Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-07-07
MAGAZINE NOTES.


mopolitan" as the especial feature Of that
number. 1t is not unnatural to find low
ellis and James in company, for Howells
has long been an admirer OF James, and
he would naturally use his editorial au-
tholity to call upon his friend for con-
tribution. Long ago in an article upon
James, Howells spoke OF James's uniform
success as being partly due to the FAC
ceptance compelling power of his MSS.
upon editors, and now this power is be-
ing exercised upon himself. Jersey
Villas" opens Interestingly, and promises
much more of plot than Mr.. James gen
orally allows himself Of that frivolous
factor. His style, as it appears in this
first installment. is freer from involutions
and convolutions by which the reader is
made to travel three milss around to
reach an obvious goal a quarter of a mile
across, than in his earlier stories. That
the old Adam is not dead is apparent,
however, in several places; when the
hero is motioned to return to the chair in
which he has been sitting, he is not SO
vulgar as to sit down again; but he ire
sumed possession OF this convenience" in
an elegant and Jamesonian manner.
"On Pawnee Prairee," by Gertrude
Smith, is a story of life ON Kansas
ranch, told with remarkable degree OF
clearness and knowledge. The life is un-
lovely and the characters unattractive !;
but it all stands out as boldly from the
glazing expanse of the Kansas prairie as
the figures on an ugly sunburnt land
scape stand out in photograph. The
truth of the treatment is truth to facts,
which is as far beneath the ideal truth of
which Keats dreamed when he sang,
Beauty is truth, truth beauty" as the
earth lies beneath the over-arching heav-
ems. Nevertheless, "On Pawpee Prairie"
is an unusually good example ofthe kind.
Poor Martin Rico, joyous painter Of
blue, blue skies, dazzling Spanish pin
nacles and dappled waters, Jaccaci leaves
not crumpled wing to lift you skyward
after he has broken you, foolish butter
fly, upon his wheel. 1t seems scarcely
fair that Rico's delicate pen and ink
drawings should illustrate an article 20
unfavorable to himself. 1t is like having
to light ones own way to pugatory.
Jaccaci's rating OF the painter is probably
just, on the whole; hut it is surely taking
this sunny artist ar grand seyieux to COM
pare him with Millet. The flute, too,
has its place in the worlds music.
Francis Doveridge writes of "The Re-
turn to Race" in short but striking
paper. The method Of thought and ex-
preston so strongly recall Emerson that
it is no surprise to find, toward the end
Of the essay, Emerson's name heading
list in which that OF Shakespeare and
Michel Angelo follow.
The "Overland Monthly" for July
comes in cool summer attire of cream
white and green, but the bear on the
cover snarls on in spite OF being encircled
with roses. One of the most important
articles in this number is LAUNDERING in
Washington" The material is treated
rather from the statistical than the pic
turesque standpoint, but it is clearly and
Interestingly written, the facts being
stated in such way as to impress them
selves. Of the amount OF lumber still
standing in Washington, it is calculated
that ga street leading from San Francisco
to New York might be lined with FIVE
story buildings, two hundred feet deep,
and there would be enough lumber left to
plank the street its entire length and
build wooden side walks on each side"
Among the illustrations is the familiar
little logging road as it runs into Kamil-
chic. The article does not bear evidence
OF being "write-up," and it is relief to
be spared prominent" loggers.
An Amateur takes the Ribbons"
is q rocking account of how an ut
terly inexperienced driver in Southern
California undertakes to rid his town
OF drunken party OF men by driv-
ing them, five-in-hand, in an old
mud wagon to the next town. The team
consists of five fiery half-broken mus
tangs, and one wheel of the wagon makes
only about one revolution to ten of the
other three. The whole escapade is told
in such slangy, irrepressible way, with
such naive disregard of broken bones and
human life that the fun is contagious like
the robust jollity of another age. The
full page illustration of the wagon career
ing through the dust with its drunken
and hilarious cargo is full Of spirit.
"The Overland" is particularly good
this month, much too good to have al
lowed the story called 1.-THE Comprom-
User" place. The sonnet "Sleep," quo
ted at the head of this column, is by the
Puget Sound writer, Ella Higginson; its
musical grace speaks for itself.
Scarcely.
II Uncle Samuel's expenses were to
exceed his revenues by 500 000. OO0. he