The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-11

question in his first chapter, Mr.. McKim
! proceeds 20 devote the rest of his book to
answering it.
One of his arguments is that hereditary
| tendencies should be thoroughly under
stood and so far as possible counteracted;
and another is that persons Of marked ten
! denotes toward insanity. epilepsy or Grim
| inality. should not be allowed TO marry.
/ But the remedy which he finally proposes
| and which seems at first sight radical in
| the eXtreme-is that all persons organically
weak or organically vicious, who fall into
the hands of the state, should be removed
by a gentle. painless death. He advocates
! this in the case of such criminals as show,
by repeated acts of criminal nature. that
they are morally defective and incorrigible,
and in the case of grossly defective persons
now dependent upon the state. He admits
that the number of deaths thus caused
would at first be large, but calls attention
TO the fact that the number of murders
nually committed by habitual criminals
and irresponsible persons is also large. and
asks whether it would not be better. TO
remove the scene of death from car streets
and homes TO our penal institutions.
He thinks that such a radical course
would result in the reformation of persons
capable Of reform. and that those un;nfu-
enced by the prospect of early death might
better be out of the way. He also points
out the fact that the exaggerated respect
for human life which we seem to have in
the case of criminals does not extend to
some other conditions of human existence
for instance, railway service in which
startlngly large number of employees is
killed or MANNED. Why, he enquiries
should we regard with horror the p-Jpo-
sition to take the life of a homicidal lu-
matte or habitual criminal who is not a
murderer. while we regard with unmoved
emotions the risk of life by an honest.
plucky, hard working engineer or brake
man? There is certainly something in
that idea. Mr.. McKim finally compares
our attitude toward the criminal with the
Hindu attitude toward mischevous ami
mails. as described in John Lockwood Kip
ling's Man and Beast in India
Gardeners try to scare the birds-vth elaborate
arrangements Of strong. bamboos, old pans. and
stones ia their fruit trees; and sometimes a
watcher ,sts like a spider at the centre OF an
arrangement Of cords, radatinE all the field.
so that an alarming movement may be produced
at any point. Yet their tempers do not give
way, and they preserve monumental patience.
We set policemen and detectives
The watch stretch rsdiating wires of electric
communication all over the land, and make a
great deal OF noise to scare away our human
hstpies. but although few OF them are caught.
and some Of these punished. time shows lessen
ing, hut rather an increase. in the degree and
tent OF their depredations Yet our 'tempers do
not give way we preserve monumental pa
tience"
There Is chance TO say a great deal on
both sides OF this question: but at any
rate, the present author has precen:ei can
didly his view of il. with due attention to
all arguments which are likely to be
r,,.a,, IL, 1. 4.
receive more serious attention than. in
fact, it is likely 10 get. tNew York: G. p.
Putnam's Sons. sl.50.)
The Author of ''tIice I'm Wonderland"
book which will be fascinating alike |
TO children and grown folk is The Story |
of Lewis Carroll" little volume of remi- |
niscences by lisa Bowman, 1.-THE real Alice |
in Wonderland" This signature may be |
slightly misleading. inasmucb as Miss /
Bowman was not the child TO whom the |
story was originally told. That was Alice,
daughter OF Dean Liddell. who, with her |
sisters, listened TO the fantastic tale dur
ing some delightful out-of.door afternoons
spent with the author. Miss Bowman was
the adopted liSSs of Charles Lutwidge
Dodgson, as he was known in the college
world, and she played the part OF Alice
when the story was staged as a panto-
mime. There is a picture of her in this
part. which proves eonclusively that she
must have made very charming little
heroine.
The only fault that can be found with
this book OF "reminiscences is that /. is not
4 large work in two volumes. One reads
t eagerly TO the very end. and then re-
views it page by page, wishing there were
more II is simply a delicious mixture of
letters. sketches, photographs anecdotes,
bits of character sketching. pictures Of the
stately old town where the author spent his
life, and half-unconscious tributes to the
gentle and winning nature of this friend
If children. Miss Bowmans style of witt
ng is unconventional and attractive, and
he book forms a transparent medium
through which the reader may look back
ward into the daily life OF the man who
vas known TO the reading world in two
aspects SO widely different as those of
rained mathematician and creator Of
nursery FOLKLORE.
Yet the two characters are not when
as diverse as they seem. alice
n Wonderland" and Through the Look
l
heir way, as a geometrical demonstration.
This little book somehow links together the
wo personalities, for it contains many au-
,cdotes illustrating Lewis Carrolls pas
lion for exactness. He gave arithmetic |
essons TO his little friends with a tact and
kill which made the lessons n delight,
hough learned more thoroughly than I'M
Ter any other teacher. Miss Bowman says !
hat his pupils at college found his lectures
NM inff of |
earned to love study before detested.
The book, however is taken up mainly |
With Lewis Carroll as he appeared TO his {
hid friends. and some facsimiles of his |
etters TO them add much to the charm OF
he work. One is tempted TO quote the
Thole book in attempting 10 quote any OF
I, for on every page is some quaint. ten
er. or comical coDceit. One particularly
characteristic page reads as follows;
Those rooms % his! ] do not think there was :
yer such a iairyland for children | am sure !
icy must have contained Of the finest col ]
ciians Of musical boxes TO be found anywhere l
the world. There were big black ebony boxes
it'll glass tops, through which you could see al
" works. There big box with a handle. =
hich IL quite hard exercise for a littll | :
III to turn. and there must have been twenty l
thirty little ones which could only play one I
me. Sometimes one Of the musical boxes would {
Il lay properly, and then always got tremen- {
Dusly excited. Uncle used TO go a drawer ,
the table and produce box OF little screw :
liver and punches, and while | sat his knee !
would uIscrcw the lid and take ont the wheels !
what was the matter. lie must have been a u
ever machinist. for the result was always the c
me-aiter a longer or shorter period the music a
gan again. Sometimes when the musical boxes 4,
I'd played all their tunes be used TO put them in
II box backwards. aud pleased as / at {
- comic effect Of the music standing on its | i
ead." as he phrased it. T
There was another and very wonderful toy (
he SOM time cd To- and