The San Francisco call. [volume], December 01, 1912, Image 7

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

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
The San Francisco Sunday Call
NOTE!
* C> *
A Young and True Poet
("The Star Treader, Etc.," by Clark Ashton Smith)
THE emergence of a true poet usu
ally fxcitee an Interest which is
more general than genuine. Clark
Ashton Smith, whose book, "The Star
Treader an<s Other Poems," has just
been brought out by A. M. Robert
son, Is a true poet. Hβ is a truer poet
than we had any right to infer from
the examples of hie which have ap
peared in the news columns of the
daily press in advance of their publi
cation. Let one of Mr. Smith's most
charming- productions speak for itself:
CLOUD ISLANDS
What Wands marvelous are ibter
That tern the ronMt't fides of light—
Opals aglow in saffron was ?
How beautiful they lit, and bright.
Like some new found Heeperldes:
What varied, changing magic hu*"•<
Tint gorgeously each abort and hill!
What biasing, rlrW. smids and Mues
Tbeir steward winding »nUex« fill I
What amethysts their peaks eaffvse'
Close held by eurring arms of land
That out within the ocean reach,
■ii mark a faery city Ftand,
Set high upon a sloping beach
That burns with fire of ahimmcriug eand.
Of nnnaet-llght Is formed each wall;
Kern dome a rain bow-bubble aecms;
And erery spire that towers tall
A ray of golden moonlight gleams;
Of ©pel Seme is erery ball.
Alas! how quickly dims their glow!
What veils their dreamr splendors mar
Like broken dreams the islands g< 1 .
Aa down from strands of cloud and star
The finking tides of daylight flow.
Here It a poem of a rare and sym
metrical beauty which does not falter
unless one were to quarrel with the
line,
That out within the ocean reach.
If, however, its beauty seem too
frail, let u» turn to the splendid son
net "Retrospect end Forecast," in which
we meet the philosophic note. It is
Oarif stsnion smith
upon such a poem as this that Mr.
Smith's reputation may rnoet securely
rest.
RETROSPECT AND FORECAST
Turn round, O Life and know with eyes aghast
The breast that red thee —Death, disguiseless,
stern;
Even now, within they mouth, from tomb and
urn,
Thp duet is sweet. All nurture that then haet
Was once ts thou, and fed with lips made fast
On Death, whoM sateless mouth It fed ia turn.
Kingdoms debased, aad thrones that starward
yern,
Ail «re but ghouls that batten on the past.
Monetrtwe and dread, it fore'er abide.
This unescapable alternltr?
Must lorelinese find root with!* decay.
And migfct fJeroer its flaming hues alway?
Sickening, will Life not torn eyentoatly,
Or TUvtsMBS Death *t Ust be aacisfied?
But theee poems are not typical of
Mr. Smith's muse. They are merely
his best. They are the poems that he
himself is likely to prefer In a few
years. Here ie another short poem of
exquisite perfection. Two similar
lyrics, "The Dream Bridge" and "A
Live Oak Leaf" almost equal it:
PINE KEEDL.ES
O little lances, dipped in gray
And set Iβ order straight and clean
How delicately clear and k*en
Your points against the sapphire day!
Atteisting Nature's perfect art
Ye fringe he limpid armament,
O little lances ks»«nly sent
To pierce with beauty to the heart!
The following quatrain is a.peculiarly
happy expression of a form seldom
handled so well.
THE PRICE
Behind each thing a shadow lies;
Beauty hath e'er its cost:
Within the moonlight floo<J<*d skies
How many stars are lost:
A. careful examination of the con
tents of this little volume is produc
tive of certain definite Impressions.
The first impression is drawn from the
poemi—"Nero," "The Star Treader,"
e tc. —which have been placed at the
beginning presumably because they
are considered the poet's best. They
are his most ambitious productions and
in many ways they are remarkable.
There Is" no denying their richness and
power, but In the last analysis they
fail to evoke the finer emotions which
it is the function of poetry to excite.
