Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-11-15

S1e AIU IAe boys and Fits De mace
familiar with the classics Of En-
Ilish literature in their original form.
This, we take 1T ID a wen -d~eseryed
Hap at the foolish fad now In vogue Of
making easy the great classics by rem
dering them into words Of one syllable.
We have all seen the Bible, Pilgrims
Progress and Robinson sCrusoe put into
Dne syllable form for babies. but when
It comes to the point Of muttlating all
the short and simple classics in the
way, for the use OF third and
pupils. it is time to call a
halt Below is a list of classic readings /.
recopmended to the Chicago school
Pied Piper of Hamelin.
King of Golden River.
Merchant of Venice.
Midsummer Nights Dream.
Evangeline.
Coutrship of Miles Standish.
Christmas Carol.
Cricket on the Hearth.
The Minotaur.
The Dragons Teeth.
The Pigmies.
Lays of Ancient Rome.
Orations of Webster.
The Great Stone Face.
The Snow Image.
The Great Carbuncle. q
Tales Of the White Hills.
Tales OF a Wayside Inn.
Enoch Arden.
Snow-Boundl
The Deserted Village.
Lady Of the Lake.
The Raven.
Lincoln.s Gettysburg Speech.
EDWARD Everett Hale in AZ recent re-
Prospect over the Literature of the
Century" a this to say OF the novel:
Mr.. Howells may say what he chooses
about the artistic failure of novels with
a purpose, all the same the reader of
his books is led and knows that he is
led by a master who means to make
him believe that all must live for each
and each for ALL
MI. Howelis' criticism would con
denim as failures most of our best fic-:
ton, for there Is no denying hat the
modern novel is pervaded with q high
ethical intent, tho the modern author
ma himself. like Mr.. Howells, be so
saturated with the altruism of the age
as to be unconscious of the evident pur-
pose in his work.
Concerning poetry, Mr.. Hale declares
it has for the present taken the second
seat. But he writes, there is no
such disgrace to the poetry of England
and America as in the last half of the
eighteenth century VIXEN genteel poetry
was intolerabls, and when Burns and
Cowper held up their heads in an ocean
of conventional dullness.'
A great deal has been written about
the dearth of poetic genius, but when.
one turns the pages of Mr.. Steadman's
Anthology" he is inclined to distrust
the critic. For therein is found such a
wealth Of prophetic song-so much de-
serving to be called genuine poetry
that n is led to abjure all his former
pessimism and cherish a magnificent
hope for the speedy coming of the great
American poet.
Doubtless much has found its way
into the Anthology that will net stand.
the test of time, and doubtless there are
many good poems excluded tina may
~outlive some OF thosa included.
Mr.. Steadman makes room for 500
poets, many of them famous for a sim
pie poem, many others more or less OBJ
scure, and embracing in his scope, in
addition to the old favorites from the
well-known poets. new selections from
the old and. new poets who; have written
since the publication Of his Poets of
America. in 1885.
In this list we find many of our ia
vorites and also miss others whose
names we look for in vain, and whose
lofty strains of faith and hope have
taught us the beauty and meaning Of
life.
The poetry Of the present, like much
else that is written. is too close to US
for a fair and Just estimate of Its val
ue and permanence. Time alone must
may be poems omitted from the An-
thology, floating around obscure and
nameless today, yet destined TO inn
mortality.
Milton's "Paardise Lost waited ten
years to Inc a publisher, and the whole
amount received by his family from
the copyright was f2S! Waller, this
most popular poet of that day, wrote
of him: The old blind s~choolnaster
John Milton, hath published a tedious
poem on the fall of man. II it's length
be considered a merit, it hath no 9TH
err" Yet today John Milton is one OF
the four great peaks Of English litera-
ture. while his critic is unknown to the
modern world.
It seems but a brief interval since n
p. Willis boastedI to h poet Longfel.
low that he had received $4,000 from
his poems. II wish" was LongfelloW's
rpely. that i had received 1000 from
mine Yet today Longfellow is famil-
lar to every school child, his name is
enrolled in the Hall of Fame. by 9
popular vote of rs out of 1872. while
N. P. Willis is scarcely known, seldom
read and receives not a single vote.
He Would Do.
Barry Sullivan, the Irish trasedian,
was playing in Orchard III" some
years ago at Shrewsbury. When the
actor came to the lines, "a borse, q horse
My kingdom for a horse!" some one il
the pit called ont:
IL GsE--