The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-11

partial spirit.
Books and Authors;
Comment and Gossip.
L. c. Page &c Co. have negotiated an
important transfer whereby, through
purchase from Silver, Burdett & Co, MS
previous publishers, they have added to
their list the complete works of Charles
G. d. Roberts, whose authorized pub
fishers they now are. BY this arrange
,nent they have taken over the publish
ing rights of the excellent work which
that author has produced.
Probably the most notable example of
the quality and style Of Professor Ro-
berts' writings is The Heart of the An
cent Wood which may be described
as u realistic romance OF the folk of the
forest-a romance of q place between
pioneers daughter and the wild beasts
Who felt the spell of her personality and
became her friends. The forge in the
Forest" "a Sister of Evangeline,"
"I.arths Enigrnas,'' by the Marshes Of
Ninas" complete his productions in the
way of fiction In poetry he has written
"Scngs OF the Common Days, I'm
Divers Tones" New York NCcturnes,''
and Poems"
Roberts works reflects his singular per-
soaalIty. Conventional people would re-
gard him as rather a queer character,
whereas in the Bohemia which he loves
he is hailed as a genius He is not much
above medium height, and he locks
ticodIeSs sort of student, but he is an
astonishing athlete, and his poetic muse
carries him into rhymes of fire and de-
size, and rose and ruse and lure and
sure. l have seen him at an old-time
Studio party lift with one hand and
hold cut from his shoulder man weigh
ing hundred and fifty pounds, and
again, "sighing like a furnace" breath
ing his sensational verse into the shell
like car Of some entranced adm.rer.
Edward Box, editor of the Ladies'
Home Journal, is man of mark, pecu-
liar probably TO this age. He is the
oracle Of the feminine American, and
yet he can never be accused Of having
been effeminated by his associations
There is unmistakable strength in his
contributions to that wonderful journal;
and that he has not lost his masculine
serse Of humor is witnessed by the fine
bit CT sarcasm in the gentle filings which
l.c takes in the May Ladies Home Jour-
mai at the Wise Men of New York"
The wisest person in America" he
says. SIS the New York man who has
neye r travelled a hundred miles beyond
tho borders of his own city. To him
travel is unnecessary, for whittier would
he travel? His city is at once the Alpha
ard Omega of human ken. Inc sun.
for him, rises each morning just beyond
the Brooklyn Bridge and sets each even
ing in the North River. In short, New
York is America. To live outside of its
domain is simply to camp out. And the
few-the seventy and odd-miliions-who
do live beyond the pale simply live to
watch what New Workers do, how New
Workers dress. what books New Workers
read. what New Workers say
The Ladies' Home Journal for May, by
the way. from its charming cover by
Albert Herter to its last page, eXcels in
I'll ways. The most important new fea-
tile is the beginning of Ernest Thomp-
soil Seton's department for boys, which
is written and illustrated by the famous
Observation-Disclosures Lindsay Deni-
sen. who knows President Roosevelt in
a very personal way, writes Of .'The
Outdoor President and Helen Keller
continues the marvellous story Of her life.
The fiction features are Miss Portor'S
Those Days in Old Virginia" and the
fist part OF a story by Grace S. Rich
.aond, called The Indifference of Juliet"
Kettle Blanchan tells How the Birds
Build Their Nests" and val Bradley
81 cws the BOULDER of The Bradley
He use" Mr.. Mabie in his literary talk
dCals with the reading habit and several
new books and writer's of note. There's
no end of good and helpful advice and in
tcresting facts in the various depart
.nents. and the illustrations are conspicu-
orsly attractive.
The May number OF the Woman's
Home Companion, the Journals rival
for domestic favor, has as its chief fea-
ture the beginning of a serial story by
Cyrus Townsend Brady. It's title is
woven With the Ship" Other fiction
is 1.-THE Plot Against Henley" by Will
n. Harden, and the tale of Blue beard by
Elliott Flower. An article of unusual
tmelincss is that on Ellen NJ stone.
by the secretary of the Foreign Missions
Board. ..Where the Circus Starts From
THE Month of May-Days' ard Be
hind the Scenes in a Department Store
are ali of interest. Mr.. Baynes con-
tinues his delightful Journeys TO the
Woods and Fields" a particularly tell
ing feature is w. G. Bowdoin's article
on Charles Schreyvogel, the PAINTER Of
frontier life A new department. is add
ed this month. 1t is devoted 10 poetry,
and there will be printed in each num-
Der some of the old favorites, as well as
the newest verse.
Samuel n Church. who is sid tc be
the greatest American authority on
Cromwell--if that is anything 10 bras
about-is engaged upon q novel which
has the Puritan dictator and the inter-
regnum for a background. The hero of
the story is Colonel Penruddock. Roy
alst, who commanded the White Goats.
the Duke of Newcastle's famous resl-
ment of Lambs which the butcherins
CromweiFs .Ironsides" cunt to pieces on
Marston Moor. 1t is related by some
historians that when the uniforms were
made for the Dukes crack regiment
there was no dye at hand to color them
red, and they told the Duke if he would
let them wear the white wooden clothes,
they would dye them with blood-and
they did, only forty of them surviving
out of one thousand. when Cromwell had
finished his charge down the Moor. The
final scenes OF the story are to be in
America.