If one were to read th'-pe first poems
only, the verdict could hardly be favor
able. I.\deed, it is probable tljat some
critics, basins their judgments on these
:ag in them distinct lim
itations, will say things that are hasty
and unkind.
It Is unfortunate that in this first
collection of Mr. Smith's poems the
dates of production should not have
given. It would then be possible
(and interesting) to mark the steps of
■what is pa I growing talent. It
Is perhaps unnecessary to add that all
true talent must be in a fluid state of
growth. The moment It set
It ceases to have constructive value.
The more nearly it k**eps apace with
the forward movement of the art of
xvhlch it i the greater
its slgnlfV more enduring
will it
Kegrardinu these more ambitious
l>of>ms of Mr. Smith's, the reader will
find the poet's declaration of principles
(from which in tie poem- already
! he hapi D Ms "Ode
on Imagination," which begins thus:
Imaginations '
O-itreHCh aad di
vision of the gwatewi -tar
incHSur«'B Instantaneously—
-!ert th»-rei:t n« ■
Its cincture of tlip systnn l.id<n skies.
AtysM-s clo*«vl about with uisUt
A tribute yield
To B«'r retnrdlesvs sigh):
And Mattel's itntf- rilnt'loee tli»> candent ores
Koct-lield In furnaces of planet-cores.
As has already been shown, all of
Mr. Smith's poetry is not erected upon
the conception of imagination ex
pressed in these lines and emphasized
in the remainder of the poeJa. Much
nf it is. In many of hie poems he
projects his mind beyond the Immediate
> f human. His thoughts fly on
the winffs of Imagination to Where
BOOK REVIEWS
She stnnrts endued
With ttuperninndane crown and Testltures,
of empirics that include
All underworlds aud orerworlds of drenm.
In some of these poems he takee an
external view of the material universe,
looking In from spi.ee like a "curious
god." In others he looks out upon
space like an astronomer at the eye
piece of his telescope which lures his
vision beyond the stars, yet does not
permit him to see the forested hills
about him nor the cottage nearby,
where a child is being born. Now
the poet whose imagination takes him
in such wide courses addresses him
self to our emotions in two ways only
—either by an impelling and powerful
diction which armors his thought, or
by the creation through lmagry of a
high visual beauty. To those who
do not renct to powerful diction or
who, considering It only a email part
of art to be used sparingly, crave an
other evocation, he will have little to
say. By the same token, he will have lit
tle to say to those who do not concelvr
beauty in terms of supermundane
things. The fundamental difficulty
with all poetry written in contempla
tion of infinitude is that the exalted
nature of the object contemplated
exalts language in the effort to ex
press it; the truest poetry, however,
is cast in language so passionate or p<.
beautiful that it infuses passion or
beauty into the things of which it
treats and which becomes thereby
transfigured. The poet should be able
to say, "1 speak and my words make
beautiful and vital whatsoever they
touch." He should not say. "That is
sublime, let me find adequate words
to describe it."
But as we have endeavored to show
in the poems quoted above, Mr. Smith
does not always soar in spaces whither
one may not follow hjm without becom
ing dizzy. "The Clcfud Islands" has to
do with the sky, it is true, but it is of
the earth. The poot deals with a sim
ple subject and beautifies and makes it
memorable by means of his art.
Tt will be seen, therefore, that Mr.
Smith's poetry falls into two major
categories. In one his imagination
transcends the limits cf life and mat
ter; in the other he clothes the things
of earth with lyric beauty. There ia,
however, a third category in which faM
such poems as "The butterfly." . In this
h* applies the method of the first cat
egory to the material of the second.
The poem is as aloof as "The Star
Treader." <
Of the poems in the spatial and stel
lar vein "The Song , of a Comet" if in
many ways the best. It shows a freer
rhythm and the pentasyllables and
words of disturbing unusualness are
comparatively infrequent.
