The San Francisco call., 1896-10-11
CELTIC LEGENDS.

THE WASHER OF THE FORD: By. Fiona
Macleod. New York: Stone & Kmball, pub
fishers; CLOTH price 81 %.
The legendary moralities and barbar1c tales
| presented in this volume will command atten-
ton, not only because they are worthy of 1t in
| a literary sense. but because the author has
| endeavored to illustrate what has been for
| hundreds of years characteristic of the
purely Celtic mind-an apparent complexity
arising from the grating of Christianity on
| paganism. 1t is held that to this day there
are Christian rites and superstitions which are
merely q gloss upon surviving antique pa
| ganism. The titular piece is the keynote of
the book as well as the before -ment toned char
acteristic of the Celt In the passage of pa
ganis m the old myths were too deep-rooted in
| the Celtic mind to vanish at the bidding of the
cross. "The Washer of the Ford, as the au-
thor remarks. might well have appeared to q
single genera ation-now as a terrible and SOM
Der pagan goddess of death; now as symbolic
| figure in the new faith, foreshadowing spirit
ual salvation and the mystery of the resurrec-
| ton. There are fifteen legends in the book and
every one of them is rich with imagery and
with the natural poetry in which Celtic tradi-
tion a bou nds.
! In order that Arthur Morrison's new book,
"a Child of the Jago," may be issued this
| autumn new plan for its serial publication
has been adopted. The first thirteen chapters
will appear in the New Review The re-
mainder of the book will be given to the pub
| lie for the first time when the story appears in
book form. Mr.. Morrison is known as the
author of "Tales of Mean Streets" which crit
les everywhere acknowledged as the most pow
erful stories of slum life written in recent
years. The new novel is in character like his
former success, but is the result of more care
full work. The author thinks it the best writ
ing he has ever done. The American publish
ers are Herbert S. Stone & Co., Chicago.
On the first of June there were in existence
in Paris 1921 periodicals of all kinds classified
as follows; Eight hundred monthlies, 669
weeklies, 1877 dailies, 237 with no fixed date
of publication. The others are semi-weekly,
etc. France as whole, including The colo
nies, issues 3566 periodicals, of which 336 are
dailes.
"Genius and Degeneration" by DR.. William
Hirsch, is the title of an important work
which VIII be published Immediately by D.
Appleton & Co. DR.. Hirsch's acute and sug-
gestive study of modern tendencies was begun
before Degeneration" was published. with
the purpose of presenting entirely opposite
deductions and conclusions. The appearance
of Dr. Nordau's famous book, with its criti-
cisms upon DR.. Hirschs position, enabled the
latter to extend the scope of his work, which
becomes q scientific answer to DR.. Nordau, al
though this was not its purpose originally. 1t
sh ould be read by every intelligent person
who wishes to understand the spirit of his
time and the lessons which history teaches
the psychologist.
Messrs. D. Appleton & Co. announce for
early publication the first volume of the great
historical work which has occupied the ener-
gies of Edward Eggleston for the greater part
OF the last sixteen years. The general title is
G of in atasj
the first volume-"The beginners of a Ma
tion'--dealing with the causes and motives of
the seventeenth century migrations.
The October Philistine has a prose sketch
by Stephen Crane, wherein is told how a cer-
tain baby boy, bow-legged and bareheaded,
wearing a greasy dress marked with many
conflicts like the chainshirt of warrior tod
dies from an alley up on to fashionable street
and steals toy wagon from baby in frills.
1t was great timel William Mcintosh has
pithy argument on s'The Literary Sweatshop."
Charles G. D. Roberts has a fine poem pleading
for light and good nature. But the "Side
Talks are the best the magazine has had for
months. They occupy sixteen pages and make
up just half of the booklet. They are very
full of pepper sauce.
On the completion of the compositors' work
at the printers of Ian Maclaren's new book,
"Kate Carnegie and Some Minister'S" the
author wrote in the following terms to the
manager of the Office: Gas this (batch of
proofs returned) completes the tale, would
you kindly convey to the compositors my sim
cere appreciation of their skill? Would you
also distribute the inclosed triae among the
men who 90 my work. that they may smoke a
pipe extra to soothe their nerves after de-
ciphering my handwriting?"
The volume of collected sketches by Archi-
bald Forbes, to be issued soon by Messrs. Mac
milan, will be called Camps, Quarters and
| Casual Places" 1t consists OF papers which
have already appeared in the magazines, and
which, TO judge from the success that has at
| tended similar previous volumes by the same
author, are likely to find many readers in q
| more permanent form.
| Norway has abolished the study of Greek
and Latin in her public high schools, which
means the total abolition of classical educa-
| ton in that country.
A new translation of Shakespeare into
| French by NJ. Jules Lermina, with il1ustra-
cions by Robida, is shortly to be published in
Paris. 1t will be extremely literal, the trans
lator's intention being to enable his readers to
read Shakespeare ne wrote it, through the
medium of another language. "Hamlet' and
"Romeo and Juliet will be published this
| month.