Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-06
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

MI tTdgIneut. by
Hon. Professor F. Max Muller, KIM. With |
Portraits. New York: Charles Scribners Sons
Washington: VIM. Ballantyne & Sons
Max Muller died last autumn, leaving an
abundant record of hard work in behalf OF
scholastic ideal, highly honored among
educators, beloved by Ehilologists. His life
had been in the main uneventful, as ca
reers go IN period of great world changes
1t was the typical career of the scholar,
subordinating all else to the pursuit OF
knowledge and the elucidation of hidden
truths. Yet the story OF that life contains
much quiet romance. The great student
OF language himself has told many of the
interesting facts about himself and his
work in books published before his death,
his "Reminiscences and "Auld Lang
Syne" But these left much to be desired
In the way of consecutive biographical ac-
count, and he yielded finally to the pres
sure of friends to prepare an outline Of his
life, which was Interrupted by his death.
His son, who now edits the work, was his
amanuensis and literary executor. 1t was
characteristic of Muller that ne was so in
tent throughout his active years upon the
specific objects of his research that he
found no occasion to complete record OF
his personal affairs. Throughout his career
he made individual matters secondary to
the supreme study of the ancient languages.
ing passage in his Introductory chapter:
But now l am ASKED to give much
fuller account of myself not only Of what
l have seen but also of what have been,
what were the objects ur ideals of my life,
how far 1 have succeeded in carrying them
out and how often | have failed to &C
complish what 1 had stretched out my
task in life People wished to know how
a boy, born and educated in a small and
almost unknown town in the center of Ger
many, should have come to England,
should have been chosen there to edit the
oldest book in the world, the Veda of the
Brahmans. never published before, whether
i'll India in Europe; should have passed
the best part of his life as professor In
the most famous and, as it was thought,
the most exclusive university In England
and should actually have ended his days
as member of her majestys most
honorable privy council"
There are many dfscursive passages in
the course of the autobiography, for Null
ler,s mind was essentially philosophical
and analytical and trended toward inquiry
| Into apparently irrelevant items. But there
| is always thought at the end of each
| such by-way of text. The portraits show
| the author at various ages. In conclusion
| Prof. Muller wrote a confession, acknowl-
| edging that he had always belonged to the
| non-doers, to the class of theorists and stu
| dents rather than those who achieve by en-
terprise and push. There is a marked sug-
gestlon in this chapter of cOntentment
| with such role, that of student removed
| from the field of strenuous endeavor 1t is
virtual appeal for more scholasticism in
| these days of hustle and self advancement
JAPANESE PLAYS AND PLAYFEILOwS By
Osman Edwards. New York: John Lane.
| Mr.. Edwards spent half year in Japan
| studying the drama of the people, finding
that, despite many fragmentary references
in current literature. it had not been wor-
thily exploited. Accordingly his book is a
comprehensive study of the Japanese
| stage and it's modern opponents with suit
able references to the great artists of the
| stage who have laid down it's traditions
| There are also sketches about other phases
of life in Japan, with a suggestion of the
| lighter moods of the people, their affec-
tions and their peculiar customs of enter
| tainment. A love story is added under the
title of Playing With Fire" Several col
ored illustrations by Japanese artists ado
| to the attractiVeneSS of the work.
CRUCIAL INSTANCES. BY Edith Wharton au
thor of The Touchstone,'' etc. New York
Charles Scribner's Sons. Washington: Vim
BallantyLe Sons.
Mrs. Whartons short stories which have
periodically appeared during the past few
months have continued the promise OF
strength and meaning which was given by
THE Greater Inclination and her subse
quent works. They are now assembled under
a general title which signifies the broac
scope of the series. Each story represent:
the supreme crisis in the life of a man Oh
a woman. THE Duchess at Prayer is {
romantic rendering from Italian life of {
couple of centuries ago, through the me
dunn of modern tourist. The Moving
Finger suggests the occult. The Con
fessional' is the longest and in some re
spects the strongest of the stories.
UNDER TOPS'LS AND TENTS By Cyrus Town
s He% YORK Charles Sons 81
ington: VIM Ballantyne Sons.
Cyrus Townsend Brady has been a nava
cadet, a railroad man and is now Epis
!. copal clergyman. He has seen service Il
war chaplain of the list Pennsylvani
during the Spanish war. His missionary ex
periences in the west have added to hi
fund of information, both natural and hu
man. A book of recollections from hir
is therefore of marked interest, particular
in view of his recent success as a stor
writer and novelist. 1t is divided int
two parts, that relating to his life as
cadet at Annapolis and that concerning hi
, taste Of actual warfare in 1898.
IN HIS OWN IMAGE. By Frederick Baron Carv
! New York John Lane.
\ These are sketches of Italian priestly If
; told to an Englishman sojourning in tha
;, country by a bright youngster in his en-
r ploy Toto, who commingles deep revel
= | ence for the church with some very huma
- | preiudiceS against certain of it's person;
u opponents. There is an abundance of tia
ian folk lore in the stories, all with Tot
e as recorder.
I A MARYLAND MANOR; a Novel of Pantati'
n Aristocracy and its Fail. By Frederic Emor
!, Frontispiece by b. West Clinedinst Ne
- York: Frederick A. Stokes Company. Was
: ington: VIM. Baantyne Il Sons.
: YOUR UNCLE LEW, A NATURALBORN AMEF
CAN; Novel BY Charles Reginald Sherloc
Frontispiese by Is. West Clnedinst. New Yor
Frederick A. Stokes Company. Washingto
" WIZ Ballantyne & Sons.
II THE SILVER SKULL; a Romance. BY s.
l. Crockett, author of Joan of the Sword Hand
etc. Illustrated by q. Grenville Manton. Ne
s. York; Frederick A. Stokes Company. Was
X ingtOn: Brentanos.
=, THE WIZARD OF THE SEA; or Trip Und
n the Ocean. By Roy lockwood author of
~ Schooboys Pluck etc. New York: The MI
&c shon Company.
;e BOUND TO RISE; or, the Young Florists of Spri
Hill, and WALTER LORING'S CAREER.
Allen Chapman. New York: The Mersh
Company.
LYSBETH; Tale Of the Dutch By 81. Rio
Haggard author of ''She,'' etc. New Yor
Longmars, Green & Co.
o sPRINGTIME AND HARVEST; Romance.
g. Upton B. Sinclair. jr. New York: The s
clair Press