The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-01-09

the Egyptologists, have. been busy. and
Prof. Hilprecht in Assyria has pro-
claimed new discoveries lby which all
present accountsIofsthe antiquity OF na-
tions will haveEto be revised Record.
500
A GLANCE backward
The Year In Liter over the year just
azure. closed does not reveal
many landmarks in novels, romances,
poetry or essays, either at home or
abroad. notwithstanding the flood OF
books which seems to be increasing
year by year. According to the GEN.
sus of 1890 the publication business OF
the United States pays wages to the
amount of s69.OO0.000 year in round
mum bers, ands few. except those whose
business brings them in direct contact
with the output of the publishing trade.
have any idea of it's extent and variety
outside of the number of newspapers
and magazines. The number OF books
and the variety of subjects upon which
books ale written seem toincrease every
year, but of the major part ct these the
muse of hietoryl takes no account. AS
Charles Dudley Warner, in his recently
published volume of essays, says, litera-
ture is nothing if not "the expression of
contemporaneous life," a remark, how
ever, that needs qualification. This con-
tenn poraneous life is carried forward in
the general movement Of literature much
as an army advances by lines of individ-
ual soldiers. The rank and file are
necessary but in survey of results in
history only the heroes and generals are
specially designated.
Looking at the matter in this philoso-
phical way it becomes possible to speak
of the literary output of the year with
out any misgivings as to omissions or
any ambition toward catalogue-making.
Thus in fiction, while the number of
stories. novels and romances is as usual
legion at home and abroad, those which
have at least produced something Of
stir in the literary world are not diff
fcult OF enumeration. Among these
but not, of course. including all, are Mr..
Harold Frederic's "The Damnation Of
Tn eron Ware" and March Hares." in
which is shown union of journalist and
novelist that caught the public's atten-
tion. Mr.. Marion Crawford, of course
we have always with us. and there seems
to be no reason why we may not expect
our usual novel from his hands every six
months for years to come, unless. indeed
he should at last conclude that writing
too m uch is not good plan and settle
down to less ephemeral work. Mr.. Henry
James "Embarrassments" shows his lit
erary art to good advantage. but like his
story. THE Other House." can scarcely
be said to rise even to his own former
level. Mr.. Howells has not claimed at
tention except by two interesting short
stories, while Mark Twain in Joan of
Arc" has essayed new field, as has al
so Mr.. Henry B. Fuller in his "Puppet
Booth" Miss Murfree's "The Mystery
of Witch Face Mountain" has much of
the charm of the stories that made her
famous. but indicates no notable ad-
vance. OF other writer's Of fiction Gill
bert Parker's 1.-THE Seats of the Mighty"
is probably to be regarded as an advance
on When Valmond Came to Pontiac
which is to say that it is book well
worth reading even in this day of many
books. Mrs. Ward. in "Sir George Tres
sady," has given us another of the fin
ished works of art the public has come
to expect from her, and Walter Pater's
admirers will gladly add his "Gaston de
Latour" to list of works now closed.
Barrie. Crockett, Black, Besant, Doyle
and "Ian Maclaren" have divided the
honors of English fiction with Mrs.
Ward Mrs. Burnett. and. perhaps, Marie
Corelli in a descending scale.
In poetry but little that passes the or
dinary has claimed attention during the
year, the most notable perhaps being the
sonnets of William Watson on Armenia
and Kiplings latest volume, "The Seven
Seas" The death of William Morris
leaves Algernon Charles Swinburne the
sole survivor OF the greater poets of the
Victorian age, and the sudden death Of
Coventry Patmore few weeks ago in his
74th year removed poet but little
known in this country except by his
"The Angel in the House," curious
commingling of earthly and heavenly
love, which found still further exempli-
fcation in his unknown Eros.'
The year has not been a great one in
literature. but has produced at least
some things the world will not willingly
let die" and among them probably few
not included in the above necessarily
brief and inadequate reckoning.-Chi-
cago Record.
The war of four world famed workers
against the world, the flesh and the
devil in Boston began on Sunday in ear
nest when d. L. Moody. Archbishop
Martinelli, Sam Jones and Francis MUIR
ply opened the crusade meetings. The
greatest of the meetings was held in
fremont Temple. 1t was practically a
continuous meeting from 1880 o'clock
in the forenoon until late in the even
ing. conducted by Mr.. Moody. Enor-