The times., 1901-04-21
LITERARY NOTES.


Nine Sarah Grand explains that she
wrote "Babs, the Impossible" as whim-
steal commentary on the state of society
in an English village which is deprived
of its menfolk. If that is her idea of an
Adamless Eden she should come over here
and inspect Wellesley, Nassar, and smith
Colleges.
F. S Martin says in "Harper's Weekly
The missionary cause lost a strong supporter in
Charlotte Mary Yonge, the English novelist, who
died March a. She born in 1873, began writ
ing stories when she twenty-one years old,
and kept at it all her life. In her childhood
she was a parshioner of DIR. Keble, the author
Of The Christian Year." and early IN life
she fell in with Bishop Selwyn, who greatly
influenced her. Dr. Pusey, too. was one OF her
heroes, and bent of mind contracted possibly
from intimate association with these and other
pious and reverend gentlemen colored nearly all
her stories There is a long list of them, IN
which the most famous title Is The Heir OF
Redclyffe'' Out of her profits from that book
she is said to have fitted out missionary schoon-
er The Southern Cross, for Bishop Selwyn. An
other successful book ''The Daisy Chain, al
forded her means to build missionary college
at Auckland, New Zealand. 4 large share OF
her other earnings went the same way. Her
books, though not very important in literary
sense, exceedingly popular and successful
One OF the best of them, The Dove III the
Eagles Nest is a historical novel Of much
merit.
The writer must have some kind of lit
erary astigmatism to make that last
statement.
The leaeing feature of The Smart Set"
for May is a novelette, entitled The Wage
of Character" by Julien Gordon (Mrs.
Van Rensselaer, Cruger). Another strik-
ing feature of the number is "A Mon
arch of a Small Survey" by Gertrude
Atherton. Edgar Saltus contributes an
Edgar Fawcett a story entitled Debtors
to Heritage Other stories, amusing or
by Fletcher Cowan; How Prince Max
Was Bunkered' by Henry Morrow Hyde;
Sir Leicester's Blind Pool" by Henry
Irving Dodge, and "Blue-Eyed Eliphalet,
by Arabella Kenealy. Besides d poem,
The Dancing of Sueima." by Clinton
SCollard, there are poetic contributions by
Theodosia Garrison, Caroline Duer, Ella
Higginson, Carolyn Wells, Charles Henry
Webb, Catherine Young Glen, Charlotte
Becker, and Ethel NJ Kelley.
The trials and vexatiOns of the servant
girl problem form the theme of THE
Successors of Mary the First" by Eliza
beth Stuart Phelps Ward, which will be
published by Houghton, Miffiin &c Co.
Mr.. John Kimberly Mumford has writ
ten in the May Worlds Work an in
teresting account of Russian political
gradual assimilation of Persia and the
struggle for Manchuria. Striking pictures
Illustrate the text, and a map shows Rus
sia rapid encircling of India.
Peacefully, blandly, but relentlessly and
with the Biblical wisdom of the serpent
by skillful utilization of the native ele-
ments. well by the Introduction OF new
forces, a Russian leaven is being distributed
throughout the entire Persian loaf. The murmur-
ing of the vanquished in the countries the Russian
has overcome Is never wholly stiIled: the
prophecy of revolt is continuous but the Cos
sack is 4 sedative of wondrous efficacy The Rus
sian knows the people he holds sway over. He
couciliates native agencies at every step. He
assures men OF the friendship OF Russia He an
initiates memories; he weans peoples from
gretS Tie plays upon their vanity until 1t IS
transmitted into loyalty; he gratis upon his al
ready conglomerate speech something Of the Ian
guage OF the conquered. and the next generation
speaks with the tongue of Moscow. In brief.
he finds barbarism. and moving, leaves Rus
sian. That IS what ne win ultimately do in all
OF Persia. The Russian believes in his mission
| That he aspres to the possession OF all Asia
| there seems no longer any room for doubt There
are great obstacles in his path; he removes
them. He has one way in Manchuria, another
in Iran. But he is building warshps as fast as
he Is taking up land IN Asia. He anchors them
now in Port Arthur; next in Bushire and Bender
Abbas. How soon will the searchghts of his
cruisers sweep the harbors Of Calcutta and Bonn
bay?"
The May publications of Little. Brown
& Co. include "a Daughter of New
France" by Mary Catherine Crowley, a
story dealing with the life of Cadillac and
his founding of Detroit; when the Gates
Lift up Their Heads" a powerful novel
of the South in the early seventies, by
Payne Erskine and Mrs Anna Bowman
Dodd's new book, The American Hus-
| band in Paris
The interest which still makes THE
| Martyrdom of an Empress one of the
substantial successes among current
books will be increased by the announce
ment made by Harper & Bros. of their
forthcoming book, THE TribulatiOns of a
| Princess This is an ANONYMOUS auto
biography by the author of the famous
"Martyrdom OF an Empress" who still
conceaIs her personality from the public
for obvious reasons.
Edward r. Shaw, Ph. D., Dean of the
Faculty of Pedagogy in the New York
University. has in press for immediate
publication by the Macmillan Company
work on School Hygiene" This volume
will mark a departure from the conven-
tional treatment of the subject of school
hygiene. The fundamental requisites of
| "A schOOlroom are first discussed and the
| standards and forms involved in a model
| schOOlrOOm are set forth.
| The fourth book in the Month
| series of contemporary American novels
| WNlCH ftdfptI q SiplhcIS are publlSuillSs
| is entitled "A Victim of Circumstances"
| by Miss Geraldine Anthony. The book
viii be published about the end of April.
| Mr. Charles w. Chestnut, in Modern
| Culture" for May, gives an interesting
| glimpse of his own methods of literature
| making. He says
! In writing. a few years ago the volume en-
| titled The Conjme Woman" suspect that
| was more influenced by the literary value uf the
material than by its sociological bearing. and
| therefore took thought | did, considerable
| liberty with my subject. Imagination. however,
| can only act upon data--One must have some
where in his consciousness the ideas which he puts
! together TO form connected whole. Creative
talent of whatever grade, is in the last analysis
| ing under the ] was the more firmly
| impressed with this thought after / had inter
| viewed half i dozen old women and a genuine
''cOniurc doCtOr;'' for discovered that the brill
| liant touches due. 1 had thought. to my own
| Imagination, after all but dormant ideas,
| lodged in my childish mind by old Aunt This and
! old Uncle That, and awaiting only the spur OF
| imagination to bring them again 10 the sur
| face For instance in the story, "liUt-font
| Hannibal there figures a conjurc doll with
/ pepper feet. Those pepper feet regarded as
| peculiarly my own. purely original creation.
| heard only the other day. in North Carolina,
of the consternatiou struck to thc heart OF
| tain dark individual upon finding upon his door
| step a rabbits foot-1 good omen IN itself per-
! haps-to which a malicu influence had been inn
parted by tving to one end of it. in the tUrm Of
| a cross two small pods - red pepper!
New Books Received.
THE MAsTER-KNOr OF HUMAN FATE: \
Novel By Ellis Meredith Boston: Little,