Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-03-29

this exercise, no SehhoH VI NUVuhl-
stance could obstruct MS purpose
plungng through the winters SHOWS
anl frozen streams IN pursuit OF ms
object" Thus as so often happens
the boy unconsclously prepared hlm-
sell for the work OF the man
"The strollers'--A Romance Of the
Early American Stage-by Frederic 3
Islam is 80 be published at once by
thu Bowen Merrill company, This Is
story OF the struggles for the Ameri-
can drama H. the days when to be a
player was to be a pioneer II tells
cf the iom1ntic tour Of a suolling
company who found their audience
and their stage In inns. and town halls
and of their adventures as they travel
ed by coach through the countryside
Out of the list Of books selected by
the London academy as the best books
Of the year there were but two OF
American authorship; Of these the most
praised and lauded and the one which y
really making almost sensation
abroad was Frank Norris 1.-THE OctO-
pus." Very lavish indeed, have been
the words bestowed upon II. Mt Norris
has been compared with Hola and has
come out Of The comparison with a
great deal of honor indeed. Many cri-
tlcs have not hesitated to call him a
genius Of high wonder II Is noteworthy
that "rhe Octopus" was In no way q
popular" book here; on the contrary
II was so serious In its character that
il had tendency 10 repel us readers.
If is time that America came 10 recog-
nl2e Mr. Norris at his true worth for
the author Of "Mr. TagGe' ana 'Ihe
Octopus who Is just. reaching nus
prime, Is Il man of artistic Ideals, OF
broad scope and sincere purpose, These
qualities are bound TO fetch the recog-
milton which becomes In time lasting
fame.
Unusual and very interesting has
been the career of Onoto Watanna, who
i'm private is Mrs. b. w. Babcock For
one 10 young,-she Is but 23--she has
been more of a wanderer and has seen
more of the world than the usual per-
son Of twice her years.
AS iB generally known, she Is hair
japanese, her father being an English
man in the consular service, and her
mother a ull-blooded japanese, Her
parents were married according to the
rites OF the Christian church, and are
both stlll living.
Onoto Watanna was born in Japan,
but was educated here and IN England
She entered literature, as nave many
others, through the door of journalism.
When but Is years of age she reported
the debates of the legislative council IN
Jamaica, West Indies for a small local
newspaper. She then came to this
country and did work for the Cincinna-
II Commerclal-Trib Her first Japa-
nese story was published by that pa
per. She left Cincinnati and went to
Chicago and for four years wrote for
papers and magazines, Her first maga-
zine story came out in the Ladies Home
Journal: since then she has written
for nearly all the large periodicals of
the country. While in Chicago, she
wrote her first book, miss hume OF
Japan" She has lived in New York
hut two years during which time she
has worked for Munseys and has stu
died at Columbia university. Her beau
Oful story, "a Japanese Nightingale
which came out last year, Is of course
her most important piece OF work ana
her finest. 1t was this story which es-
tablshed her claim and suggested
something of the strength ana power
and poetry which she possesses. the
book was really an achievement for one
so young, and a vague analogy between
II and her life, which the curious might
care to draw, gives II additional inter-
est.
Miss Josephine Preston Peabody Is
another recent arrival In the field or
larger literature. Her poetic drama -
"Marlowe"- which has been printed by
Houghton. Mihln & Company shows
her to be woman Of intellectual train
ing and rare poetic gifts, The tragedy,
which IL thoroughly steeped In Eliza
bethan color, suggests something OF us
author Miss Peabody was for two
years at Radcliffe college, Cambridge,
where she devoted herself to a minute
study OF the Elizabethan literature she
is now lecturing at Wellesley college
where she gives two courses when
were formerly in charge of Miss vida
y. Soudder.