The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-21
LITERARY NOTES.

LITERARY NOTES.
Nine. Sarah Grand explains that she
wrote "Babs, the Impossible" 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, Vassar, and Smith
Colleges.
p 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 was born in 1923, began writ
ing stories when she twenty-o years old,
and kept at it all her life. In her childhood
she a parishioner of DIR. Keble. the author
of The Christian Year" and early in life
she fell in with Bishop Selwyn, who greatly
influenced her. DIR. Pussy, too 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 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 Selwyu. An
other successful book, THE Daisy Chain, at
forded her means to build missionary college
at Auckland, New Zealand. 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 in 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 novelette, entitled THE Wage
OF Character, by Julien Gordon (Mrs.
Van Rensselaer, Cruger). Another strik-
ing feature of the number is "A Mon
or R1N Of 49,
Anterior. Edgar Saltus contributes an
essay on The Quest of Paradise" and
Edgar Fawcett story entitled Debtors
to Heritage" Other stories, amusing or
dramatic, are THE Lady Demi-Tasse,"
by Fletcher Cowan; How Prince Max
Was Bunkered," by Henry Morrow Hyde;
Sir Leicester's Blind Pool by Henry
Irving Dodge, and "Blue-Eyed E.iphalet"
by Arabella Kenealy. Besides a poen
The Dancing of Suleima." by Clinton
Scollard, there are poetic contributions by
Theodosia Garrison, Caroline Duer. Ella
HigginsQn, 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 & Co.
Mr.. John Kimberly Mumford has writ
teresting account of Russian political
gradual assimilation of Persia and the
struggle for Manchuria. Striking pictures
Illustrate the text, and a map shows Rus
sla rapid encircling of India.
,; Peacefully .S bandly, but relentlessly and
by skillful utilization of the native ele-
nents as well as 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 stilIed: the
prophecy Of revolt is continuous but the Cos
sack is a sedatiye Of wondrous efficacy The Rus
sian knows the people he holds sway over. He
conciliates native agencies at every step. He
assures men of the friendship OF Russia He an
initiates memories; he weans peoples rom re-
grets- He plays upon their vanity until it is
transmitted into loyalty: he gratis upon his al
ready cOnglomerate speech something OF the lam
guaSe OF the conquered, and the next generation
speaks with the tongue of Moscow. In brief
he finds a barbarism, and moving leaves a Rus
sian. That is what he will ultimately do in all
of Persia The Russian believes in his mission
mat he aspires 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 warships as fast as
he is taking up land in Asia. lie anchors them
now in Port Arthur; next in Bushre and Bender
Abbas. How soon will the searchlights 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 x Bros. of their |
forthcoming book. THE Tribulations of a ]
Princess This is an ANONYMOUS auto |
by the author of the famous |
g MartyrdOm of an Empress" who still |
her personality from the public |
for obvious reasons.
Edward r. Shaw. Phi D.. Dean of the !
Faculty of Pedagogy in the New York |
University, has in press for immediate |
publication by the Macmillan Co'ypany a |
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 |
ta'dards and forms involved in model |
schoolroom are set forth.
The fourth book in the One-a- Month |
series of contemporary American novels, |
which Harper Il Brothers are publishing, |
is entitled "A Victim of Circumstances" |
by Miss Geraldine Anthony. The book |
will be published about the END 81 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, few years ago the volume en-
titled The COniure Woman suspect that | |
vas more influenced by the literary value Of the
material than by its sociological bearing, and |
therefore took. thought | did, considerable
liberty with my subject. Imagination. however.
an only act upon data-One must have some
where in his consciousness the ideas which he puts
together to form connected whole. Creative
alent. Of whatever grade, is in the las; analysis
inly the power of rearrangement-there is Moth
NJ new under the ! the firmly !
with this thought after had inter-
iewed half dozen old women. and a genuine
'c0uiure DOCTOR Tor | discovered that the bril-
liant touches due. | had thought to my own |
were after all but dormant ideas, |
edged in my childish mind by old Aunt This and |
bid Uncle That, and awaiting only the spur OF
Imagination 10 bring them again To the sur
lace. For instance, in the story ''Hot-tuot |
Hannibal" there figures a coniU.c doll with
copper feet. Those pepper fee | Regarded as
my own. a purely original creation. |
heard only the other day. in North Carolina.
VI the CONSERVATION struck to the heart OF GER
ain dark individual upon finding upon his door
top rabbits foot-a good omen in itself per-
laps-to which malisn influence had been i'm
,arted 10y tying to one end of it. in the form Of
cross, two small pods - red pepper!
New Books Received
TIE MASTER-RNOr OF HUMAN FATE: \
Novel BY Ellis Meredith. Boston: Little,
Brown a Co. SIS.