The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1898-09-01
LITERARY.

The maxim"A war never leaves ma
ten where it found it, is borne out by
study of the history Of the wars of the
world. Even in the United States each
war has been the source of many great
changes. And now who can say what
effect the war with Spain will have?
Surely no one is better able to prophesy
than Hon. James Bryce, M. P, the
author of "The American Common
wealth" At the request of the editor
of Harpers Magazine he has given his
views in an article which appears in the
September number.
In the September Review of Reviews
the editor takes strong American
position in discussing the important in
ternotional questions regarding Cuba
and the Philippines which must be set
tied by the peace commission at Paris.
Plain words are also used in regard to
the deplorable sanitary conditions that
the American troops have suffered.
Mark Twain is the next famous man
to be "anecdotalized" by the Ladies'
Home Journal, and his closest friends
have contributed twenty funny stories
about the humorist for the article. The
stories will show that all the good things
about Mark Twain have not been told
Several ludicrous .'snap-shot" pictures
of Mark have also been loaned by his
friends-all printed for the first time.
The complete novel in the Septem-
Der issue of Lippincott's is "The Touch
of Vanished Hand" by the late Miss
M. G, McClelland. It's action occurs
mainley in Virginia, and partly in east
ern New York during the French and
Indian war of 1866.
"The Cromwell Case" by James
Raymond Perry, deals with the unrav-
elling of supposed murder. Henry
Holcomb Bennett, in "a Charge in the
Dark, describes an experience of the
National Guard which resembled actual
war. The "Grandpap" of Anna Vernon
Dorsey's tale was colored boy, on
whom cares and labors too heavy for
his years were laid,
Felix l.. Oswald writes of "War Hys-
terics" (the superstitions and bigotries
that attend hostilities), and Frances NJ.
Butler of "War Songs" handling the
theme historically. "Monarchies and
Republics" are considered by Frederic
NJ. Bird, with special reference to our
relations with England.
The handsome external appearance OF
Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly for
September is borne out by an excep-
tionally attractive table of contents.
The leading article "a Warship's Bat
tery," by Henry Harrison Lewis, tells
how the great guns are placed and
worked, and is illustrated with some
splendid pictures of our victorious
ships in action at Manila and Santiago.
The famous johnson Island Conspi-
racy," an episode of the Civil War, re.
called by the recent death of Leonard
B. Johnson, of Sandusky, Ohio, is in.
terestingly recounted by Frederic Boyd
Stevenson. Another article of histori-
cal as well as picturesque value is John
P, Ritter's "Story of Wyoming the
Beautiful. The artistic rambles in
Holland, of Bisbing, the celebrated
American cattle painter, are chronicled
with some original sketches, by his
friend J. NJ Erwin. "Canoe Cruis.
ing" by Commodore F. r. Wood, is
full of pleasant summer suggestions
In McClures Magazine for Septem.
ber, Mr.. George E. Graham describes
the destruction of Admiral Cervera'S
fleet, as he himself had the good for,
tune to see the work done from Com.
modore Schleys flagship, the "Brook
lyn"; and Mr.. W. A. M. Goode de
scribes it as he saw it, from Admiral
SIMPSONS flagship, the "New York. ;
Together the two papers give com
plets and most vivid account of whaI
was undoubtedly the most picturesque
event of all the war; and being illus
trated with portraits of all the com.
manders, pictures Of all the ships, ant
views of all the wrecks, largely form
photographs taken by the authors, thel
leave nothing to be desired. Other fea
lures of the number-in addition tC
several short stories of unusual inter
est-are a fully illustrated article Civ
ing some marvellous facts regarding tn
action of volcanoes, by Cleveland Moi
fett, and an account of "HOw the New
of the War is Reported, by Ray Stan
nard Baker.