It would be Idle to allude to the in
fluences detectable in Mr. Smith's work.
They are sufficiently obvious. The
really important thing Is that, in aplte
of the derivative character of'eome of
the poems—bo inevitable in the work
of a young poet as to call for no com
ment —there Is abundant evidence that
the poet has the independence of mod
ernity in hie blood. He shows It In the
free rhythm 3of some of his poems, and
it is easy to fancy his being? picked up
by the, great wave which has been
sweeping poetry away from tradition
with greater swiftness than it has ever
moved since the beginning of English
literature. It Is the wave upon which
Whitman the pioneer rode so mightily.
It Is the wave that bore Browning and
Merideth and Henley. It is on the crest
of this wave that Masefleld rides today
like one of his great and beautiful ships
Whose tests are tempests and the tea that
drowns
Others too—singers of the new voice
—Davidson, Housman, Doweon, Sy
mons, Bridges, Middleton. Bynner—
have ridden on this wave that sweeps
Irresistibly onward. f
- Poets may escape the wave by
scrambling up en the ancient peak* of
song or by soaring Into thVempyrean,
but both places are deserted and lonely
and filled with death and the coldness
of death. Even hell Is cold in poetry,
as ft Iβ in slang. Only life Iβ hot. Na
ture la warm. •
Regarding Mr. Smith's adherence or
nonadherence to the traditions of
prosody, it Is only necesstfry to quote
Edwin Bjorkman's words, "Rules are
made for those who do not think."
There Is much that might be said about
the mechanics of Mr. Smith's poetry,
but let It suffice to call attention again
to his rhythm. In many cases his sen
tence structure militates against
rhythmical flow, and frequent
lables Impair the music of bis meas-
Their absence from "The Song
of a Comet" results in a superior rhyth
mical unity. How welcome, too, the
two lines that emerge in agreeable
monosyllabic rhythm from «Ode to the
Abyss."
0 th6u wnow? hands pluck out the lljrht of stars,
Are worlds grown but as frtut for thee?
•€aye for the consonantal plexus in
"worlds grown." the rhythm here shows
a successful handling of a succession
of monosyllables which is one of tfce
ultimate tests of technique." A greater
sutfvity of rhythm is achieved also in
the beautifully wrought octave of a
sonnet entitled "A Dream of Beauty."
Let our young and true poet epeak
once more and exquisitely:
1 dreamed that each most lorely, perfect 4hlng
That Nature hath, vt sound, and form, aud
hue —
The winds, tl;e grass, the light-concentering
flew.
The gleam and swiftness of the sea-birds wing:
Blueeen* of *en r id t-k», aud gold of storai
Transmuted b« the sunset, and the flame
Of autumn-adored leaves, before m<* came.
And. meeting, merged to one diTlner form.
SHORTER REVIEWS
A New Interpretation
There is no denying the interest of
this little .volume by Dr. leador H.
Corlat, entitled 'The Hysteria of Lady
Macbeth" (Moffatt, Yard & Co.; 75
cents). In it the author attempts to
apply conclusions drawn from re
.ffls in abnormal psychology to the
interpretation o< Lady Macbeth's char
acter. Not content with presenting an
lypothesis upon which certain analo
gies between scientifically observed
phenomena and the actions of Shake
speare's woman may be erected. Doctor
Cor Vat declares that Lady Macbeth was
affected with a "typical" hysteria. Al
though there will be many to say that
the author claims too much for #his
theory, he has essayed a new form of
literary criticism which is filled with
suggestion and interest.
* # *
For the Sleepless
"Sleep and the Sleepless" (Sturgis &
Walton company) is a treatise by Dr.
