The Washington times., 1901-12-01

mated by the title. so presented that it
VIII be as ineligible 10 the novice as to
rne expert, and so arranged as to be an
infallible guide to the style and the close
iy approximate date of say given piece
OF colonial furniture. Offering definite
means for the detection OF the spurious
as we'll as for the determination of the
genuine.
Capt Alfred T. Mahan's Types of
Naval Officers, which Little, Brown G.
Co. publish, is one of the most important
books of the year. Captain Mahan dis
cusses six British admirals, all OF whom
raised themselves to their rank in the
peerage by their distinguished profession
al services. They are: Lord Hawke Lord
Rodney. Earl Howe, Earl St Vincent.
Lord De Saumarez, and Lord Exmouth.
In his preface, Captain Mahan says:
THE question may naturally he asked,
Why, among types of naval officers. is
there no mention, more than casual, of
the name of Nelson? The answer is sim
pie. Among general officers, land and
sea, the group to which Nelson belongs
deiies exposition by a type, both because
it is so small in aggregate numbers and
because the peculiar eminence Of the sew
eral membeTs-the eminence of genius
so differentiates each from his fellows
that no one among them can be said to
represent the others Each, in The su-
premacy of his achievement, stands alone
alone, not only regarded as towering
a brilliant surrounding of distinguished
followers, but alone even as contrasted
with the great ones who in their own
day had like supremacy. Such do not,
| in fact, form class, because, though
a certain community of ideas and princi-
| pies may be traced in their actions. their
| personality and methods bear each the
stamp OF originality in performance; and
where originality is found classification
| ceases to apply. There is company, it
may be, but not a class"
Mr. e. f. Benson the author Of ''Dodo,"
was only twenty-six when that book was
written. In his earlier youth he spent
/ as much time in playing football as in
winning scholarships, being, indeed, cap
| tain of the Marlborough team. He is a
mountaineer, a good shot, an excellent
| golf player, and he is devoted to the
| four-footed friends on his country es-
| tate.
! The London Spectator eondenses this
| story OF a famous story from the pages
| Of BaIfours Life of Robert Louis Stew
| enson:"
The life of Jekyn and Hyde, its in
ma noes of the profession.
Conceived in an ecstasy of excitement,
1t was entirely recast by the author on a
hint from his most tried and trusted
! critic. and Mrs. Stevenson came upstairs
to find her invalid in bed with a pile of
ashes beside him. Recognizing the JUS
| tice of her criticism that the work should
! be an allegory. while he had made it a
story. he had burnt the entire work in the
original draft lest he should be tempted
to use too much of it in rewriting.
1T was an act OF heroism, for the
story as he first wrote it-more on the
! lines of Markheim-had taken the strong
est hol1 OF him. Yet, what with writing
and rewriting, it was rough hewn into
| its present shape within three days.
Interesting also is the origin of The
Master Of Ballantrae.' In bitter winter
/ at Saranae. the story of buried and re-
| suscitated faker. told long before by an
| Anglo-Indian, REQUIRED to Stevenson's
memory. and transferred itself to those
| icy surroundings. The situation thus
conceived as a denouement to be led up
to, then suddenly presented itself as the
final tableau of a Highland story invented
| long before. The work was completed
| under circumstances more than usually
adverse, and, as Mr.. Balfour admits, the
fusion between the parts thus separately
conceived was never perfect.
On the mueh-d discussed question of the
three collaborations we have now full en-
lightenment."
Little. Brown & Co. have just com
pleted the publication of their Valois edi-
tion of the romances of Alexandra Dumas,
in forty volumes. There are two styles,
| cloth and half morocco. 1t is uniform
with the 'Cfuteuarv Ratzac''