The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-21

TIE PERMANENT WAY. BY Mrs.
Steel. The Macmillan Company
Before the appearance Of ION the Face
the Waters" Mrs. Steel was chiefly
lown. and that 20 limited number as
writer of short stories of Indian life.
nee the appearance OF her great novel OF
re Indian mutiny she has held q secure
lace among the great writers Of the day.
he has been called a rival OF Kiplng in
slineating Indian life. and IL she possesses
n a less degree than he the creative, dra-
matte genius which Eliminates subjec.
With flashes OF vivid light, she has all OF
is understanding OF Indian hearts and
indian life and reproduces In a mastery
way what she has seen and heard. She
as assimilated India. so 20 speak. Her
scai color is laid on with the artlessness
Il one whose life has been spent a. its
sources. and who has long since ceased to
iweil on things new and strange as ore
o whom the scene is foreign. She now
follows UP her successful long novel with 4
volume Of short stories entitled in the
Permanent Way" Every one OF the sto-
ries in this volume has warmth, color and
movement, and is ar the same time sim
Pile, dignlfied and pure. Many different
ohases of Indian life are sketched in these
stories. but In all with exquisite tact and
sympathy The humanity beneath those
fantastic turbans and amazing manners is
made very real 10 us Only mature
mind of rare intelligence. and profound
Insight into life. could have written
.Shub'hat" In the Permanent Way and
inca Himavutee." They are perfect in
form and diction. full Of pathos and power,
bat above all they are profoundly sad.
Sometimes We wish that great writers
would weave little more of the giadsome-
ness of life into their books. Life Itself Is
real enough, and earnest enough. and too
often more than sad enough, without the
novelist going out OF his way 10 paint
sombre pictures.
THE WISDOM OF FOOLS BY Mar
garet Deland. Houghton, Miniin X Co
TIL. above volume contains four stories.
neither short nor long, from the pen or
that very thoughtful writer, Margaret DE
land. They are problem stories OF Ia
miliar order, told with commensurate
frankness and simplicity. The last or
these stories. entitled ''rhe Law or the
Gospel?" is the most deeply interesting
because of the wide questions Ii raises.
II should be read and pondered over by
women whose favorite hobby in phlian-
,hropy is reclamation. Summing TOT
some years past has been a fashionable
Observation-Disclosures In many cases more
than that and yet in spite OF The zeai
and enthusiasm of martyrs the result mas
been failure. The philosophy Of social re-
form has been expounded in books. ex-
empiified In organizations and individuals
for practical work and can we call the
result success? THE Law or the Gospei?
illustrates the doubtful wisdom and ire
ouent impractica utility OF arrestng the
process of natural law. although the ef-
fort be inspired by the nobiest motive
Given n creature of circumstances that
conspire from first to last TO keep their
victim on the downward grade-hadly
born-surrounded by banefui infiuences-ts
il moral common sense, or is IL the wis
dom of fools to waste effort in attempt
ing the salvation of the victim from the
inevitable doom of law? Should not such
effort be otherwise directed? Mrs. De-
land tells the story. which is no far
drawn freak of fancy. but hard reality.
bat she offers no solution. leaving the
reader to solve It for himself.
The first story In the book has a mar
rover scope. a young clergyman, a fine
fellow every way, has at last found his
ideal wife, or thinks he has They are
ardent Christian workers, who believe
and practice what they teach. He has a
secret of his youth. known only to him
self fatal If known publicly. In loving
confidence he tells IL to his bride the day
before the wedding. which consequently
does not come off. Confidence is a very
deiicately poised virtue, and does not al
ways point clearly at a critical moment
Did honor demand that be make clean
breast of IL. or was his the wisdom OF
fools?" Many conclusions in the case IN
question are possible. Each reader viii
draw his own.
GLISMONT. A Tale I'm Verse BY Edaa
Lythroyn. III. j. Smith x Simon Chi
cago. Publishers
Glismont, tale In verse, bears the
following dedication: To my country. TO
an ideal Columbia dc dedicate this first
fruit volume Of my literary efforts To a
Columbia who is not a mere mockerv Of
our country's escutcheon. a mere tawdry
letter head with which 10 embeilish her
political documents a Columbia who Will
not passively suffer the bold. unscrupu-
lous minious of fortune 10 biindfold her
with her own Phrygian hood. that they
may turn our country into a checkerboard
and all government into predatory game
Of chance; TO Columbia who will dare To
draw her sword and cry a halt upon the
practice or such medieval barbartsms as
are TOW waiting their fumes into her
HORIZONS
When a young author can work herself
up TO such pitch or windy eloqueuce and
lash herself into such frenzy OF meta
phors in a single page az prose. W. leave
the reader tn imagine what she can DO
IN the course Of 40 pages Of poetic license.
SELFCTLTTvATION IN ENGLISH By
George Herbert Spencer. Professor Of
Philosophy in Harvard
standardization in English" is he i.tte
n short essay IN hook form by George
Herbert Spencer. professor az philosophy
In Harvard. While no practical system Of
sclf-educatlon Is even outlined IN this Is
say yet +. contains some good suggestions
such as that of adopting new words for
the enlargement ~ the vocabulary and the
necessity Of seeing the subject OF speech
er writing clearly before attempting 10 ex-
.@resS II So xa~,f& JTssar,. aye some II kes