Joseph Collins which should prove a
boon to those who suffer from insom
nia. It deals scientifically, but non
technieaUy, with thY phenomenon of
sleep and presents the results of the
PORTER GARNETT
Delightful Finnish Myths
{' Auie Sampo, by James Ualdwin;
tAMEJS BALDWIN has produced in
I "The Sampo" (grribner's) a book
fnat will give pjeaaure to every one
into whoge hands It may fa'l, whether
they be old or 'j&ung. The story of
the Sampo is a, series of related legends
drawn from the ancient lore of. Finn
larfd—a series of <jnyths new to English
readers and interesting not alone on
that «eeol*nt tfat by reason of their
inhere,ns charm. >
Mr. Baldwin's woric is base* largely
upon the, so called "Kalevala" .a long
poem by Dr. Ellas Lonnrot wljp under
took the task—occupying many years
—of coHectlng and putting into this
permanent form all that was best in
the legendary literature of his coun
trymen. The present version has been
admirably adjusted to the requirements
of modern readers who will enter
through it a new field of mythology
unknown up to- the present time to ail
except the professional folk-lorlst.
There are a great many episodes in
"The Sampo," each interesting in itself
and touched with the delightful fan
tasy of ancient romance. The story
tells of the wonderful adventures of
Wainamolnen, the wizard minstrel, and
of Umarinen, the smith, in the Frozen
Land or Pohyola which is now Lapland
and In the Land of Heroes or Walnola
which today is known ajj the country
of the Finns. Wainamolnen promises
Dame Louhi, the Wise Woman of the
North, that he will induce his friend
the smith, who first tempered iron and
forged the sky, to make for her the
sampo, the magic mill which grinds
out all sorts of treasures and gives
wealth and power to its possessor. This
he does and the sampo produces cease
lessly, flour, salt, and gold. The sampo
Is locked in the earth and the Frozen
author's thorough study of the causes
and cures of i-leeplessnrss. Doctor
Collins is particular to point out that
the requisite quantity of sleep is much
less than popularly supposed, and he
educes abundant evidence In support of
this contention. There are interesting
chapters dealing with dreams, opiates,
narcotics and hypnotism, and a final
chapter on "Reading as a Soporific," in
which various authors arc recommended
as sleep producers. Among- these are
Amiel, A. C. Benson and Sir Thomas
Browse. The palm, however. Is given
unreservedly to the "Familiar Letters"
of James Howcll.
* # #
Drunkenness
"Studies in the Psychology of In
temptraneeT (Sturgis & Walton com
pany), bj# G. E. Partridge, author of
"The Nervous Life," Is a comprehensive
study of the problem of intemperance
nnd the care and cure of persons ad
dicted to drink or drugs. Under tb«*
head of "The Intoxication Impulse"
the of drunkenness is ex
amined historically and pathologically.
Experiments upon animals are con
sidered as well as the study of human
subjects under intoxication, and the
Land becomes the land of plenty.
There are many wonderful and strange
quests to the Land of Shades and to
,the home of Wipunen, the Wisdom
Keeper, and llmarlnen submits to
strange tests in order that he may win
the hand of the Maid of Beauty; such
testa as plowing a field of serpents
'itnd battling with the Great Pike of
■T'uoneia. The legends tell of how he
pursues the maid, how he wins her
and .how she is finally lost to him.
It tells of the Golden Maiden that he
would put in her place; of the famine
in the Land of Heroes und the ex
pedition to the Frozen Land to obtain
some of'the magical products of the
sampo. Dame Louhi refuses to share
the prosperity that the magic engijje
has brought to her country and so the
minstrel and the smith take posses
sion of the sampo and make off with
it. They are pursued and In the fight
that ensues the sampo is shattered to
many pieces. These are carried by the
sea to many parts of the earth and
to all of these places they bring ,
abundance. One tiny fragment only is
retained by Dame Louhi, and so, tb ,
the present day, the Frozen Land is*
meagerly supplied with the grain and
fruits that flourish elsewhere.
The phenomena of nature are va
riously interpreted in "The Sampo,"
and many of Its incidents are in th«
form of fables in which animals, birds
and insects play their parts. There is
a freshness about this unusual r>o<*k
which gives it distinction and which
will cause it to be remembered.
