Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-02

most powerful Of American short .stor-
les.
( More lately Mrs. Stetson has revised
and enlarged the remarkable book Of
verse which had already appeared In
California In two Informal pamphlet
editions. but which " now for the frst
time published In this country In nm
adequate form. Curlously enough. how
ever an edition has been on the English
market for some time. Lately, too, Mrs.
Stetson has completed her study OF the
relations u women to society, n book
which fixes the attention from the nrst
page and Is not to be forgotten with
the last.
one may see from this list Of titles
the pamphlet on labor. the brilliant
short story. the volume Of verse. the
sociological rtudy-how wide the scope
of Mfs. Stctaou'a activities has been.
Hut this IN not all She has had n
weekly paper IN San Francisco. she
has SPOKEN with rare success all
through the West and East, and In
Great Britain during her visit IN 1896
sho has lived IN Social Settlements In
Chicago: and her work In and before
various clubs for women has been al
most continuous for years.
Yet with all this devotion TO the SER
lous side OF life. Mrs. Stctson Is dis
tlnctiy not "Ncw Woman" She Ia n
woman o, q talent 20 vivid and rich.
and tcmncramcnt and character so
upcn ana frank. that she has walked
forward, hnrtil. aware OF the old pre-
judlcea and suncrstitions. but quite
simply and naturally. In the nath Of
development marked out by the 'pio-
nccrs"-thc women who first asked for
nn equal opportunity for their sex. In
deed. Mrs Stetaon IN that rarcst OF
persons, u reformer with sense OF
humor. preacher who |. never duh:
and sntlrilt who II still essentially
a poet
The poem. "slmllnr Cases" II proba-
bly, the most widely quoted poem that
has appeared In the lust three decades.
Not since Lowell with his witty poetic
dintribes aEninst black slavery and It's
supporters kept the country In an up
roar Of applause, has piece OF poetic
sarcasm met with such apprcciative and
widespread recognition.
The poem was followed by
othcrH from her pen. mum
Der appearing In the leading
magazines Of the country. and ull Of
which have recently been gathered In
one volume aud published In book form
under the title I'm This our World"
II II nlled with poems ranging In ma
tutc from the humorous and satlrlcal
TO those breathing the tendorst SYM
PATTY and deepest reverence.
Not n line In any one OF them n
commonplace. and the most ~ them are
NJ texture that will make them-as
WAR cries OF cause Mt last TO be
clad In the garb Of deeds"
long outlivc the conditions to which
they owe their inspiration.
william Dean Hnwells has called
Mrs. Stotaon'a verse the best civic
satire which America has produced since
the Blgluw papers, Certainly the vlgor.
tie veryo, the deep moral cnrncstncss
and the delightful humor and extra
ordinary talent Tor satire which she
Displays Ia there poems have hardly
been surpassed. The volume In di-
vidod into three parts. The first. on
titled. The World" ranges In subject
from similar cnses' and AN Obsta-
Gle" 10 name only two Of those satlrl-
cal pieces by which Mrs. Stetson has
been hitherto best known TO lyrics Of
nature remarkable FOR their tender
sympathy and loving observation.
The subject OF the second section II
Woman, and the third part, called "'rhe
March" deals with the forward
movement" of human brotherhood
authors heart
The poem which noxt to Similar case,
has been the most widely quoted Il
| given below;
AN OBSTACLE.
I was climbing IN mountain path
With many things to do.
| Important business Of my own,
And other peoples too.
! when ran against Prejudice
That quite cut on the view.
My work was such as could not walt.
My path aulte clearly showed
| My strength and time were limited.
carried quite load.
| And there that hulklng Prejudice
sat all across the road.
So | spoke TO him politely
For he was huge and high,
| And begged that he would move bit
And let me travel by.
| He smiled, but a. Tor movingl
lie didn't even try,
And then reaHoncd quietly
With that colossal mule;
NV time was Rhnrt-no other path
The mountain winds were cool
I argued like a Solnman.
lie sat there like fool
Then ficw Into q passion,
| ! danced and hnwlei 1ud swore.
| pclted and helaborcd him
TIL was sim and sore;
lie got ns mad as | ala
But he sat there as before.
And then begged him on my knees;
might be knccllng stlll
II so hoped to move that mass
or ohdurate lll-will-
As well invite the monument
To vacato Bunker HIM.