Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-08-03
LITERARY NOTES.


August Arena is on 1.-THE Value of Hyp-
notism as a means of Surgical Anesthe-
sia'' by James r. Cooke, NJ. D., in which
he gives an account of some OF his ex-
periences as physician in the use OF
hypnotism as a substitute for morphine,
cRioriform, and other opiates. he claims
from his practice that hypnotism can
-,7-I ---;U ~'-."lv Tho nlncA now held IN
medicine and surgery by morphine, etc.,
in at least from Is to 80 per cent. OF all
the cases in which these drugs are used,
incidentally he Combats the popular luea
that hypnoUism is some sort of magic or
iugplery of trance mediums and such
people. 1t does not depend upon any
hidden mysterious force inherent IN a
few gifted individuals; its operation is
simply the intensifcation of one idea by
some form of impression made upon the
nervous system. 1t possesses other
advantages over morphine and chloral,
etc. inasmuch as it does not fasten any
morbid and fatal habits upon the patient.
A Midsummer Magazine.
How girls were courted in the old
Puritan DAYS and the difficulties, now
unknown, 20 marriage are delightfully."-
described by Alice Morse Earle in the
August Ladies' Home journal, which
article is put next to snake story by
Max O'Rell, reminiscent of his life in the
bush of Australia, and which he calls
my First Snake" Julia Bond valen-
tines charming story, 1.-THE Whistllng
Girl" is the subject of two most exquis-
lite illustrations by Irving R. Wiles:
Sketches, with portraits, of -Four
Famous Young Authors" Richard
Harding Davis, Rudyard Kipling, John
Hendricks Bangs and Jerome K. jerome,
comprise the biography of the number.
Mr. Howells' literary biography, which
he has aptly named "My Literary
Passions" continues to grow in inter-
est and charm. John Gilmer Speed writes
of ''Mud-Imprisoned Women" making
strong plea, in behalf of women, for the
improvement of country roads. Frank
R. Stockton continues to amuse with
Pomona's letters to her old mistress; as
- does Mr.. A. B. Frost, the original
''RuddeI Grange" artist, with his clever
illustrations. Edward w. Box writes OF
NThe Boy in the Office" and Grace
Ellery Claiming of ''Politeness in Two
Countries" The Clever and funny
Brownies are at Newport, and their
escapades at that fashionable resort are
exceedingly amusing. Florence Morse
writes of the advantages and disadvanta-
ges of suburban Life for Women" and
Mrs. Garrett Webster gives very novel
idea for summer fair under the title
"The New Athletic Carnival" Mrs.
Mallon writes of Dainty Styles in
Lingerie'' and "The Art of Dressing the
Hair" Miss Scovil's Suggestions for
Mothers" are valuable, as is the column
devoted to Musical Helps and Hints"
Altogether this August issue, with its
pretty summer cover by Alice Barber
Stephens, is a particularly dainty issue,
and no woman can afford to be without
it. Sold by The Curtis Publishing Com
pany, of Philadelphia, for ten cents per
number and one dollar per year.
The August Forum.
The August number of The Forum
comes with its usual quota of timely and
suggestive articles. Under the general
heading Sentimental Dealing with
Crime, and its Worldwide Increase"
Mr.. D. Meg. Means, New York public.
list, writes on the principles Involved
in the Recent Strike" reviewing the
whole trouble in calm, dispassionate
manner. Mr.. Henry Holt, under the
title punishment of Anarchists and
Others" criticises our present system of
furnishing criminals, characterizes as
farces the insanity pleas so often made
in their defence, and recommends that
protested Anarchists be declared outlaws
and exiled, under pain of instant death
should they return, without wait
ing for them to commit crime; Mr.. John
Brooks Leavltt writes about the "Crimi-
nal Degradation of New York Citizen
ship as manifested in the recent dis
closures made to the Lexow committee,
and he points out the terrible fact that
the quality of our American citizenship
is being destroyed in the mad rush for
wealth, and urges all good citizens to
combine together to obtain honest munic-
ipal government; Mr.. Henry Charles Lea
closes the series with an article on 1.-THE
Increase of Crime, and Positivist Grim
inology," calling attention to the alarm
ing worldwide increase of crime, and
urging the necessity of a prompter and
more rigorous method of Furnishing our
criminals.
Romance.
The radical reduction in the price of
Romance, from % to 10 cents a copy,
resulted Immediately in great increase
of It's sales, four editions of the July
issue being required to meet the de-
mand. 1t is safe to predict still larger
sales of the August number, as the public
oulyneeds to know of such an opportunity
to buy the best of stories, ten of them,
for dime, and it is sure to improve it.
The special feature of this issue is a
group of Mystery Stories, the first Of
which is the famous Heaphy ghost story,
unknown to this generation, but the
source of much wonder and delight thirty
years ago. The other two tales of this
= group are original and striking. Be-
sides these there are one of Alphonse
Daudet's charming fantasies, pretty
summer love-story by Herbert D. Gal
laudet, an extraordinary tale by Stanley
j. Weyman, boys story by Hetta L.
H. Ward, and others equally attractive
Romance is issued by Romance Publish
ing Company, Clinton Hall, Aston Place,
New York, and is sent for 10 cents.
These little rebellions are useful in
increasing ones geographical knowledge