The admirable illustrations are "by
N. C. Wyeth whose work njay be
observed here in a phrase differing
widely from the western life in the
depiction of which the artist mztde his
reputation.
conclusions are set forth with inform
ing detail. The author then takes up
what he calls "the practical problem"
and discusses the saloon, preventive
and educational measures, and the care,
cure and control of the drunkard. While
the book will have a scientific interest
to neurologists and the medical profes
sion generally, it will find many inter
ested readers among laymen.
•¥ •*- -X-
A Timely Book
"Panama, a Textbook on the Canal
Zone and Republic. With a Gr.ide to
the Pacific Coast From Panama to San
Francisco," is the title or a handy vol
ume written and published by Charles
Walker Burris of Kansas City. Mr.
Burris' book contains 144 pages, which
arc tilled with informat'on under so
many different heads that the reader
will doubtless find in it all th" facts
relative to the country, the canal and
particularly to traveling:, that a
book may be expected to contain.
* * *
There are some notable names
title pajjes of a series of little leather
bound gift books published by the
Funk & Wagnails company. i" n the
collection are "The Misfortune of a
World Without Pain," by Dwight Hillis;
"The Signs of the Times," by William
Jennings Bryan; "The Call of Jesus to
Joy," by William Elliot Griffls; "The
Latent Energies of Life," by Charles
Reynolds Brown, and "The Conserva
tion of Womanhood and Childhood," by
Theodore Roosevelt.
BRIEF NOTICES
"Pruyefß for Mttle Men and
"Women, ,, by John Martin.
■•'Royal Auction Bridge." by R. F.
Foster.
"The Humane Idee," by Francis H.
"Fdwley.
"Onr Country I.ltfr," by Frances
Kinsley Hutchlnson.
"A Valiant-Woman," by M. F,
"The Mother Hook," by Margaret E.
gangster.
"Illineelf, ,, by E. B-.*Lowry arid Rich
ard J. Lambert.
•"Prayers for Little Men and Women"
is the title of a well printed and in
terestingly de<*orated and illustrated
book by "John Martin," which is the
name under which Morgan Shepard,
formerly of San Fruncisco, writes. The
prayers, of which there are 80, are in
verse, and beside containing new In
terest for the child contain simple and
sound moral lessons. Published by
Harper & Brothers;
* # #
The rules and methods of expert play
in the newly developed game of Royal
Auction has been written by R. F. Fos-'
ijter, well known as an authority on
Bridge. Published by the Fretfericfc A.
Stokes company.
* ♦ #
FrancSs H. Rowley, president of the
Massachusetts Society for the Preven«
tion of Cruelty to Animals, has put
his knowledge of man's attitude
through the ages toward other animals
into a little volume entitled "The Hu
mane Idea." The author draws his in
formation from many sources, among?
which classic literature figures largely.
The book is published by the American
Humane Education ao'ciety.
* * *
In J * Our Country Life" (McClurg),
the author. Frances Kinsley Hutchin-
Bon, tells how she and her husband
devoted 10 years to the perfection of
the methods aim materials of ,a suc
cessful and happy country life. There
is much in the book about gardening
and more about natural history in a
variety of phases. Persons owning
country houses will derive both pleas
ure and profit from this relation of ex
p< riences.
» * *
Under the title of "A Valiant
Woman" (Crowell) "M. F.," the author
of those striking book#> "The Journal
of a Recluse" and "Klrstie" writes
authoritatively and suggestively upon
vital phases of the problem of educa
tion. It criticises effectively the mod
ern practices in the teaching of Eng
lish and discusses frankly the ques
tions of socialism, suffrage and mar
riage.
Margaret E. Sangster has produced
In "The Mother Book" (McClurg) a
work that should have a v/ide appeal.
As the dominant figure in home life
the mother of the family stands in a
relation to society which warrants the
care and thought which Mrs. Sangster
has devoted to her congenial subject.
