The Somerset reporter., 1894-10-04
Literary Notes.
President Eliot of Harvard, has written

President Eliot of Harvard, has written
for the October number of The Forum
an essay in which he points out the rea-
sons why the American Republic will
survive. in which he makes an inventory
of the great forces in our political and
social life. and shows that very many of
the institutions upon which we pin our
faith have proved insufficient in the past.
but that there are others, to some of
which little attention is paid, which he
argues have brought new forces into
human society. and which are likely to
give our institutions permanence. Ii l.
in every way a most remarkable essay.
Scribner's Magazine for October con-
tans the first of two articles on English
Railways by II. q. Prout, editor of the
Railway Gazette. Colonel Prout recent
~ made trip TO England expressly for
the magazine. to accumulate fresh ma
terial on Il subject with which he was al
ready familiar. In this first article.
which deals with Railroad Travel in
England and America" he compares the
systems of the two countries, particular
ly a To safety, speed, cost. comfort and
construction. Tie clear and entertain
Ing manner in which Colonel Prout de-
yelops the subject and the startling facts
with which his article abounds will. for
the first time. make plain to the unplo-
fessional reader many things of which
even the American railroad man is Wo.
fully ignorant. The article is richly
illustrated by \. b. Frost and from
photographs collected by the author.
There has been very interesting dis
cussion caused of late by serial article
being published in Harler's Young
People The article referred ia is called
~ Tip Around Cape Horn in 49, and
it tells anecdotes of the journey of an
actual ship called the Gray Eagle around
the Horn. Tie discussion is caused by
letters from several persons who made
the trip in the Gray Eagle, and they
have all furnished many additional an
ecdotes of the voyage. The fourth in
stament of the account is in the present
issue of the Young People.
In The Piny Woods. by Mrs. B. +.
Mayhem, in the October lIarper's is a
story of North Carolina, which indicates
that life among the uncultivated rural
communities of the South is not alto
gether the dismal and sordid existence
that has been so often described. Mrs.
Mayhem has constructed out of rude ma
terials domestic romance filled with
suggestion for writers who believe that
human beings part with most of their
morality and all of their happiness " hen
they cease to speak their mother tongue
correctly. Clifford Carleton is illustrat-
ing for Iarper's Monthly series of
character studies, by Julian Ralph. en-
titled ..'People We Pass" These studies
taking the form of short stories, deal
with the humber heroes of the tencments
of New \ DIRK City.
\ paper of rare historical value in the
October number of The atlantic is the
Hon. Henry l.. Dawcs's ''Recollections
of stanton under Johnson" IL presents
an intimate inside view of a period of
government life at Washington which of
course was quite without parallel, and
can never lose its interest and sgnifi-
canoe. The short stories of the number
are His Honor" by Miss Ellen Mack,l-
bin, a vivid picture of events in Il West
ern army post, and .'lIeartsease." bit
of true New England life. by Mis- Alice
Brown. Mr.. Henry j. Fletcher, whose
article on American Railways and Cities,
few months ago. attracted no little AT
tentlou, contributes "A suggestive cousid-
Grafton of "Thc Railway" in a tone not
wholly ininical to Mr.. Debs and his fol-
lowers. There i abundant strength in
the rest of the number.