The herald., 1897-12-05
(Edited by Enoch Knight)
INTO THE LISTS

(Edited by Enoch Knight)
INTO THE LISTS
On freedom nurturd and by peace made
self-conscious through achievemnt. half
content.
From fortunes contest. sated but not
spent,
To one wherein stern reason striveth long
And daring fancy lifts the cup of song,
Comes now "The West" to finer conquests
bent,
On victories of mind and heart intent,
While times grim warder calls, and ma
tions throngi
The magic circle of the mind and heart;
A realm where thought is free and feeling
true
To new ideals that outshine the old!
And where no custom stales the faithful
That looks beneath the forms of things to
view
What Shakespeare found concentered, fold
ON fold.
AFRAID OF HIS AUDlJNCE.-It might
be supposed that Bulwer Lytton, the per-
feet literary swell and the coolest of man
kind in any emergency, would have been
perfectly Indifferent as TO what was the
mature of his audience. This Goes not
seem, however, to have been the case. Mrs.
Oliphant shows that Bulwer Lytton was
afraid of womankind-that is, en- masse.
He once had to make an address at Il dinner
In Edinburgh, and he wrote to the mana
gers Of it, hoping that the hall would mot
be crowded with ladies'" The reason was
that, accustomed to talk It bores them
to listen, and their unaccustomed and frig
ell u q n y "a
the laborng orator vainly endeavors to
provoke" Then Bulwer Lytton threw in
a scientific smile. You could not, he as
serted, drive ANY spark of electricity"
through "non-conductors Of silk or mus
lin"
The book trade continues good all over
the country, and Los Angeles is leading
among the western cities. The fact is that
this is now getting to be reading commu-
nifty, and the publishers are beginning 10
realize it and to deal more literally with us
than has been their wont. All of which
Is another sign of our growth and enter
prise.
THE COMING LITERARY GENIUS
u. s. Tunison in the December Atlantic.)
The question is whether the coming genius
will be native to the east or to the west.
The case OF Japan makes the student of
literature and literary possibilities pause.
Compare the situation of this empire with
that of England in the time of the Tudor
sovereigns. The likeness is noteworthy.
All the influences of civilization from west
and east are focused. SO to speak. upon
a political and social organism which is
not only wonderfully receptive, but which
also displays the capacity of reaction in
its own original elements. Looking back
ward at the history of genius and seeing
how largely it belongs to the people as
distinguished from what may somewhat
irreverently be called the blooded stock of
n nation, one feels like inqurng how
deeply into the substrate Of human life
in Japan the alien influences have pene-
trated. When these reach the depths
where folk tradition turks and the popular
imagination slumbers, then the world may
well look for n reaction in which the nation
will show all that it is capable of in liter
nture. Meanwhile, observe. by way of pre-
sage, that two of the most striking lite
rary phenomena of the present day are
Rudyard Kipling, with his overlay of Hin
dooism on English human nature, and
Lafcadio Hearn. with his varied expert
ence. patiently inquisitive about every
thing Japanese. Finally. whether the sue
cessor of Dante and Goethe rises from
Asia or from the west, all the light of the
past shows that he Will speak, not the
thoughts of nation. but of worldwide
culture: that he will at last unite the di-
vided thought of humanity, and combine
In one view two civilizations that have
been in antagonism for thousands of years.
THE POTTER'S WHEEL. BY John Wat
son. DID. Gan Macaren). Dodd. Mead
& Co. For sale by Stol &; Thayer.
"Ay. note that Potters Wheel,
That metaphor. and feel
Why Time spins fast, why passive lies our
clay.
He fixed thee mid this dance
OF plastic circumstance,
This Present, thou forsooth would faln
arrest:
Machinery Just meant
To give thy soul its bent,
Try thee and turn thee forth sufficiently
impressed.
This is. to our mind, the strongest Of all
the authors books of this class. stronger
than 1.-The Cure of Souls" or THE Mind Of
the Master" etc. 1t is simple gospel
preaching and teaching full Of impressive
eXhortation and yet abounding in faith
and hope. Could anything be more s,rik-
ing than the soft note of this teacher when
compared with the trumpet of the oid-time
Scotch preacher. whose gospel was the
wall of warning and fear There is good
in the end In all that seems to perpleX us.
"They are the rough, unsightly, but most
skillful and adaptable machinery by which
God changes a lump of clay into vessel
fit for the finest service. No instrument
has ever created character like the play Of
life, with Gods hand holding the vessel"
But We are warned that the conditions
are required in the conscious human day
with its wealth of emotion ana power of
choice. One IS an understanding Of the
Divine purpose. which IS our holiness
And the other is that we love for only in
the atmosphere Of love can the Divine op-
erations have their full course and sue
coed. He IS only plastic material for the
Potter, who is filled with amazement rhat
God should think Of him. and with grati-
tude that Gol should take such trouble
with him: who sees in every touch Of gen.
tie severity another proof of his patience.
and who continually besecches God not to
cease until his love be satisfied" "
This is pc Werful preaching all SO nat,1-
raj and so simple; and Il IS only a page
cut out of volume of sayings worthy Of
being remembered and cherished.
+ ,
ELEMENTARY JANE BY Richard
Pryce. G. p. Putnam's Sons.
This paper cover is 40. 26 Of the Hudson
Library series. 1t is a very lively story.
and opens with an account Of Jane Smith