing Hoops" and the puma is the sub
ject. A strong point is made of the
hereditary hatred of the puma for the
bear, a fact so often mentioned In
books on wild animals- The recital of
the return to the wild of •"King." tha
finely trained puma, is most dramatic
and will be read with breathless in
terest.
The last tale in the book Is "Th»
Duel on the Trail." not legitimately an
"exile" story, but in a collection of
wild animal tales quite in its right
place. It tells of the tracking of a
little rabbit by a- hungry mink. Just
as the . mink is sure of his quarry,
after a long hard chase, he is cheated
by an equally hungry fox who chances
upon the scene quite by accident.
The duel between craft and strength
is terrible and the tragic result ex
pected. "It is the kind of story which
the cranks on nature faking will light
upon \u25a0with Joy, but not one of them
can read, it with scorn. It seems too
real and it is only afterward that
they can find any fault.
Throughout, the writing is graceful
and poetical and the author's love for
all the out of doors is evident In every
line.
Gertrude Athertons is the latest of
the many distinguished women who
have come out strongly in favor of
woman's suffrage. Mrs. Atherton has
no doubt whatsoever about the merits
of the question, but she does not pro
pose to enter into any active campaign
of the militant suffragettes. "My life
Is devoted to the one Idea, that of
writing fiction,"* she announced just be
fore leaving San Francisco. "To this
work I concentrate -my whole life. I
lived long enough in England to appre
ciate just what equal suffrage would
TRean to the women on the other side.
They have greater grievances than the
women'in this country, although there
are public questions here and evils
which will never be solved nor remedied
until women can vote." Mrs. Ather
ton has many strpng opinions. It Is
not Improbable that her possession of
them is one of the reasons for the
great success of her novels.
BOOKS RECEIVED
"The Man in the Tower." by Ralph S. Holland.
J. B. LJpplneott. Pblladflphia.
"The Last AmTicnn Frontier.** by Frederick
L. Paxon. The M.-ierriilUu company. New York.
"Central Amvrica ami Its Problems." by
Frederick Palmer, MoCat. Yard & Co.. New
York.
"Lincoln.** hv Isaac Newton Phillip*. A. C
McClurs & Co.. <?hieaco
"Nletzsche in Ontllne and AphorHm," by A.
U. Orage. A. C. McClurg & Co.. «.'hieaKo.
"The 'Wiadoin of Ralph Waldo Kinersoo.** by
William B. Parker. Brentano's^ New York.
"The Wisdom of S'Jakespwu-e," by Henry Cop
ley Green. Brentano's. New York.
"Sally Bishop." by E. Temple Tburston.
Mitchell Kennerley. Xew York.
"TW Tempting of I'anl Cluster." by Alice
find Claud* Askew. K. F. Feu no & Co.. New
York.
"Kinz* in Exile.*' by Charles O. D. Roberts.
The Maemlllaa rtnnpaay. New York.
'.•The Inspiration of Poetry." by George E.
Wow! berry. The Maemilia!i company, - New
York.
•Th« Isle of V,'!jispers." fey E. Laurence
Dudley. • Henry Holt & Co., New York.
"Tower of I wry." by liertrtme Atbertoa.
The Macmlllan company. Xrw York.
' "Panama and the Canal." by Al'rwl B. Hall
and C. U Chester. ' Nelson 4k Co.. New York.
"Idols of Education." by l'rof. Charles Mills
Gayley, iJoubleday. Pace & Co.. New York.
"Strictly Business." by O. Ueiiry. Doubledajr,
Pair? & Co.. New York.
••From the Bottom Up." by Alexander Irvine.
DoubWuy, Page k. Co.. New York.