A handy volume entitled "Himself."
by Dr. E. B. Lowry and Dr. Richard J.
Lambert (Forbes) deals with sexual
hygiene for men. It gives clearly and
completely the knowledge essential to
every man's health end success. The
authors are recognized authorities on
the subject.
Best Seller in Disguise
("The Bride's Hero," by M. P. Revete)
np HE Frederick A. Stokes company,
I publishers of "Th« Bride's Here,"
by M. P. Revere, announces that
the author in in reality a well
known producer of beet sellers who is
trying the experiment of pseudonymlty
In order to find out how much a
mere name counts with the fiction
reading public.
The story ought to capture the pop
ular taste because its interest and read
ability are apparent at the outset,
and well sustained to the end. Persons
looking for a story with which to pass
th* tUne agreeably will find it in "The
Bride's Hero." The author has chosen
a method of presentation which makes
for movement an* intimacy In the
telling: of his (or her) tale. It is
cast in the form of a young; woman's
diary and begins with an entry made
in San Franeiso. We catch here a
glimpse of the city and learn that the
heroine has formed a girlish and ro
mantic attachment for an English
nobleman whom she has never seen,
but to whom she has been attracted by
his brilliant reputation as a soldi >r.
Sandra—such is *ie heroine's name-
goes to Englam and as fate woult ,
have it she meets Sir Miles Culver, hei
hero, on the day before his engage
ment to a famous opera s'nger la
announced. The marriage does not
take place, however. Sir Miles
brother also loves the singer and she
him with a love that proves stronger
The Salary Question
("How to Get Your Pay Raised,"byNathanielC.Fowler)
<|* tOW to Get Your Pay Raised,"
T~\ by Nathaniel C. Fowler Jr.
(McClurg), Iβ An extremely
Judicious and full setting forth
of factors of material success. The
author haa dealt with practical
questions in his other works, "How to
Save Money," "Starting in Life, ,, "Prac
tical Salesmanship" and "Gumption,"
and brings to his present treatise ?>o
fruit of his wide experience and s. re
markable faculty for presenting hi*
eubject In a variety of minor aspects as
well as in those of more general sig
nificance. Thue we find a well ordered
discussion of the many influences that
tend to increase or decrease the wage
earning ability of the Individual, which
in their sum may be regarded an the
underlying principles which lead to
promotion.
After discussing fully the question of
equipment for service. Mr. Fowler en
ters into a consideration of the rela
tions between employer and employe
and the attitude of the irage earner
toward his work. It is in this section
that the practioal question of advance
ment is treated in a practical manner.
Novels and Short Stories
A CRY IN THE WILDERNESS, by
Mary E. Waller—A dramatio story of a
girl's life in the wilde of Canada, told
with the skill which won recognition
for the author's "The Wood Carver of
Lympuß," (kittle, Brown; $1.30.)
THE WIND'S WILL, by Albert Britt.
A novel to command interest in plot
and characterization. The farm boy,
Christopher Dunham, meets the respon
sibilities of a life for which he is un
prepared. Three interesting women
play their parts in his career, which is
skillfully c'eveloped along unusual lines.
The story has ingenuity and presents a
vivid picture of American life. (Mof
fßt, Yard; $1.30.)
HELL'S PLAYGROUND, by Ida Vera
Simonton— A stutty of the conditions of
society o» the' French Congo coast,
which reveals in the career of a young
English aristocrat the demoralizing in
fluences of life amojig the African na
tives. The story is o-ne of large pur-
Bose told with uncompromising frank
ness. Moffat, Yard; $1.35.)
ADRIAN SCROOP, by Rowland A.
Wood-Seys—A tale of extravagant but
diverting adventures in the lives cf a
millionaire and his daughter. Unusual
and highly entertaining. (Dodd, Mead;
$1.25.)
THE HONEY POT, fey Norval Rich
ardson—The scenes of this cleverly
conceived story are laid in Mexico,
where an attractive senorita nlays with"
the affections of three Americans. The
spirit of comedy prevails throughout
the lively narrative, (Pago; $1.)
