Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-09-03

ber periodicals and Other Publiea-
tons.
A erftsessm Of Mrs. Humphrey
Wards "MareelIaD would Involve
dlseussion Of socialism and an analysis OF
the greatest woman intellectually since
George Eliot. sfTs. Ward is 40 intel
Iectual genius- Therefore sbe is not .
genius. Genius has 10 such limits as
the intellect. When she gets beyoDd
the domain of mental philosophy, che
Founders bsyond bef depth. In Mar
celia she attempts the impossible 10
women-a woman 10 love, besutsfoi
creature, yet the propagaDdlSt OF fad
Of political economy-sOciAlism. As in
ssRobert Eisuere'' Mrs. Ward deals
with the religious problem 20 In Mar
celia she takes up socialism and handles
II In tboro1gh-going Ergiish manner.
II b material socialism, a. il has man
iGested itself In its various pbenonIeds
Of English social problems. Msreella
Il the exponent Of this material social
fsra. or rather the ideas and principles
upon which lts advocates rely 10 melt
down the barriers between the aristo-
cracy and the Impoverished masses.
The author needs to bring her exponent
10 contact with the other extreme, or
potential factor Of this problem Of the
economic algebra. She has her parents
come Ia posseasiOn Of an estate along
side one Of EngIsnd's prOudest baronet
cies. MarceIla, the only daughter, Ii
ths only one Of the family introduced
70 the lords family. The young lord
and heir 10 a mature, subdued, repose-
fuI, coIIege-bred EDglishman. Mar
celia 10 the repository Of crude eDthns'
iasns. He has studied socialism and
dIgested It. He smiles pleasantly at
her ebulitions on that subject and sees
behind them only her brilliant and
positive nature. He smiles more pleas
antly at Marcella and il not In the least
afraid Of her socialism, end still less OF
her society. He loves Marcella. Out
Of these complications Mrs. Ward
evolves situations and contrasts, inter-
woven with sketches Of village life that
are the result OF close observation and
deep studles Of human nature. There
Snust be q central sun Of radiant, hope
ful light shining over and behind all OF
her phIIoeophy, because her studies Of
the poor and distressed do not lead TO
the dark brink Of fatallsD that one al
ways finds oneself treading after read
Ing George Eliot. The story in its
dramatic features ls well wrought out
and holds the attention closely from
chapter 10 chapter and book 10 book.
Her American publishers are Macmil-
Ian and Co., New York and the edition
before Us consists Of two pretty hand
volumes ia canvas, green and gold.
There Ia fine reproduction OF the au-
thor's photograph and autograph as
frontlspiece,I that lbFlngs the reader In
closer touch with the writer.
Here areathree volumes Of a new
"cypher story" discovered and dis
clphered" by Orville w. Owen, M. ID.
and published by the Howard Pub.
Co., Detroit, Michigan. This marvel
lous iscoyery"-there, we know the
author will not forgive a. for using quo
tations marks--consists Of the pursuit
Of a theory 10 this effect: That by fol-
lowing certain cypher words OF verbal
formulas and arranging the pages Of a
folio edition OF Shakespear on q great
cylinder and turning It and skipping
about on tine wheel for passages, accord
ing 10 the arladne thread Of the cypher,
we are 10 unravel n story, OF several
stories and histories that Sir Francis
Bacon has hidden away only TO be re-
yealed TO DIR. Owen 800 years later.
OF course, It makes one feel like be-
ing turned loose In literary lunatic
Asylum, to wander through the pages
which comprise the result. II would
be simply impossible 10 select passages
from Shakespeare plays and string
them together with any kind OF coher-
ency, or with all kinds Of incoherency
and even q good deal Of DR.. Owen
thrown In, and not havea Kaleidoscope
result, with enough gems scattered
through the rubbish 10 repay one for
''pgwing over" the litter. or course,
persons who are already converts TO the
BaconIan theory OF accounting for the
plays can swallow this sort Of thing
aud not suspect tina. there are severel
large soft spots Ia Dr. Owens Uranium,
chief among which ars his belief Ia Sir
Francis BAcsn's theory Of ever having
had such an insane Intention ~ 20 rely
on some one 20 unesrth his mysteries
three hundred years later, and the hal
lunolnatlon that anyone wanis hls
shaksspesr diluted with the mouthines
az nallvaied literary crank. II this
whole publication is not intended for a