OLD TIMF. AND YOUNG TOM, by
Robert J. Burdette —A collection of
genial and humorous discourses deal
ing with age and youth and many other
things. The personal note enters pleas
antly. (Bobbs-Merrill; $1.25.)
HOFFMAN'S CHANCE, by William
Caine —A story of artistic life with a
Bohemian atmosphere. The hero is a
musician and playwright, whose diffi
culties in the pursuit of his ambition
are related in an interesting narrative
l>f the London art world. (John Lane;
$1.25.)
THE STREET OF TWO FBIENDS, by
F. Berkde'y Smith —The author, who
has lived for 20 'years in the artist
quarter of Paris, teirs true stories of
the picturesque life which he knows
so weH. His point olT: view, is intimate
and sympathetic and his style captivat
ing- (Doubleday, Page; $1.50.)
{BROKEN ARCS, by Darell Figgis—
This author, well and favorably known
in England, has written a psychological
novel of onusual strength and signifi
cance. It reflects modern life and is
distinguished by ke*n observation and
character study. (Kennerley; $1.35.)
THE LOCUSTS' YEARS, by Mary
Helen —Life in ;he Philippines is de
scribed in this story with detail and in
terest. The plot has to do with the
career and complicated .love affairs of
a trained nurse. (McClurg.)
THE ISLAM! OF BEAUTIFUL
THIXGS, by Will Allen Dromgoole—A
southern romance of imaginative charm
and literary address. The story deals
with the influence of a child upon the
life of a man. It is a book to be read
and recommended by lovers of fiction.
In it poetry is -mingled with power
character delineation and narrative.
(Page; $1.25.)
MEADOWSWEET, by Baroness Orrzy.
This refreshing story appeals by rea
son of the interesting character por
traits it contains and on account of the
well managed plot in which a charm
ing woman wins the reader by the way
she influences the characters of those
about her, especially a sister whose
jealousy and disloyalty complicate the
lives of both.
THE TIME LOCK, by Charles E.
Walk—A mystery story or rather a
story of many mysteries in which the
reader's interest will be aroused by a
«trange disappearance and kept alive
COM*!
MENFSi
than discretion. They attempt an
elopement and the singer is killed
in an accident to the automobile. The
brother is smashed up and it become"
necessary if his life is to be saved
that an enormous sum be expended for
the services of specialists. Sir Miles,
who is devoted to his brother and
knows nothing of bis duplicity, is in
no position to meet this expense nrvl
contemplates disposing of the family
estates.
This is Sandra's opportunity. She
is rich and her friend. Lady Meldon.
suggests to her that she save the situ
ation by marrying Sir Miles. Although
Sandra loves him her motive in con
senting to the arrangement Is an un
selfish one—she wishes to make It
possible foi Sir Miles to save his
brother's life
The barone* submits to the "arrange
rosat," and Sandra becomes Lady Cul
ver. Her husband treats her with
formal indifference and h!e brother
hates her cordially. How in the end
the indifference of one and the hati.l
of the other dre overcome, constitutes
the better part of the story, rising nt
times to an intt-nse but restrained
dramaism. The fact that restraint is
at times thrown asidt in a manner
which ma!--a it impossible for one
to take certain episodes seriously,
does not prevent the story from being-,
on the whole, both vital and enter
taining.
Every aspect of the problem is dealt
with successively and the author's con
cluslonn—frequently in the form of ad
vice—are set forth.
A few of the chapter headings will
give an Idea of the way the problem
is approached. Here are some of them:
"Pay Raising Luck," "Asking for In
crease," 'On Time and Ahead of It,"
'Watching for the Prospects," "Asking
for More Work," "Making It Easier
for Your Employer," "Knocking,'• "Do
ing -the Unrequired," "Concentration."
etc.
In Mr. Fowler's opinion the way to
get an increase of salary is to deserve
it, and his book is designed to show
how this may be done.
Not the least valuable and interest
ing part of the book consists of 100
pages in which 69 "Americans of dis
tinct mark and se'f acquired success'
state in letters to he iuthor what con
tributed to their first raise in salary
and to subsequent promotions. Advice
is cheap and usually futile, but 'How
to Get Your Pay Raised" is much more
than a book of advice; it is a book
from which any one—particularly
young men—will derive benefit.
by 'a succession of incidents which
make for suspense and entertainment.
(McClurg; $1.35.)
THE MINOR CHORD, by Joe Mitchell
Chappie—-A errand opera prima donna
of international fame writes her biog
raphy, which begins with her child
hood in the west and takes her through
the wide ranging experiences of her
professional career and her inner life.
(Chappie Publishing company.)
MISS WEALTHY, by Elizabeth Neff—
A suspected bank robber has the good
fortune to fall into the hands of the
Unsuspecting and good hearted Miss
Wealthy, who, in her zeal as deputy
sheriff, makes a curious mistake and <i
number of firm friends. The pursuit
of the culprit leads to amusing com
plications which are satisfactorily ex
plained«at the end of an entertaining
narrative. (Stokes.)
A ■WALL OF ME\, by Margare\ Hill
McCartep—The story deals with the
stirring incidents connected with the
fight in Kansas against the slave hold
ing policy. John Brown is one of the
characters in the roujance,. and the
massacre at Lawrence is among the
histftrical episodes Incorporated in the
narrative. (McClurg; f1.35.)
STEPHEN MILHEW, by Howard B.
Seltz—A biographical novel in which
the evolnticn of a boy is minutely
etudied. He emerges a striking char
acter under influences and experiences
which reflect interesting phases of
Amerioan life. (Cosmopolitan Press;
11.50.)
A BUILDER OF SHIPS, by Charles
M. Jheldon—A story of how a- man
rises i. ?ra the wreck caused by his
own weakness. It deals with the ca
reer of a ship builder whose ambition
leads him into difficulties from which
with the aid of religion, he emerges.
(Doran; $1.20.)
A LIVING LEGACY, by Ruth Under
wood—The characters are American
types Conducted through an interesting
narrative of Philadelphia life. The
plot is erected upon a young man's
guardianship of the charming daughter
of a dead friend and presents interest
ing problems. (Winston; $1.35.)
THE SIEGE, by John S. Williams—A
love story of the civil war written from
the southern point of view ana dealing
with historical events through which
a thread of romance is woven. (Cos
mopolitan Press; $1.20.)
THE CAVERNS OF CRAIL, by
Thomas Sawyer Spivey—The author
has made ancient Persia the scene of
this story of adventure and intrigue.
(Cosmopolitan Press.)
THE LADY OF THE SXOWS, by
Edith Ogden Harrison—An English
hero becomes fi member of the Cana
dian mounted police. After many ad
ventures he v, ins the hand of the girl
who had rei'used to marry him, al
though charged to do so by the will of
her wealthy uncle. (McClurg:; $1.2"..)
THE CRADLE OF THE DEEP, by
Jacob Fisher--The hero, the heroine
and a Frenchman escape from a ship
wreck only to be thrown upon their
resourc es on a"desert island. How the
Frenchman dies and how the others
are rescued after adventures sucn as
can occur only when the facilities and
restrictions of civilization are removed
make a story that will be followed with
interest. (Page.)
THE ENCHANTED BURRO, by
Charles F. Lummis —Tales of romance,
adventure and mystery, two of which
deal with California and others with
Mexico, Pei v and other parts of the two
America.' (MeCTurg; $1.)
JUST BOY, by Paul West—The au
thor has collected into a book the let
ters of Samuel Torrey Jr.. which in
their misspelt accounts of that young
ster's escapades have amused thou
sands who read them when published
in the magazines. Mr. West admits in
his preface tliat ho. is the original Sam
uel. (DoranJ